The worlds of NASCAR and Formula One have collided on a dirt oval as part of a crossover designed by Red Bull.
The beverage company took four of its athletes to a dirt oval to see how F1 drivers could adapt to heavy stock cars. Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda represented Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team while Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen represented NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing.
However, Zilisch and van Gisbergen did not have driving duties. They had to only work as coaches for the F1 drivers. The goal was to teach Lawson and Tsunoda how to handle the heavier cars featuring only three brakes before they faced off in a head-to-head matchup.
The crossover on dirt featured four parts. The first was a cone drill designed to teach the F1 drivers the best lines through the turns. Tsunoda won by avoiding all of the cones. The second part was a test of speed in the turns.
The drivers had to fling the heavy stock cars into each turn while maintaining a speed between 65-75 mph. Lawson won this drill.
The third test was qualifying, which Tsunoda won by posting the fastest lap. This gave him lane choice for the final event of the day -- a head-to-head race against Lawson. The two F1 drivers climbed into their heavy stock cars and faced off over five laps.
While SVG, Lawson, and Tsunoda are all established Red Bull athletes, Zilisch is a newer addition to the lineup. The rising young driver only joined Red Bull in September as he prepared for a double-duty weekend at Watkins Glen International.
How did Zilisch follow up on the news that he had joined Red Bull? He won the ARCA Menards Series race after leading 40 of the 41 laps. He then started from the pole in the Xfinity race, led 45 of the 90 laps, and won. This race marked his series debut.
This partnership followed the news that Zilisch had inked a full-time deal to drive for JR Motorsports during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The 18-year-old remains a Trackhouse Racing athlete, but he will represent Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team while competing for a championship.