FORT WORTH, Texas — Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg traded hardwood for horsepower on Sunday, riding shotgun with 19-year-old NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch minutes before the start of the Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Flagg, also 19 and fresh off being named NBA Rookie of the Year last Monday, served as the event’s honorary pace-car driver. Hours before leading the 38-car field to the green flag in a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette, he buckled into the passenger seat while Zilisch pushed the car past 100 mph around the 1.5-mile oval.
“We got going pretty fast, and I think half the ride I was more scared of what was going on,” Flagg said. “I’ve never been in a car going that fast, so it was pretty cool.”
Zilisch is in his first full Cup season with Trackhouse Racing after claiming 10 victories in NASCAR’s second-tier series in 2025. Sharing the cockpit with another teenager gave both athletes a chance to compare notes on sudden stardom.
“Just being able to connect on the fact that we’re both young in our respective sports … that was really cool,” Flagg said. “There’s not many people that have been through this type of stuff at this age.”
The appearance marked Flagg’s first visit to any NASCAR venue. His parents, regulars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the late 1990s and fans of Tony Stewart, accompanied him to Texas and met seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and owner-driver Denny Hamlin.
Flagg set multiple NBA rookie records this season and edged former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the league’s top first-year honor. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Source: ESPN
