Marnik Kok caught the Formula 1 world around twenty years ago. A deep passion for motorsport, Ferrari, and a background in journalism led him to contribute to various (international) F1 platforms. Since 2020, Marnik has been active as an editor and journalist in the pinnacle of motorsport for several media outlets, including De Telegraaf. As of 2025, he brings that experience to GPblog as a seasoned editor.
During his active years as a journalist — now working as a freelancer — Marnik attended numerous events, with the Dutch Grand Prix standing out as one of the highlights. In addition to his work at GPblog, Marnik is also active in the communications sector at a major national provider and steps in wherever needed. Sitting still is not an option — especially not in motorsport!
This weekend, a 'Red Bull' was expected to race on the famous American circuit Watkins Glen. Because yes, Red Bull is not only active in Formula 1. The history of the Austrian racing team is brief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but fans there also experience drama.
Officially, it's the NASCAR team of Trackhouse Racing, but on January 23, 2025, it was announced that Connor Zilisch was granted to drive car number 87 in the racing class. He made his debut in Austin, raced in the Coca-Cola 600 and was also sponsored by Red Bull.
So, it is not a fully Red Bull team. As we often see in racing, drivers are sponsored by a large team, like the Austrian racing team. With Red Bull as a sponsor, Zilisch was ready to start his NASCAR career backed by a strong name.
Drama for Red Bull, driver withdraws from race
Zilisch won the sprint race, which is of course a great achievement, but due to unfortunate luck, he fell off his car while celebrating the victory. He won the XFinity race, but slipped and broke his collarbone. Red Bull and Trackhouse Racing had no choice: they withdraw from the race and wait for the next one.
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Zilisch is okay, he reported, but has a broken collarbone. So he can't race for the big Austrian sponsor, with whom a partnership has only recently begun. We'll know more about the next race, but for now, it's another setback for Red Bull overall.
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