Connor Zilisch warns of chaotic restarts at Naval Base Coronado

The first NASCAR race at a new racetrack can be something to behold. Depending on the venue, it can also be a spectacle not of a field's driving acumen, but of chaos. 

NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch believes Sunday's race at Naval Base Coronado — only NASCAR's second street course and its first race on a military base — could be the latter. 

Chaos could be prevalent in San Diego

"It's definitely going to be a challenging racetrack to race at," Zilisch said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio of the 16-turn, 3.4-mile circuit. "It's technical, it's got places where it's really wide and tightens up. That can always be a place for chaos, especially in restarts. Those spots can be scary. 

"There's going to be a lot of chaotic restarts in turn 2. That corner is really wide on entry and tightens up a lot on exit. Definitely going to be a place to watch out for some big divebombs like COTA."

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series will also race at Coronado this weekend. The race is a big one for Zilisch, a road-course ace who has scored two of his four top-20 finishes this season on the road courses of COTA (14th) and Watkins Glen (20th), though he contended for the lead with fellow Trackhouse Racing driver and road course ace Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen.