(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Joey Logano Accidentally Gives NASCAR Rookie New Nickname After Atlanta

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 12:19 PM ET

During the Autotrader 400 at Atlanta, Joey Logano was doing what everybody else was doing - trying to survive. There were moments Logano found himself sideways and in trouble. But there were also some good moments in there as well.

At one point in the race, Joey Logano keyed up on the radio to talk about two Trackhouse Racing drivers. He pointed out the 97 of Shane van Gisbergen and the 88 of Connor Zilisch, but the way he did it has created a new nickname for the 19-year-old Cup Series rookie.

"The Trackhouse cars are weapons, man," Logano said during the race. "The No. 97 and the purple one, they're like... jeez. They're gonna crash all of us at some point."

Well, apparently, Zilisch and SVG were listening. Or someone told them because they were fully embracing it after the race.

Connor Zilisch waves on stage during driver introductions(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Ross Chastain earned a P3 finish and decided to do some Wendy's marketing. He invited SVG to get some burgers and fries. To which the road course ringer replied, "Yes I will attend. Hey [Connor] the purple one. Do you want to join?"

Yes I will attend. Hey @ConnorZilisch the purple one. Do you want to join
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) February 23, 2026

In his affable way, Zilisch took it all in stride. "The purple one is interested in this. As long as you guys can pay for me." Yeah, those rookie checks just aren't the same as guys with 5+ Cup Series wins, eh?

The purple one is interested in this. As long as you guys can pay for me
— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) February 23, 2026

It's hard not to like these Trackhouse Racing drivers. Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch - that's a trio that any organization would love to have. Talented, marketable, and don't take themselves too seriously. It helps that they know how to win races, too.

Speaking of races, we are going to get our first showdown this year between SVG and Zilisch on the road course at COTA. Zilisch was taken out of the race early last year in a DNF. This season, he's hoping to be the one answer the Cup Series has to his teammate's dominance on the road.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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