Sometimes, racing can be cruel. For Connor Zilisch, a breakout star who captured 10 wins in his NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie campaign, that truth hit hard last weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
Despite one of the most dominant seasons in recent series history, the 19-year-old phenom fell short of the championship, finishing third in the finale and second overall in the standings to his best friend Jesse Love, a result that continues to sting days later.
Adding insult to heartbreak, Zilisch’s narrow championship loss had unexpected consequences beyond the world of NASCAR.
The JR Motorsports driver was slated to take part in the World Endurance Championship’s rookie test at Bahrain International Circuit, where he was scheduled to drive a Hypercar. But because he did not win the Xfinity title, Zilisch came up just shy of earning enough ACCUS license points to qualify for the test.
“Yeah, I can’t go anymore,” Zilisch said in a Tuesday media availability in Scottsdale, AZ.
He continued, “I needed to win the championship to have enough points to do that. And yeah, I didn’t win the championship, so no Bahrain.”
He admitted he had already booked flights and prepared for the trip before finding out he’d be staying home. Still, he remains upbeat, with plans to test the Hypercar next week at Daytona International Speedway.
Even with the sting of defeat, Zilisch says he’s proud of what he and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team accomplished in 2025.
“I think the success we had was definitely tremendous. We had so much fun all year long,” Zilisch said. “I loved racing for JR Motorsports, and I’m glad I’ll get to go do a few more for them next year, but yeah, it kind of hurts that we walk out of the season without a championship after the year we’ve had.”
Though he lost the title to his close friend, Love, Zilisch says he’s come to terms with the outcome. “The sun came up Sunday morning, and the world kept spinning,” he said with a shrug.
In the days following Phoenix, several figures from across the racing world reached out, including Kyle Larson, who texted encouragement to the young driver.
“[Larson] just said, ‘This isn’t going to change your career. I know it sucks,'” Zilisch shared, “and he wrote me a nice message, and then he texted me that night, kind of similar. So, yeah, I mean, there were a few people that reached out, that it means a lot to hear from.”
Zilisch will soon turn the page to the next chapter of his career, a full-time move to the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing in 2026, where he’ll team up with crew chief Randall Burnett. After the heartbreak of losing one title and one international opportunity, the rising star says he’s ready to look forward rather than back.
