NASCAR
Just How Dominant Could 2025 Have Been for Connor Zilisch?
2025 will live on among NASCAR history for one of the most dominant rookie seasons in recent memory. 19-year-old Connor Zilisch tore up the Xfinity Series in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, racking up 10 wins and being a near-weekly contender. This electric campaign from the teenage racing prodigy was rewarded with a Championship 4 berth, but ultimately came up one spot short of the title. Here’s a look back on a few races that were near misses for the Charlotte native, proving just how fast he adapted in his first full year of racing stock cars. Zilisch is now Cup Series bound as a rookie with Trackhouse Racing in 2026, but his amazing 2025 efforts deserve one final reflection.
Honorable Mention: Martinsville Speedway
Race seven of the year from Martinsville Speedway was arguably Connor Zilisch’s tallest task yet. Making his NASCAR Xfinity Series short track debut at the Virginia bullring, the 88 turned heads early. Zilisch earned the pole over rookie teammate Carson Kvapil, and looked stout early on. Zilisch led almost every lap in a stage-sweeping performance, pacing 100 of the opening 127 laps. This came despite early damage after a lapped car spun ahead of him and made contact. Restarting back in the pack to start Stage 3, however, Zilisch’s day only got tougher from here. The 88 was largely an afterthought as tempers boiled up front and leaders wrecked on the last lap. Emerging from smoke and debris in 28th-place, Zilisch saw a very abrupt introduction to the mayhem that is Martinsville Speedway.
Rockingham Speedway
One of few drivers who wasn’t even alive during Rockingham Speedway’s heyday, Zilisch nearly stunned again on the foothills oval. Similar to Martinsville, the 88 was fastest in qualifying even with a tire going down. Due to changing this blown tire, however, Zilisch would start The Rock’s first Xfinity race since 2004 in the rear. Zilisch spent much of this race mired back in the pack, never earning stage points or ever cracking the top-10. A late spin by the No. 88 would send this race into overtime, with Zilisch eventually earning a 13th-place result. Had the tire not blown in qualifying, Zilisch could have seen a radically different day at Rockingham Speedway.
Talladega Superspeedway
Crashing out of both superspeedways to open 2025 at Daytona and Atlanta, Zilisch was looking for greener pastures at Talladega in April. The No. 88 seemingly avoided carnage by escaping The Big One, and was leading on the last lap. A poorly-timed block going down the backstretch, however, sent Zilisch spinning hard into the inside wall. Contact came from Zilisch’s best friend Jesse Love, and resulted in a lower back injury after massive wall impact. Out of abundance of precaution, Zilisch sat out the next race at Texas. This substitution drive saw Kyle Larson take the 88 to victory lane, and a history-making run begin with this team.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Amidst Zilisch’s first race back after Talladega, he picked up right where he left off in Charlotte. A home track debut for the teenager saw him start second, lead laps, and be in the mix up front for overtime. Zilisch was battling another Charlotte native, William Byron, for this win and ultimately came home second. Had Zilisch seen a slightly better restart in overtime, he could have been the hometown hero celebrating big.
Nashville Superspeedway
A week later Zilisch was in very familiar position–up front at Nashville Superspeedway. On what would be the final restart though, teammate Justin Allgaier took Zilisch and Brandon Jones three-wide for the lead. The No. 7 Chevrolet’s daring move stuck, and Allgaier drove off to a dominant second Music City win. Meanwhile, Zilisch was runner-up for a second-straight race, and left Tennessee bittersweet after a JR Motorsports win.
Mexico City
Many eyes were rightfully on Zilisch when Xfinity cars made their long-awaited return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Reminiscent of multiple other road races already in his young career, Zilisch put his car on pole and looked to have the best piece. Zilisch arguably had an evenly-matched competitor this day though in Ty Gibbs. Both road racing aces would make contact to start Stage 3, however, that ended with the 88 spinning. This exchange of events allowed Daniel Suarez to sneak on by and take a very popular win on home turf. Zilisch would rebound to finish fifth, far from another win he seemingly had in control.
Chicago Street Course
Eerily similar to Mexico City, the Chicago Street Course saw Zilisch enter as a co-favorite. Following a crash in practice, though, the No. 88 would start in the rear, but found the top-10 by the end of Stage 1. Teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Zilisch were the two best in class all race long, swapping the lead multiple times between both Red Bull Chevrolets. The final restart saw the Nos. 9 and 88 line up door-to-door, where SVG nudged Zilisch in turn one. Finishing second for the third time in six races, Zilisch remained positive after this race. In mirror fashion the very next week at Sonoma, Zilisch would get the upper hand over van Gisbergen.
Little did anyone know at the time, but the 88 would win the next three weeks and seven of the next eight races. Zilisch’s electric summer stretch went on beast mode from Chicago onwards, ending with a dominant Regular Season Championship.
Bristol Motor Speedway
Playoff race one from The World’s Fastest Half Mile was another stellar showing for 2025’s top team. Zilisch started fourth at Bristol, and led nearly 100 laps before a late issue. Fading brakes on the 88 saw this Chevrolet backslide late to take the checkers in fifth. The highly-touted top-five streak for Zilisch did remain intact, but yet another win slipped away at a crown jewel NASCAR venue.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Zilisch had to watch Aric Almirola celebrate as Bristol winner, and the same outcome occurred three weeks later in Las Vegas. After leading inside the final 10 laps, the 88 suddenly started building loose, too much for even Zilisch to keep under control. This allowed the No. 19 Toyota to sneak by for the win and an Owner’s Championship 4 berth, while Zilisch came home a distant second. Las Vegas marked an 18th-straight top-five for driver 88, further extending the series record he surpassed. Zilisch remained atop the series standings even without a win here. The next week from Talladega would likewise see Zilisch clinch a Championship 4 berth.
Phoenix Raceway
Entering the Phoenix Raceway season finale on the strength of two Round of 8 top-10s, Zilisch looked poised for a career-defining night. The 88 took over for the first time in Stage 2, and looked unbeatable on short runs. Alas, this race’s ultimate final restart came with 42 laps left. Zilisch initially cleared all competitors, and began to drive off into the desert horizon. Title rival Jesse Love, however, was not to be denied by his best friend on this long run. The RCR No. 2 got to Zilisch’s inside and made the winning pass with 25 laps left. Zilisch would also fall into the clutches of Aric Almirola, losing both the Driver’s and Owner’s Championships by finishing third. Had the JR Motorsports team prepared a more consistent long run car, or a late yellow flew, 2025’s Xfinity Series season likely has a different outcome. Nevertheless, one of the best season-long efforts in NASCAR’s Modern Era would be punctuated with a championship runner-up result.
In similar vein to Kyle Larson in 2021 or Corey Heim in 2025, Connor Zilisch narrowly lost almost as many races as he won. Double-digit winning seasons are becoming increasingly rare in today’s parity-driven NASCAR world. A feat this scarce should be celebrated when it happens. We may not see a year-long display of dominance like this again in the Xfinity Series. Zilisch moves onto the Cup Series as top rookie prospect at 19 years old for 2026. Another banner year like 2025 is highly unlikely, yet not impossible, for the American racing prodigy. It will be a treat to see how a talent this raw adapts to the far greater demands of stock car racing’s highest level over the next year. Given how quickly he felt at home in Xfinity, it may not be long before he finds his groove on Sundays.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to James Gilbert/Getty Images
