Copyright Sports Illustrated
Man, life just doesn't feel fair sometimes, does it? Connor Zilisch, who collected 10 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season, came up short in the winner-take-all NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race last Saturday night. And as a result, the driver was left stunned that his incredible season with JR Motorsports didn't result in a series championship. But the shockwave from the fallout of the Championship Race, where Zilisch finished a respectible third, are still being felt by the 19-year-old racer. Zilisch was scheduled to take part in a World Endurance Championship (WEC) rookie test session at the Bahrain International Circuit behind the wheel of a Hypercar. "Yeah, I can't go anymore," Zilisch said of the test session in a media availability Tuesday in Scottsdale, Arizona. Despite snagging 10 victories throughout the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, by finishing second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings, Zilisch did not earn enough Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) license points to become eligible to compete in the rookie test. It wasn't a new revelation to Zilisch, who experienced heartbreak on Saturday night in more ways than one. "It would have been cool to get to go over there. But you have to have an FIAA license to run a Hypercar in WEC, and whether it's a test or what, and I needed to win the championship to have enough points to do that," Zilisch said. "And yeah, I didn't win the championship, so no Bahrain." Zilisch shrugged, "It's just another reason I should have won the championship, I guess." While missing out on the WEC rookie test in Bahrain is another disappointing gut-punch to Zilisch, the driver says he is choosing not to get worked up about a "silly" system that he has no control over. "Yeah, I mean, when I found out, I was definitely a little frustrated with it because it's just silly, but yeah, when I lost, I was more dejected that I lost the championship. That was just another reason to be upset. So, yeah, it's whatever. Can't control it, can't change it. No reason to be upset about it," Zilisch stated. Zilisch, who still plans to test the Hypercar at Daytona International Speedway next week, says that missing out on the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, which in turn made him ineligible for the Bahrain rookie test, forced him to have to make calls to cancel his travel plans. "I had flights and was ready to go," Zilisch explained. "So, yeah, I'll be sitting at home, now. Oh well." Going into last Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race, Zilisch and everyone knew there was a possibility that the 19-year-old driver could walk away from Phoenix Raceway without the championship trophy. But after the season he had turned in, it still felt that the possibility of Zilisch not claiming the championship was not really an actual option. That is, until his best friend and fellow Championship 4 contender, Jesse Love, drove by him with 24 laps remaining in Saturday night's race, and pulled away to score his second win of the season to claim the championship. Going into Tuesday night's NASCAR Awards Banquet, where Love would be honored for his accomplishment, Zilisch says that while losing the championship still hurts, he's come to terms with the loss he experienced last Saturday night. "Yeah, I mean, I've come to terms with what's happened," Zilisch explained. "And at this point, I can't do anything about it, so there's no reason to hang onto it. It's life. The sun came up Sunday morning, and the world kept spinning." While there is no handbook on how to process a shocking loss like the one he experienced at Phoenix Raceway, Zilisch is proud of the season he and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team put together 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. And yeah, I don't really know how to process it, but it's just something I'm going to have to live with and deal with. No reason to be upset about it, because at the end of the day, it's the situation I've got." As Zilisch was wading through a wave of emotions in the aftermath of Saturday night's race, he did receive some much-needed communication from several people, including two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who helped put the loss in perspective. "Yeah, I got a couple of texts. Kyle Larson texted me, and he just said, 'This isn't going to change your career. I know it sucks,' 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 said. "Everybody I saw was really nice to me all weekend long. You know, it helps to have people know that you still succeeded, but at the end of the day, the emotion is still the same." While Zilisch failed in his one attempt to collect a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, the 19-year-old will attempt to translate his other-worldly speed to the NASCAR Cup Series as he is set for a full-time campaign in NASCAR's premier division as he'll drive for Trackhouse Racing, where he'll be paired with crew chief Randall Burnett in 2026. Recommended Articles
