Another racing season has passed, and none of the end of year championship trophies went to a rider who has 13 wins in 2024.
That’s right, 13. Perhaps what makes it more impressive is the same thing that meant there was no single-season championship: Connor Zilisch won those trophies while competing in seven different series – from stock cars to trucks and even sports car prototypes.
And he did a lot of it before he turned 18 mid-season.
GREAT AMERICAN READING: Celebrate the iconic history of the Daytona 500 with a new book; preface by Richard Petty
Zilisch grew up in the heart of NASCAR stock car racing – Charlotte, North Carolina – and currently lives north of town, where many big league racing teams get their mail, Mooresville. Despite this, his early racing years were spent racing karts or sports cars on road courses.
Zilisch began adding stock cars to his portfolio in 2022 and soon after, his career goals shifted. This year, all 13 of those victories came in NASCAR or NASCAR-affiliated series.
∎ He won one of his four Xfinity Series starts.
∎ Without a victory but two poles and a fourth place in six Truck Series starts.
∎ Five wins in eight ARCA starts.
∎ Four wins in eight starts at ARCA East.
∎ Won his only ARCA West start, last weekend in Phoenix.
∎ Two victories (Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring) in five starts in IMSA, co-driving a Le Mans Prototype 2 machine.
By the way, he also won one of two CARS Late Model Tour starts and one of six Mazda MX-5 Cup races (where he also finished second twice).
Flexibility may be in his blood. Her mother, Janice Kerr, was an all-American gymnast in 1988 for the Florida Gators.
As the twists and turns settle in for Zilisch next year, the spotlight will increase as his name will be attached to one of the biggest figures in NASCAR – Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his JR Motorsports Xfinity Series team.
In August, Zilisch was hired to drive one of four cars full-time, starting in 2025, owned by Earnhardt and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller. He got a head start on the position late last season with four starts in JR Motorsports’ part-time No. 88 car.
And he won from the start, at Watkins Glen in September. In three subsequent starts on three ovals, he twice finished fourth and 12th.
Connor Zilisch is a young man in a hurry
News diary: Are you ever surprised by how well things have gone for you this year?
Connor Zilisch: “Yes, that surprised me. Every time I go out and outperform where I expect to perform, then yes, it surprises me. But no matter what, I always try to enjoy it all and soak it all in.
“There are a lot of cool things happening in the future for me… and a lot of races I can dwell on from the past, but the important thing for me is to stay in the present and remember that the we’re as good as your last race. I was really surprised by everything that happened, but at the same time, I’m far from where I want to be.
New Jersey: I see you avoided your first big accident at Talladega last month (in a Truck Series race). How was it?
CZ: “It was Talladega, I expected to go there and have a wreck. It didn’t hurt me once it happened. It was kind of what I expected. You’re driving at Talladega and you’re kind of sitting there waiting for someone to make a mistake. It happened. I just let go of the steering wheel and sat there.
NEW JERSEY: Guys who have a season where they win a lot, they still manage to act like they’re shocked that they won. Why then?
CZ: “You never know when your last victory will be. It’s as good as the first time, every time. It’s important for me to remember that and to always be able to enjoy the good times because in racing, you’re going to lose a lot more than you’re going to win. You have to appreciate it.
NEW JERSEY: I guess you remember your first race as a kid.
CZ: “I was 5 years old. It was a go-kart race in Kershaw, South Carolina. Carolina Motorsports Park on a road course. It started as a hobby for me. I never thought it would come to this, and I never knew the opportunities possible in motorsport.
NASCAR oval racing is a different animal for Connor Zilisch
NEW JERSEY: So it was basically road courses for you growing up?
CZ: “My first race on an oval wasn’t until 2022. I grew up road racing and that’s what I’m used to. I only became a NASCAR oval racing driver two years ago. That’s when things changed.
NEW JERSEY: What was the biggest adjustment?
CZ: “You can run side by side with someone for 30 laps in an oval race. In road racing this will never happen. The guys run very differently. There is another level of respect.
“In road racing, you’re not really supposed to use your bumper to pass someone. In oval racing, this is expected. You have to change your perspective when you’re racing on an oval and realize guys are going to do things you wouldn’t expect.
NEW JERSEY: Have you gotten used to other drivers making you angry on the track, and vice versa?
CZ: “At the end of the day, everyone takes note of who pissed them off, and they’ll make sure to return it one day. It’s a different style and you have to get used to it. It was hard for me at first because I didn’t want to drive like that. But I had to at one point.
NEW JERSEY: How long does your relationship with Junior Earnhardt go back?
CZ: “I encountered it on recent models. He comes back sometimes and races late models, and I met him at a race. We ran against each other a lot; we were always together on the track.
“Obviously he’s a very busy guy, but he’s always down to earth when you talk to him. Now, as the owner of my team, he’s someone I can text anytime. He’s just a good guy. It’s cool to have this relationship with him.
Does Connor Zilisch have Cup Series plans for 2025?
New Jersey: Is there any chance they mix in a Cup Series race for you next year?
CZ: “If they are, I wouldn’t know. I stay out of these conversations. It is not my role to make these decisions.
“I hope to have the chance to make a start in the Cup. I want to try to break records while I’m still young, but that’s not my decision to make. I still have to perform if I want to race at the next level.
NEW JERSEY: If you’re competing in a Cup race, or maybe more, next year, would you prefer an oval track or a road course?
CZ: “I would feel more competitive on a road course, but if I want to prepare to one day race in the Cup Series, I want to get some starts on an oval.”
NEW JERSEY: Did you have any favorite drivers when you were a child?
CZ: “I was never a big fan growing up. I watched the races on Sunday but I can’t say I was a superfan. Most of the time I watched sports car races and that’s why I grew up wanting to race. I never thought NASCAR would be in my future.
“I watched F1 and was a big fan of Lewis Hamilton. I also looked at IMSA. With NASCAR, I was a Jimmie Johnson fan. I remember after four or five championships he was still outperforming everyone. That’s what I liked about him.
This article originally appeared in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: Connor Zilisch rides with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2025 | NASCAR Q&A
