“I didn’t feel anything,” said Connor Zilisch in a recent interview with Bryan Nolen from Frontstretch after Love’s RV Stop 225 race in Talladega. The 18-year-old upcoming NASCAR sensation is currently under an agreement with Trackhouse Racing. Connor can drive through excellence. His impressive performances throughout the United States National Karting Championships add to his bag of accomplishments.
On October 4th, in Talladega Connor Zilisch made an impressive start in position 12th. He made this entry parallel to Nick Sanchez, and both were on Row 6. With high expectations from fans, Connor faced a major setback.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team is all set to welcome Connor ZilischADVERTISEMENT
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The Craftsman Truck Series race saw Connor Zilisch trying to make a position on the Talladega Superspeedway. However, he ended up making hard contact with Sanchez. It was this stir that also involved drivers Chase Purdy and Ben Rhodes, who contributed further to the crash.
“….fun day until that point my first Speedway race just trying to learn as much as I could while I was out there, but was frustrating how it ended but still learned a lot and I feel pretty confident going into the next year,” Connor mentioned as he detailed his race experience.
The 18-year-old is now all set to make his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025. He has entered into a partnership with coveted JR Motorsports. Official announcements have also mentioned that he will be driving the legendary No. 88 Chevrolet. Celebrated drivers like Fake Earnhardt Jr. and Darrell Waltrip drove the legendary No.88 Chevrolet.
“It was a hard hit but I didn’t feel it, I was expecting to feel more than I did,” Connor Zilisch added about the hit. While Connor did start the race with Sanchez, only the latter ended up gathering 15 play-off points. Zilisch could complete only 61 laps and ended the race in the 33rd position. He has earned only 16 points as of now.
The young driver’s rise in motorsports has been nothing short of spectacular. He dominated the ARCA platform, securing five victories, and made a name for himself by clinching a prestigious win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. These achievements drew praise from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, which hailed him as an “impressive driver at this young age.”
Adding to his growing accolades, he earned an Xfinity win in his debut race at Watkins Glen, further cementing his status as a rising star. Now, as part of the Red Bull family of athletes, his career trajectory only seems to be accelerating.
Will the No. 88 Car bring fans a Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Prodigy?ADVERTISEMENT
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After the official announcement made by the team to bring forth Connor Zilisch in the 2025 Xfinity Series, it is now known that he will be driving the No. 88 Chevrolet. The legendary Dale Earnhardt Jr. was very popular for driving the No. 88, which has instilled hopes among fans that there will probably be a prodigy to witness.
Once the iconic Earnhardt joined Hendrick Motorsports in the year 2008, he was seen driving the No. 88 Chevrolet through the 2017 season. Although initially, while choosing the car number, he planned on selecting number 28, later on, Dale went ahead with 88. Originally, Junior drove the No. 8 Chevy, which was indeed quite iconic. However, in a twist of events, he then chose to go ahead with the No. 88.
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The No. 88 car has a remarkable history in NASCAR, having competed in 1,741 races and earning 76 victories. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final win in the No. 88 came during the 2015 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. The race was cut short due to rain after Earnhardt led for only 22 laps. While the win wasn’t marked by the typical post-race celebrations, it stood as his third win of the 2015 season and played a crucial role in shaping the Championship 4 in the playoffs that year.
Do you think that Connor Zilisch will be keeping up with this legacy and delivering justice to the No.88 car?
Source : EssentiallySports