Connor Zilisch is probably the best thing that happened to JR Motorsports (JRM) this Xfinity season. The North Carolina native is only a rookie, running his debut Xfinity season, but he’s already impressed everyone. Twenty races into the season, he has already won five times. In fact, his most recent one turned out to be a historic moment for the JRM team.
Zilisch stunned the NASCAR world by winning his Xfinity debut race last season at Watkins Glen. This earned him a full season in 2025, and he has been one of the most consistent drivers, scoring 10 top 5s and 12 top 10s so far. For the last nine races, he has always finished in the top 5.
And out of these nine races, he finished runner-up on three occasions and won four times, thrice consecutively. First Sonoma, then Dover, and now even the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the Indy one probably meant the most, as a big milestone was on the line for JRM, and Zilisch was thrilled to have gotten it for team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Connor Zilisch Shares a Heartfelt Message for Dale Earnhardt Jr. After Indy
Undoubtedly, JRM had fast cars entering the Indianapolis race. At the end of stage one, Justin Allgaier was P2, and Zilisch was P5. Both of them worked their way up in stage two, having an intense battle at the end. But Allgaier’s wisdom put him inches ahead of the rookie at the start/finish line, bagging the stage win, while Zilisch ended in P2. So both cars were strong contenders for the win.
However, Kyle Larson, who’s always good at Indy and was also the winner of the Brickyard 400 last season, also participated in the race. With 14 to go, Larson was challenging Allgaier for the lead, as the two started in the front row on the restart. But Larson got on the inside of Allgaier and spun him on turn three. This sent the No. 7 JRM driver into the wall and out of the race. Even Larson dropped positions after the contact.
But Zilisch was P3 at this moment, and he made a hard charge to take the lead. This had the JRM camp breathe a sigh of relief. Although the race wasn’t won yet, Zilisch also lost the lead to Taylor Gray later. The youngster kept chasing Gray to take back the lead, but it was proving to be challenging. But then Sam Mayer pushed him ahead of Gray, and Zlisch was able to hold on to it and bag the win.
The win was hard fought, but that wasn’t the only reason Dale Jr ran on the track to hug his driver. Zilisch’s Indy win was JRM’s 100th in the Xfinity series. Naturally, the 18-year-old was delighted to have been the one to make it possible. Zilisch also shared that moment on X with the caption, “So much love for this guy @DaleJr. Thank you for letting me be a small part of 100 wins for @JRMotorsports .”
So much love for this guy @DaleJr. Thank you for letting me be a small part of 100 wins for @JRMotorsports pic.twitter.com/8JBKRklLxY
— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) July 27, 2025
JRM’s hundredth win comes after almost two decades of racing in NASCAR’s tier two series. Over 1969 race starts, 21 drivers contributed to making the century possible for the team. Junior’s team’s journey has been a roller coaster, from not finding a footing early on to becoming a race-winning machine. They already have 12 wins this season.
Read More: Mark Martin Drops 2-Word Salute to Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Co. After JR Motorsports’ Iconic 100th Indy Win
Even Earnhardt got emotional about achieving this milestone. He said, “There’s been some tough times and some hard times, but it’s what you’re willing to go through to have the great moments and protect the livelihood of your employees, too. It’s been awesome. Special place to win at Indy. Connor did an incredible job to get the lead back and to be able to win the race. It’s a special day.”
Let’s hope JRM keeps going strong in Xfinity and soon also puts on the same show in the Cup Series!
