NASCAR RUMORS: JR MOTORSPORTS IN TALKS WITH CONNOR ZILISCH FOR XFINITY RIDE IN 2025
JR Motorsports is reportedly in talks with Connor Zilisch for a spot in the 2025 Xfinity Series. If the move materializes, it will be a big step for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona winner.
After spending his early years in karting, Zilisch moved to racing GT cars in the Sports Car Club of America, Trans Am, and Mazda MX-5 Cup Series in 2011. He finished the SCCA season that year in the third position while also winning the 'Rookie of the Year' award.
After competing in several GT car series, Zilisch decided to move to endurance racing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) category.
Zilisch gained fame by winning the 2024 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 category in the first attempt. He also grabbed pole position in his debut race at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Zilisch finished the race in the top 5.
After witnessing the raw talent of the 17-year-old Zilisch, the Dale Earnhardt Jr co-owned JR Motorsports are rumored to have begun talks for a full-time seat in the upcoming Xfinity Series championship, as reported by Sports Business Journal. Besides JRM, Trackhouse Racing has also shown interest, as Zilisch is currently under contract as a development driver with the latter.
While the discussions are in the early stages, it will be a big move for the young North Carolina-based racer to enter NASCAR's premium racing series next year.
A brief look at Connor Zilisch's top 3 races in 2024 (COTA, Sebring, and Daytona)
Connor Zilisch had a breakthrough 2024 season. The young driver debuted in three major racing events, winning two and finishing fourth in the third race.
Zilisch began the year with the iconic Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (January 27-28). Competing for Era Motorsport with Ryan Dalziel, Dwight Merriman, and Christian Rasmussen, Zilisch co-drove the #18 LMP2 race car to victory.
After Daytona, the North Carolina-based racer captured the win in the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring (March 13-16) in the LMP2 category. He was joined by Dalziel and Merriman on the top podium spot.
Zilisch made his NASCAR debut in the Xpel 225 race at COTA. The #7 driver shocked the racing fraternity by grabbing pole position in his first outing in Truck Series. On race day, multiple issues in the first half saw the young driver drop out of the top 10s. However, by keeping calm, Zilisch recovered by the second half to finish in fourth position.
These wins have caught the eyes of talent recruiters of top teams like JR Motorsports as well as upcoming teams like Trackhouse Racing.
2024-06-30T09:49:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd