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Young racing prodigy Connor Zilisch to race full-time for JR Motorsports’ Xfinity Series team in 2025

Young racing prodigy Connor Zilisch to race full-time for JR Motorsports’ Xfinity Series team in 2025

Connor Zilisch, a driver with only one start in a NASCAR national series, is quickly on the rise.

Trackhouse Racing announced Wednesday that 18-year-old American racing prodigy Zilisch will race full-time for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity Series team in 2025. Zilisch is a development driver for Trackhouse, which competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, but will drive the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports.

The news isn’t surprising, as Zilisch arrived on the NASCAR scene with more hype than any young driver in the past decade. But that’s what happens when a 17-year-old wins prestigious sports car races like the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours in the same year, and wins a tri-oval race in the lower-tier ARCA series, showing impressive adaptability to different track types.

Zilisch made his highly anticipated NASCAR Truck Series debut at the Circuit of the Americas road course in March, winning the pole and setting a new track record before finishing fourth.

Zilisch, who turned 18 last month, now meets the minimum age requirement to race in the Xfinity Series. He will make his series debut at Watkins Glen in September and will race on the Xfinity tri-oval before the season ends.

Zilisch once appeared to be on the Formula 1 path and moved to Europe to race karts, beating some of today’s top F1 prospects (e.g. Kimi Antonelli) in the process.

But he said Athletic earlier this year, his path took a more natural turn toward his home in North Carolina.

“I’ve lost hope in F1,” he said. “I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to do F1.’ You need billions of dollars and it’s almost impossible. But if I were there right now, I’d probably have a different opinion about all the hype around F1 in America.

“But honestly, I’m happy with where I am and the dream I’m pursuing. I get to live in America and be with my family. It feels like home. It’s still great to pursue a professional racing career.”

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(Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman/USA Today)