On paper, Connor Zilisch’s 2025 season looked like the perfect script (almost) for a NASCAR superstar. And well, because it was. Running for the first full-time campaign with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity (now O’Reilly) Series, the 19-year-old turned heads wherever he went. The young man had 10 wins and eighteen consecutive top-5 finishes. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year award as well as the regular season championship. And then, he went on to the final race at Phoenix looking every bit like the favorite.

However, that’s where his dream season suffered a heartbreak as he missed out on the championship. Well, racing has a way of reminding even the most talented drivers that nothing is guaranteed, even if you have a near-perfect season. And, recently, when talking about the moment,

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