Connor Zilisch is hyped, and for good reason. He won the regular season championship, totaling 9 race wins so far. He even delivered JR Motorsports its 100th win. But in the last two races, his winning streak has come to an end. Brandon Jones clinched victory at Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 and became the only driver in the field with a prior Xfinity win at the 1.5-mile intermediate track. Crossing the finish line 2.787 seconds after Jones, Connor Zilisch has now set his gaze on something far more important.

Speaking to Bob Pockrass, Zilisch dusts himself off, refusing to look back at Kansas: “Yeah, it’s nice. It’s a relief not having to worry about going into next week with not only a target on my head, but having to worry about getting out alive, so yeah, I’m excited to go to Roval next week and try and get another road course win. We’ve obviously been really good at all of them this year so far, but anything can happen there.”

If anything, road courses are Zilisch’s playground and have defined his rise from his 2024 Watkins Glen debut win to his 2025 sweep at the same track. On that day, he led 60 of 82 laps en route to victory. The 19-year-old continued his success by winning the COTA race in Austin, Texas, earlier in the year. He followed that up with a victory at Sonoma Raceway in July, further solidifying his reputation as a road course specialist. With these stats backing him up, Zilisch enters Charlotte as the driver to beat.

Starting seventh at Kansas, Zilisch managed to lead 42 laps and gained an overall 49 points in the race. Further, he wasted no time and got his No. 88 car to P4 by the end of stage one and maintained the same through stage two. He jumped into the lead on the final stage restart but struggled to get a feel for his car after adjustments.

As of now, Dale Jr.’s prodigy sits second in the playoff standings with a 105-point cushion behind Brandon Jones. Despite the challenges, he held on and extended his streak of top-five finishes to 16 consecutive races, surpassing Sam Ard’s record.

However, frustration came through over the radio in the closing laps as he wrestled with his handling issues. Still, the second-place finish was a step up from last week’s fifth, and he reminded himself that both he and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team were disappointed after another top-five result. But the Charlotte Roval could tell a different story.

Zilisch seemed a little bogged down without leaving with a win. He tipped his hat to JGR‘s Brandon Jones, saying, “Yeah, you know, you always show up to the track wanting to win, but some weeks you just can’t, and today was one of those. Brandon and the 20 team were on it today, and he’s always been really good here, so props to them, but yeah, I feel like we were really close to being a winning card, just not quite good enough.” However, he isn’t going to let this result define his dominant performance through the season.

Zilisch’s ambition extends to Truck racing as well, as he attempts a double duty at Charlotte Roval in the coming week. Moreover, he has doubled down on his road course edge. Reflecting on his run, he feels confident: “Yeah, I can race both races and just go out and have fun and enjoy my last race before things probably start to get a little more serious in the round of eight.” And Spire Motorsports didn’t waste time giving him a seat.

Connor Zilisch is set to perform a Charlotte double duty with Spire Motorsports

Connor Zilisch is making some bold moves, adding a Truck Series race as the Xfinity garage heads to its elimination round at Charlotte. At just 19 years old, Zilisch has never competed on this unique road-oval hybrid, but his prowess on road courses could give him an edge in a high-stakes match-up.

This opportunity with Spire Motorsports could serve as a double advantage for Zilisch. Not only does it allow him to gain experience on a challenging circuit, but it also presents a chance to notch his first Truck Series victory, a milestone he has yet to achieve before his full-time Cup Series debut next year with Trackhouse Racing. Spire Motorsports will be counting on his road course mastery to make a strong run for the win.

Zilisch’s previous Truck Series outing at Watkins Glen saw him finish 8th, with Corey Heim taking the victory. With the No. 7 Chevy Silverado at the Roval, Zilisch could find himself in a head-to-head battle with Heim and other top competitors, aiming to secure a breakthrough victory and further cement his rising star status in NASCAR.