Connor Zilisch’s dream season unraveled in gut-wrenching fashion under the desert lights at Phoenix Raceway. The 19-year-old phenom had a phenomenal season, but the final race didn’t feel like him. He drove high in the top 5 for most of the race, but just couldn’t dominate the same way. While battling his friend and rival Jesse Love, ultimately, a late caution sealed the script for him.

Restarting side-by-side, the two young stars waged an electrifying duel before Love finally muscled ahead with 24 laps left. Zilisch fought back furiously, sending sparks flying as he chased Love’s spoiler through the final laps. But the dirty air and fading tires betrayed him. When the checkered flag waved, Love claimed the championship, while Zilisch crossed the line a heartbroken third. But the bad news doesn’t end here for him.

Zilisch’s heartbreak continues

After losing the 2025 Xfinity championship in Phoenix, Zilisch confirmed he will no longer take part in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s rookie test in Bahrain, a direct consequence of falling short in the title race. “I meant it when I said it’s just another reason I should have won the championship. I didn’t win the championship, so no Bahrain.” Zilisch admitted.

The 19-year-old phenom’s stellar rookie campaign included a record-breaking 10 wins, the most by a first-year driver in Xfinity history, but finishing second in the final standings left him a few crucial licensing points shy of eligibility for the Hypercar test.

Under the FIA’s strict super-license system, administered through ACCUS in the United States, championship winners in major national series earn additional points toward higher-level competition credentials. Zilisch, however, missed the required total by the slimmest of margins.

“I needed ten points to get the 14 needed because I didn’t win the championship, I don’t get to go run that,” he explained. For a driver whose talent has already transcended NASCAR’s developmental ladder, the setback stung. Zilisch had been lined up to test a Hypercar in Bahrain, a rare crossover opportunity for an American stock-car prospect. His name had appeared on early provisional lists released by WEC teams before his championship result made him ineligible.

“I was definitely a little frustrated, but it’s whatever, can’t control it, can’t change it, so no reason to be upset about it,” Zilisch said. The disappointment underscores the razor-thin divide between opportunity and heartbreak in motorsports.

FIA and ACCUS regulations are designed to reward sustained excellence across championships, but they can just as easily close doors when a driver narrowly misses a title. For Zilisch, whose 2025 season included dominant runs on ovals and road courses alike, the lesson was as procedural as it was personal: even extraordinary speed doesn’t always meet the letter of the rulebook.

Yet the story isn’t ending in frustration. Despite losing the Bahrain test, Zilisch’s résumé continues to attract global attention. The young North Carolinian already owns sports-car credentials many veterans envy, with class wins at both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024.

According to RACER, he remains in line for an IMSA GTP opportunity as early as 2026, with a possible Daytona test on the horizon. “He’s expected to be on the provisional entry list,” the outlet reported, noting that Zilisch’s long-term path through IMSA remains unaffected.

In other words, this isn’t the end of his international dream, just a temporary detour. Zilisch’s rapid rise through NASCAR and sports-car ranks has already established him as one of the most versatile American prospects of his generation. Missing Bahrain hurts, but it also adds fuel to the narrative that defines so many future champions: raw talent meeting the reality of racing’s bureaucratic gatekeepers.

If anything, the episode reinforces what Zilisch’s 2025 season already proved, that greatness sometimes has to wait its turn. As he put it himself, “It’s whatever, you move on.” For a driver this young and this fast, “moving on” might just mean moving up, sooner rather than later.

Kurt Busch cheers Zilisch

Zilisch’s setback meets a boost from NASCAR legend Kurt Busch. The 2004 champion and Hall of Famer posted a touching message after the tough title loss. Busch reacted to a Motorsport.com Instagram report, saying, “It doesn’t matter, son. Go to Cup and be the winner you know you can be. From a Monster athlete to a Red Bull athlete, focus on the future.”

Busch sees the big picture. Zilisch heads to Trackhouse for full-time Cup in 2026. Monster to Red Bull shift copies Busch’s own ride. Focus forward, win there. Zilisch’s 2025 Xfinity tear—10 wins, 20 top-fives, 23 top-tens backs it. Rookie of the Year, laps led, average 8.0 finish. Xfinity season finish might have been a tough one to digest, but finally, the Cup calls him.

Busch knows the road well. Zilisch’s rise has been a swift one. From winning the 2020 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy to finishing runner-up in ARCA, Zilisch claimed an LMP2 victory at Daytona at just 17.

He also earned a top finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Now, with an IMSA Daytona test on the horizon, a potential 2026 GTP drive in the Cadillac V-Series.R could be his next big step.