Last weekend, Connor Zilisch was much happier than today. He rolled into his hometown at the Charlotte Roval to clinch his 10th win of the season by leading 61 of 68 laps from pole position. With a huge smile on his face, Zilisch said, “It feels really good to get 10 [wins]. Double digits is pretty awesome for my first year in this series. Now, we just gotta go win a championship.” With that, he set his eyes on Las Vegas to win early in the Round of 8 and secure his spot in the Championship 4. But all those hopes came undone this evening…

A second-place finish doesn’t cut it for the JR Motorsports ace. Zilisch may leave Las Vegas with an impressive 82-point cushion above the Championship 4 cutline as he extends his own record streak to 18 consecutive top-five finishes, but in a high-stakes playoff race like this, it was hardly satisfying for the 19-year-old.

Post-race, Zilisch couldn’t hide his frustration, saying, “Yeah, I mean the frustration just comes from how much it, you know, this stuff means a lot to me and, you know, a chance to walk into Phoenix, you got to take it. So, yeah, I mean, I gave it my all. I drove as hard as I could, but yeah, I guess that’s all we had today. So, yeah, I mean, I just, I just gotta do a better job. I just could not wrap the line. I sucked here in the spring for the same reason.”

Early on, the No. 88 driver positioned himself among the front runners, setting second to Aric Almirola by the third lap and earning solid stage points by finishing second in Stage 1. As the race unfolded, Zilisch’s poise became clear; by lap 97, he had cleared Jesse Love to take the lead on the restart.

The two swapped positions multiple times, with contact between them on lap 107 nearly sending the JRM driver spinning through Turn 4. Somehow, the 19-year-old managed to save his car and keep pace, demonstrating incredible car control against one of NASCAR’s most seasoned veterans.

Zilisch’s pit strategy also came into play in the final stage. After leading briefly around lap 144, he pitted from the top spot and quickly gained momentum after the stop cycle. Once the field settled, he was back in the mix with Aric and Love, reclaiming the lead at lap 179 following an intense side-by-side battle off the restart.

The closing laps delivered the drama everyone expected. On lap 191, the two leaders made contact again down the backstretch, but the No. 19 driver managed to clear the 19-year-old for the top spot. Zilisch hung tight within half a second until the next two laps, when he got loose through Turns 3 and 4, giving Almirola just enough breathing room to secure the win by the last lap.

Even though Zilisch led 34 laps and avoided the clash between Jesse Love and Nick Sanchez, it wasn’t enough for him. He added, “Yeah, I mean if you asked me that with one to go and said I’d tell you I suck and I need to hang it up and find a new sport, but you asked me now and I’ll tell you, you know, you’re just not gonna win them all and that’s part of it. I did everything I could, I tried as hard as I could I you know, threw every shot I had at him (Aric Almirola), but you know his experience definitely paid off tonight, and I could have been a little better as a driver, but I think after ten laps in a run, I just struggled. I was just pretty loose and struggled to wrap the line like he could.”

And even if Zilisch couldn’t go for his 11th win of the season, he is still one of the best drivers on the grid. Just ask three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano. The defending champion couldn’t help but crown Zilisch and explain why he would be the next big thing in the Cup Series, as the 19-year-old has secured his full-time Cup ride with Trackhouse Racing next year. However, with Las Vegas behind him, Zilisch has his eyes set on next weekend’s Talladega race for redemption.

Connor Zilisch is happy with his 82-point lead amid playoff contenders

Despite holding a comfortable points cushion that keeps him well within reach of the championship fight heading into Martinsville—even if he has a poor finish or gets caught in Talladega’s infamous “Big One”—he tried to focus on the brighter side. Choosing to stay optimistic, he admitted, “Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse. Having another win sticker on this thing would’ve been a lot better.”

Talladega has chewed up and spit out Zilisch before. Just take this year’s April race. At the Ag-Pro 300, taking over the lead late in the race and seemingly in control to finish, drama struck on the final lap when Jesse Love made contact with Zilisch’s car on the backstretch, sending him spinning into the inside wall. The wreck brought out the caution, and Zilisch was covered with a DNF, finishing 27th. However, he remains as determined as ever; he wants to capture the victory that narrowly slipped away from him in Las Vegas!