The Xfinity Rookie of the Year, Connor Zilisch, carried the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to the very extremes this year. He nailed his full-season debut with double-digit wins, having a one-sided profile compared to the entire garage. Nobody came closer to him to threaten his series’ dominance. However, Zilisch couldn’t save himself from the cruelty of the current playoff format, as he couldn’t show that same form in the one final race that mattered.

Jesse Love, his friend and rival, was the better driver that day. Dale Jr, Zilisch’s mentor, agrees with it. He knows such scenarios very well. A NASCAR Hall of Famer, he did admit the conclusion of the championship was “heartbreaking”. Zilisch’s tears didn’t stop after the race. But what can one do, from here? How do you go back to normal?

Dale Jr shares the hard reality of heartbreaks

Dale Earnhardt Jr, while speaking to Jesse Love prior to the race, had made it very clear to him that if he wins, “we’re all going to embrace whatever the outcome is.” He could have taken this in a bitter way, but he’s wise to realize that that’s not going to change the outcome.

“What I can do is, again, like what we can do as a team, as an organization, is come into this shop. There were people here Sunday. We raced Saturday night. There were people at this shop on Sunday getting ready for next year,” he said on Dale Jr Download. Yes, that runner-up mantle stings, but it’s not the end of the line.

Discipline is more important. Professionalism is important. Dale Jr’s JR Motorsports showed that on Sunday. Sitting and dwelling on the loss doesn’t help, but looking ahead to what can be done next is what will make things better. The culture should be to look at the losses as learning opportunities, no matter how brutal they are.

In fact, for JR Motorsports, if you change the perspective, it was an encouraging sign that Zilisch will now be promoted to the Cup Series. Junior then shared the core philosophy to help anybody bounce back from such situations.

“How do you put it behind you? You get your ass back in the f—ing grinder and go again. And so, you know, been doing this stuff a long time, and the best recipe or remedy or medicine to getting your ass kicked is getting back in the ring. And that’s what we’re going to do,” the 26-time Cup winner said.

Whether anyone else gets this or not, Zilisch surely does. He’s started to move past behind it. Ahead of the 2025 NASCAR Awards on Tuesday, Zilisch said, “I’ve come to terms with what’s happened…And at this point, I can’t do anything about it, so there’s no reason to hang on to it. I mean, it’s life. Sun came up Sunday morning, and the world kept spinning.”

That’s a wise line to say for a 19-year-old, just days after losing the biggest race of his life. Dale Jr would only be proud. Zilisch even went on to appreciate the team efforts, saying, “And my team, the whole JR Motorsports group, we gave our all, and I don’t have any reason to be upset about what happened. Yeah, it stings. It sucks. But yeah, we did everything we could and we tried our best. If I walked out of that place knowing that I could have done something differently, then I probably would have been a little more upset. But I gave it my all. I did everything I could, and yeah, the result wasn’t meant to be.”

Connor Zilisch is destined for great things

As the man behind the wheel, Zilisch undoubtedly felt responsible for not finishing the job. But reality is, as a mere rookie, the 19-year-old achieved some incredible heights. His season included 10 wins and a record-setting 18 top-five finishes. Despite the lofty expectations behind him, Zilisch managed to surpass his limits.

Yes, the few days after the colossal loss weren’t easy. After his Xfinity loss, he faced another disappointment when he failed to earn the required ACCUS license points to qualify and drive a Hypercar at the FIA World Championship’s Bahrain Rookie Test. NASCAR fans felt it was unjust. Maybe it was. But as consolation, he’s still in contention to drive at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. And not to mention the Cup Series waiting for him in 2026.

From next season, the 19-year-old will be part of Trackhouse Racing, competing at the highest level in stock car racing. If anything, he could see the Xfinity final race at Phoenix as a teaser of what Cup competition would feel like. The expectations are high, and he’s not to be underestimated for sure.

However, the racing prodigy has only one aim. “I just want to be a better driver in (November) than I was in Daytona in February. And if I can do that, then I’d be pretty happy because the Cup Series is tough. It’s a whole different ball game. Everybody is really talented. All the teams are really good. It’s just a different level. So it’s going to take a little bit of time to figure it out, get used to it, but I’m just really excited for the opportunity,” he said.

In doing so, the Phoenix heartbreak helped Connor Zilisch prepare for bad days. But it’s just a matter of time before he translates his Xfinity acumen into the Cup Series next year onward.