Last weekend’s Xfinity race at Chicago was memorable for Dale Jr’s JR Motorsports. Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, battled head-to-head towards the end, where we saw SVG taking the lead by aggressively cornering Zilisch on Turn 1 with two laps to go. The move surprised Dale Jr, as expected the 18-year-old prospect to make this opportunity count, but SVG pulled off on the restart to kickstart his weekend domination. For a competitor like Zilisch, this was indeed a bitter pill to swallow, yet he took the defeat on his chin, which reflected from his post-race comments.

Dale Jr. has known Connor Zilisch up close for a while now, and their crew chief-driver duo stint at Pocono in June was a major success as it helped them gain their first victories in their respective roles. Seeing the latter’s post-race comments against his fellow Kiwi teammate, Jr. expressed how Zilisch is already molding himself in the role of a Cup Series driver. Moreover, he believes that the teenager is mature beyond his age.

Connor Zilisch has a bright future, according to Dale Jr

Zilisch’s young age is always hard to believe, considering his mature persona seen in his post-race talks. For instance, the COTA Xfinity race in March that he won saw him collide with some drivers, and on getting out of his car post the win, he said, “I did not drive a clean race at all. Sorry to everyone that I hit. I was kind of mentally fogged halfway through that race.” But, for once, he found himself on the receiving end of things in Chicago: “If I had known he wasn’t going to leave that space and was going to clear himself, I would’ve blocked and protected the inside line more aggressively.”

Dale Jr discussed this specific quality of the youngster, which he also saw after the Chicago race. “And I honestly feel like…I’ve felt like he’s really mature beyond his years, and these comments are good comments to come from an 18-year-old after that situation, right? Most 18-year-olds are gonna say, they’re gonna speak more from the frustration of it, right? And not know how to filter it so they don’t sound like a punk, right?” said Dale on his Dale Jr Download podcast, with his co-host TJ Majors.

“This is a critical moment for Connor. Connor Zilisch has the opportunity to be a multi-time, you know, four, five-time champion in NASCAR. He has an opportunity to have a, you know, 50-plus win career,” Jr. went on to add.  In the case of Zilisch, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it’s not just about his talent, but also the sportsmanship that comes with it, or, as Dale Jr. says, the “pathway” he possesses to do things the right way.

“When he gets in these scenarios and these situations, it’s important what he says, how he acts, how he responds, because we’re all believing uh from what we’ve seen from him that there’s this path forward, but we also haven’t experienced a lot of how, you know, his personal reactions to things”.

At the Circuit of the Americas, Zilisch went out of his way to text three drivers after he felt he had wronged them, according to The Athletic. These little things speak volumes about the maturity and self-reflectiveness that the three-time Xfinity winner possesses. Dale Jr., too, feels that many people in the racing industry believe that he’s much more than just his talent. With Daniel Suarez not returning to the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy, he is touted to be the one to take the Cup Series by storm.

Well, given how Ross Chastain and his feud led to troubles for Justin Marks and his team, the arrival of Connor Zilisch to the team would be appreciated. The teenager understands the bigger picture and doesn’t allow his emotions to get the better of him in the moment. By no means is he perfect, but a driver who is calm and calculated even when things aren’t going his way.

Zilisch’s thoughts on the narrow Chicago miss

Connor Zilisch started at the 35th position but rose to take the lead in the final laps of the race, only to lose it to SVG on lap 49. When SVG attacked Zilisch on Turn 1, Zilisch acknowledged that he was surprised by his aggressiveness, but didn’t take it to heart.

“It wasn’t dirty. We’re racing for the win on the last restart. I just didn’t expect it. Kind of caught me by surprise. I wouldn’t consider it dirty at all. I could have done a better job at keeping leverage, but I let him get a nose ahead of me at that point. It’s his corner and he can do what he wants to. I didn’t expect it. I wish I could have it back.  I would have done it differently.

He went on to express how he likes to take notes about drivers when he races with them and uses that to his advantage in a competitive manner. He hadn’t raced SVG before like this, so it was a good learning experience for him, and he only wishes to come back stronger. “I have nothing to complain about. I can’t be upset about it. But, you know, with that, it’s part of racing, and definitely I’ll learn and be more aggressive next time, no matter the situation. So yeah, no hard feelings.”

If anything, the JRM camp might have a healthy rivalry between the two most talented road racers in NASCAR currently. And this equation could continue once Zilisch gets promoted to the Cup Series.