AVONDALE, Ariz. — After a phenomenal NASCAR Xfinity Series season that included 10 victories and 20 top fives in 32 starts, rookie Connor Zilisch finally came up empty.
Zilisch finished third in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, behind best friend Jesse Love and Aric Almirola, but in a season of unprecedented triumph for a first-year driver, the disappointment in Zilisch’s voice was almost palpable.
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“We did everything we could, and I left my heart out on the track, but second in the championship is all we got,” Zilisch said.
During the final 42-lap green-flag run, Zilisch’s dream of a championship in his Rookie of the Year season fell apart. Second to Love off pit road during the final pit stop under caution on Lap 153, Zilisch grabbed the top spot on the subsequent Lap 159 restart.
But Love was relentless in his pursuit.
“He’s my very best friend in the world,” Love said post-race, “but not on the race track.”
On Lap 176 of 200, Love got to the bumper of Zilisch’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, moved to the inside off Turn 2 and completed the pass that would earn the series championship for the 20-year-old California native.
On Lap 192, Almirola passed Zilisch for second to move into position to win the Owner’s Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, depriving JR Motorsports of that honor. Zilisch, who turned 19 on July 22, crossed the finish line 1.808 seconds behind the race winner.
“We fought all day long and threw everything we had at it,” Zilisch said. “Unfortunately, our WeatherTech Chevrolet, we just didn’t quite have what we needed. But that doesn’t take away from anything we’ve done this year.
“But I guess the lights were too bright. You work all year long, and you bust your ass for 33 weeks, and I feel like we’ve done the best job we could all year long, and we just didn’t have it today. I’m so proud of this team. We have nothing to hang our heads about, but, yeah, this one’s going to sting.”
What looked to be a banner evening for JRM turned sour in the closing laps. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-owned team had three drivers vying for the drivers’ championship — Zilisch, defending champion Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil — with Zilisch and Allgaier also eligible for the owners’ crown.
Allgaier won the second stage handily but faded after a slower-than-usual pit stop on Lap 153. He finished fifth behind pole winner Brandon Jones in fourth.
The race was Allgaier’s last with crew chief Jim Pohlman, who will fill the same role next year in the NASCAR Cup Series for Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing.
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“I wanted to send Jim Pohlman off with another championship,” Allgaier said. “He’s been an amazing part of this journey, got me my championship last year. Just felt like we did all the right things tonight, and we still came out of here really short.”
Kvapil was never a factor for the win and came home 13th, fourth in the championship battle.
That left Zilisch to carry the torch for JRM over the closing laps, and Zilisch didn’t have the car to complete the mission.
Asked whether seeing his best friend win the title was any consolation, Zilisch demurred.
“No, it doesn’t make it feel any better,” Zilisch said. “No. Good for Jesse, I’m really happy for him. Yeah, no.”
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