Connor Zilisch reacts to heartbreaking loss in NASCAR Xfinity Series championship

For Jesse Love, elation. For Connor Zilisch, heartbreak. The NASCAR Xfinity Series championship slipped through his fingers. After a historic season, 10 wins, the pole awards, laps led, top-fives, and everything in between – sadness.

Connor Zilisch had the most outstanding season the Xfinity Series has seen in a generation. He was fantastic. His early win at COTA showed that he had a lot to learn about taking care of his car and racing for wins. Before we knew it, Zilisch was winning 9 more races in the second half of the season.

Tonight, after his loss, Zilisch was emotional. The thing he had worked so hard for had just gone poof! and disappeared. He’s not coming back to Xfinity in 2026. This was his chance. Now, it’s gone.

“I’m still so proud of my team, what we’ve accomplished this year. We have nothing to hang our heads about. We were the best car for two-thirds of the year,” Connor Zilisch told the media. That success ended, though. “We dominated until these last three races. Yeah, it cost us a championship, so… We’ll keep our heads high. We are walking home with more than three times as many trophies as anybody else. We won the most races, had the most top-10s, top-5s, poles. There’s no reason we should be upset because of this outcome.”

While there is no reason to be upset, Connor Zilisch couldn’t help it. He is a competitor and a talented one at that. He knows just how good he was all season long, and no one has to remind him of that. Still, it doesn’t make any of it feel better in this moment.

Connor Zilisch wanted to win for those around him

When drivers win, they mention the team and those on their crew. When they lose, drivers mention their team and crew. There is a very good reason for that, too. Because what we see on the track is just one small part of what goes into a weekend and into success.

Connor Zilisch talked about those around him and what they meant to his season this year. He got to live out a dream in 2025.

“Yeah, I’m so glad I’m back next year for some races. This year’s been a dream. My teammate, my team, every crew member, everybody back at the shop, people working upstairs in the offices, everybody has treated me like family,” Zilisch said with emotion in his voice. “Yeah, I’ll remember this year forever. I just wish I could have gone out on top and left them with a championship. Yeah, I guess not.”

We saw a side of Connor Zilisch that we don’t often get to see. His season this year was remarkable. He suffered a back injury at Talladega and a broken collarbone at Watkins Glen (after winning the race). Zilisch won the Daytona pole and then got out of the car to let Parker Kligerman drive as he recovered from that collarbone – Kligerman won the race, and Zilisch was credited.

There were so many little things, storylines, and moments that happened this year and made it special. One day, it might end up being a funny memory. For now, it is pain and heartbreak.