Dale Jr. Got 'Nauseous' Watching Two NASCAR Drivers Race

James Gilbert/Getty Images

Dale Jr. Got 'Nauseous' Watching Two NASCAR Drivers Race

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 4:57 PM ET

The two NASCAR races at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas last weekend provided plenty of excitement for fans at home and in the stands. On Sunday, Christopher Bell took home his second straight win with a victory in the Cup Series race.

The Xfinity Series had the stage on Saturday, and one NASCAR Hall of Famer says he could hardly watch as the race went down to the wire.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted on social media about the battle between Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil in Saturday's race, saying that he was "very proud" of Zilisch despite the two drivers nearly running into one another on the track.

Very proud of @ConnorZilisch and @Mardylindley and the @JRMotorsports team. That battle with Carson made me nauseous. Gonna be a fun but very stressful year!
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) March 1, 2025

As Austin Hill moved into the lead, Zilisch and Kvapil both tried to advance. Zilisch hit Corey Heim and caused significant damage to his own right front.

Both Zilisch and Kvapil are rookies in the Xfinity series for JR Motorsports, the team owned by Dale Jr. They are considered the two best rookies in the class, which in itself is seen as the best rookie group in Xfinity Series history.

Zilisch proved that he was worth the hype by picking up the win in just the third race of the season, while Kvapil finished in 23rd. Both drivers will be back on the track this weekend in Phoenix for JRM, as Earnhardt will look to see what his rookies can do for an encore.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 02: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Duracell Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 02, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)James Gilbert/Getty Images

Last weekend was a massive moment in Zilisch's career, as he competed in the first Cup Series race of his career on Sunday at COTA. He did not finish the race after crashing on lap 50, but he ran fast laps on one of the more difficult courses for Cup cars to navigate on the schedule.

“We certainly want to give him as much opportunity as possible to get time in the Cup car," said Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks. Zilisch drove the No. 87 for Trackhouse, joining Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen.

We'll see what Zilisch and Kvapil do in Phoenix this week, and we'll see if watching them compete against each other makes Earnhardt Jr. "nauseous" again.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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