Connor Zilisch, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity Series standout, is ready to storm back into action this weekend. After being sidelined by a frightening last-lap wreck at Talladega earlier this season, the 18-year-old is now set to make his highly anticipated oval debut this weekend in his backyard at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ahead of the big weekend, the JRM co-owner took to social media to rally support for his young driver. In a lighthearted post, Earnhardt highlighted the demanding schedule Zilisch faces and urged fans to cheer him on.
Zilisch Set To Impress Home Crowd at Charlotte With Backing From Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The rising star from Charlotte, NC, will be making history this weekend, on May 25, as the youngest driver ever to compete in this prestigious Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte. Earlier this season, the up-and-coming racer suffered a lower back injury after a brutal crash at Talladega Superspeedway.
During the final lap of the Xfinity Series feature at the 2.6-mile superspeedway, Jesse Love turned Zilisch into the inside wall in a vicious head-first crash. Although he was checked and released from the infield medical center, it was later confirmed that the driver would miss the next race in Texas.
Despite missing a race and dropping in the Xfinity Series standings, the teen racer is now cleared to race in both the BetMGM 300 and Sunday’s 600-mile ringer, the Coca-Cola 600. He was seventh in the ranking but dropped to 12th after missing the last race in the Lone Star State. Yet despite the adversity, the No. 88 driver is locked in for the playoffs thanks to his stellar win at COTA.
— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch)
Now, following a brief hiatus, the driver is set to make his Cup Series oval debut on one of the sport’s biggest stages. And adding to the anticipation is Earnhardt, who reflected on a recent conversation with his young driver. In a supportive social media post, the veteran tagged the driver and wrote,
“Everyone, young racer @ConnorZilisch has a really really long day today with autograph sessions and such. He was telling me all about it yesterday. If you see him today, tell him “hang in there kid”. He’s gonna need the support to see it through.”
This will be Zilisch’s second Cup Series start. To date, he has notched up five ARCA Regional Series wins, five wins in ARCA National Series, and two Xfinity Series wins, including a stellar debut win last year at Watkins Glen. He also boasts a class victory in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona.