While Denny Hamlin was racing in the Grand Stock Division, 19-year-old Connor Zilisch has quickly made a name for himself as a dominant force in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This season, Zilisch has already secured nine victories and is on track to challenge Kyle Busch’s record of 13 wins in a single Xfinity campaign. Hamlin highlighted the young driver’s remarkable achievements and shared insights into what sets him apart from his competitors.
How Zilisch’s Team Supports His Dominance on the Track
As a rookie for JR Motorsports, Zilisch has demonstrated consistent strength, prompting Trackhouse Racing to consider him for a full-time role in the NASCAR Cup Series. He recently clinched the Xfinity Series regular season championship with a commanding victory at Gateway, where he led the majority of the race, 121 of the 160 laps. Hamlin attributes a significant part of Zilisch’s success to an outstanding pit crew that keeps him in a prime position during races.
That team (No.88) is on a heater,
Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast.
They are white hot. They are just so fast.
They (Zilisch’s pit crew) are keeping him up front, you know, and by the numbers, they’re not crazy stellar. But it seems like the combination of all the things, maybe Conor’s doing a good job on pit road as well, but like he’s never losing his track position,
Hamlin pointed out.
Real-Time Insights from Hamlin During the Gateway Race
Hamlin, with his extensive Cup Series experience, monitored Zilisch’s performance closely during the Gateway race. He initially believed Zilisch’s car was capable of finishing third based on lap times and how well he navigated traffic. Hamlin noted there were moments when the race conditions, especially restarts, could have put Zilisch at risk, yet the youngster’s composure and strategy kept him competitive.
I thought that Connor had a third-place car when I watched that race, and I know that by looking at the lap times. I’m in the bus. I’m able to see, you know, who’s closing, who’s good in traffic. And I thought that if thing goes gree enough, I think he’s going to be in trouble,
the 44-year-old continued.
Hamlin described how the race dynamics worked in Zilisch’s favor, with his challengers hampered by pit-stop errors and other setbacks that prevented them from mounting a consistent threat.
But it never went green enough. And then the challengers that he had had pit crew issues, and they just kept going back to fifth, have to repass all those cars again,
Hamlin assessed.
A Team Effort Behind Zilisch’s Success
While Zilisch often stands in the spotlight as the face of the No. 88 team, Hamlin emphasized the collective effort fueling their victories. The pit crew’s flawless execution in high-pressure moments enables constant maintenance of track position, a crucial advantage in closely contested races.
So, the 88 team, and Connor is the leader of the 88 team, but they deserve as much credit as anyone for just executing. It’s hard to execute these races to where you never have any hiccups, but they’re doing it right now,
the JR Motorsports veteran said.
Hamlin believes the chemistry between Zilisch and his pit crew is key to sustaining their winning form, indicating the young driver’s future in NASCAR is bright with such a capable support group behind him.
