Kyle Larson seized the spotlight in his third Xfinity Series appearance of the season, capturing victory with JR Motorsports after stepping in for the injured Connor Zilisch. The race, held in the midst of Larson’s eleventh full-time Cup Series campaign, saw him deliver a commanding win, answering both public challenge and expectation at one of NASCAR’s most competitive levels. With this triumph, Larson demonstrated why he remains a force to be reckoned with, having now captured two wins in just three Xfinity starts this year, while maintaining sharp form in the Cup Series, where he’s clinched two victories in his first eleven races of 2025.
The context around Larson’s Xfinity dominance is as compelling as the race itself. Only weeks before, Dale Earnhardt Jr.—owner of JR Motorsports and one of NASCAR’s most respected figures—openly challenged Larson to participate in more Xfinity races. This came after Larson’s dominating performance at Bristol, where he led an overwhelming 277 of 300 laps and later stated on a podcast with Kevin Harvick and Dale Jr. that his goal was to “embarrass” the Xfinity field and give them a taste of Cup-level intensity.
Larson’s comment didn’t sit well with some, particularly Dale Jr., who pointed out that Larson only selected tracks like Homestead and Bristol, notorious for favoring his skillset, in pursuit of matching Kyle Busch’s record for weekend sweeps at the Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup level. Despite being directly called out, Larson reached out to Dale Jr. with interest in running for JR Motorsports should the chance arise. That opportunity arrived sooner than anyone anticipated, when Connor Zilisch, a rising rookie with impressive speed and a win already at COTA, was forced to miss the Texas event after a late crash at Talladega.
Dale Jr., reflecting on the surprising twist, admitted,
“We were just on this show a couple of weeks ago, going after he said he wanted to embarrass the field, which we are part of the field. We took offense. We said, ‘Hey, sign up for a couple more.’… If you’re going to say that, give me all the opportunity in the world to try to get you.’”
With a note of humor, he added,
“And so there I was with Kyle Larson, who’s nearly an automatic win… try to embarrass the field and in our car, and I told him, ‘All right, now I feel a little bit different.’… When he’s driving your car, it’s great.”
The results spoke for themselves as Kyle Larson took the wheel and expertly navigated the field to victory, transforming what many saw as an ironic predicament into a winning scenario for JR Motorsports. Instead of bristling at Larson’s self-confidence, Dale Jr. found himself embracing it—especially when it meant celebrating in Victory Lane.
As for Connor Zilisch, whose rookie campaign has already featured a remarkable win and multiple top-ten finishes, there were no hard feelings. Instead, Zilisch praised the team’s success, remarking,
“It’s great to see the team in Victory Lane. Coming into the weekend, [win] was almost the expectation with Kyle driving the car; he’s so talented. It’s great for our team. There’s really not much bitter(sweet) in me, other than I had to miss this race… We brought a real fast car for Kyle, and Kyle executed and did a real great job as well.”
With Zilisch aiming to return for the Charlotte event, he plans to build on the strong momentum, viewing Larson’s performance as both motivation and a valuable learning opportunity. For both JR Motorsports and Kyle Larson, this latest Xfinity Series victory highlights the unpredictable nature of racing and the powerful impact of talent, teamwork, and a bit of irony. The win not only boosts the confidence of everyone involved but also sets the stage for what promises to be an electrifying stretch of races as Larson continues to leave his mark on both Cup and Xfinity competition.
