Connor Zilisch was named the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year after finishing third in the final race at Avondale, Arizona, narrowly missing the championship title. The teenage driver’s achievements earned him the Connor Zilisch Rookie of the Year honor, surpassing fellow contender Carson Kvapil and a competitive field of first-year drivers.
Zilisch’s Strong Season Overview
Throughout the season, Zilisch demonstrated outstanding performance with 10 victories, 20 Top-5 finishes, and 23 Top-10 placements, leading for a total of 1,013 laps. His consistent results across the calendar propelled him ahead of other rookie hopefuls, including Daniel Dye, Christian Eckes, Taylor Gray, Carson Kvapil, Nick Sanchez, William Sawalich, and Dean Thompson.
The selection for Rookie of the Year considers a driver’s accumulated points over the season, not just playoff standings. This allowed Zilisch to edge out his JR Motorsports teammate and other rival rookies through dependable results and race wins.
Zilisch Reflects on the Season’s Achievements
Following the conclusion of the final race, Zilisch shared his perspective on the season’s outcome and his team’s accomplishments.
“I’m still so proud of my team, what we’ve accomplished this year,”
— Zilisch, driver.
Despite falling short of the series championship, Zilisch remained positive about their dominance during the majority of the season.
He further commented,
“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.”
— Zilisch, driver.
Survey of Past Xfinity Rookie Award Winners
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honor has been awarded to some of racing’s notable names over previous seasons. Recent recipients include Jesse Love (2024), Sammy Smith (2023), and Austin Hill (2022). Other prominent past winners are Ty Gibbs (2021), Harrison Burton (2020), and Chase Briscoe (2019). Earlier honorees feature Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Timmy Hill, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Justin Allgaier.
The list stretches back three decades, including victories by Landon Cassill, David Ragan, Danny O’Quinn, Jr., Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, David Stremme, Scott Riggs, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Tony Raines, Andy Santerre, Steve Park, Glenn Allen, Jr., Jeff Fuller, Johnny Benson, Jr., Hermie Sadler, Ricky Craven, Jeff Gordon, Joe Nemechek, and Kenny Wallace.
What Zilisch’s Award Means for His Future
With the Rookie of the Year accolade, Zilisch joins a distinguished group of drivers who have gone on to strong careers in NASCAR. His season-long determination and multiple victories highlight his readiness for further challenges and continue the tradition of excellence recognized by this award. This achievement positions Connor Zilisch as a rising force to watch in upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series competition
