Connor Zilisch‘s pursuit of the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, a season marked by dominance and determination, ended in disappointment at Phoenix Raceway as he fell short in the final race, with Jesse Love taking both the event and the title. Despite his remarkable achievements all year, the Connor Zilisch Xfinity Championship loss has sparked renewed attention on NASCAR‘s playoff format and raised questions about the fairness of crowning champions in this high-stakes system.
Zilisch’s Season of Triumph and Adversity
Connor Zilisch entered the Phoenix finale as the clear standout contender, having amassed 10 race victories—an extraordinary feat highlighted by an 18-race streak of top-five finishes. His resilience was on display throughout the year, overcoming a missed race at Texas Motor Speedway due to a back injury suffered in a crash with Jesse Love, followed by a broken collarbone that required surgery.
Returning from injury, Zilisch quickly regained form, dominating ovals as well as road courses and cementing his position atop the JR Motorsports team in the No. 88 car. Statistically, he outperformed every rival, recording more wins, top 5s, and top 10s than anyone else on the grid. This set high expectations for the championship race, with the NASCAR community watching to see if he would translate those results into a championship under the current NASCAR playoff system.
Phoenix Finale: The Race That Decided It All
The championship format dictated a winner-take-all approach among the top four contenders in a 200-lap showdown at Phoenix. Zilisch battled all night but found himself consistently running as the second-best car, overtaken by teammate Justin Allgaier in the second stage and ultimately passed by his close friend Jesse Love with 24 laps to go. Love’s flawless drive secured both the race victory and the championship.
Speaking to reporters in the aftermath, Zilisch was forthcoming about the difficulties he and the team faced:
“Every run, we just tanked. I don’t know if I was just pushing it too hard at the beginning of runs or what it was,”
Zilisch said.
“After 20 laps, I just couldn’t hang on and started losing lateral grip. I don’t really know what we thought, but I felt like every run we were the second-best car. Whether it was Justin or Jesse, we just never had the best car.”
– Connor Zilisch
This honest assessment highlighted the No. 88 car’s ongoing struggle with long-run speed, a factor that ultimately determined the outcome.
Defeat Amidst Season-Long Success
Despite the painful loss, Zilisch took pride in a season that defied expectations. Heading into the final weekend, he reflected on what the team had accomplished, expressing pride even in the face of defeat.
“I’m still so proud of my team and what we’ve accomplished this year. We have nothing to hang our heads about. We were the best car for two-thirds of the year.”
– Connor Zilisch
The 18-race top-five streak that defined his campaign came to a close earlier in the round of eight at Talladega, with his incredible consistency ending as the playoffs reached their conclusion. Still, Zilisch’s numbers—three times as many trophies as his closest rivals and the highest win percentage—underscore his dominance, even as he finished two spots short of the championship in his one and only Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports.
“We dominated until these last three races,”
said Zilisch, summing up the team’s season-ending struggles.
The disappointment of not clinching the title has not diminished his appreciation for the team’s accomplishments.
Love’s crew chief, Danny Stockman, reflected on the pressure Zilisch’s performance put on rival teams and on Jesse Love himself:
“If you look at Jesse Love’s season, second-year season, it looks good, but when you look at Connor’s, it’s way above anything you’ve ever seen before. Him and Corey Heim, Okay? I think that puts a lot of strain on teams, right? It does. But at the end of the day you have to work on your own program, you have to work on your own stuff. I’m on [Love] about worrying about what we’ve got going on. To be quite honest, at the end of the day, [Zilisch] won, I don’t know how many, 11 races, 12, something like that… A lot. But when it mattered tonight, it did not happen. He won a lot of races, but he’s not an Xfinity Series champion.”
– Danny Stockman, Crew Chief for Jesse Love
NASCAR’s Playoff Format Under Scrutiny
The dramatic conclusion to both the Xfinity and Truck Series championships, with stars like Corey Heim overcoming late adversity to clinch his own title, placed NASCAR’s playoff system in the spotlight. Many in the paddock and beyond questioned whether a single race should hold so much weight after record-setting seasons by drivers such as Zilisch and Heim. The call for change is growing louder, with NASCAR expected to consider adjustments to its title-deciding process after the season wraps up.
Zilisch, expected to step up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026 with Trackhouse Racing to fill Daniel Suarez’s seat, has become a high-profile example of a champion-level effort unrewarded by the current format.
Racing Ethics and Friendship on Display
In the media day before the championship race, Zilisch was asked whether he would go to extreme lengths to win the title against close friend and competitor Jesse Love. His answer reflected a strong sense of sportsmanship:
“I hope he races me the way I would want to be raced. I feel like I’ll give him that same respect, along with the other two. I would do a lot of things to win a championship,”
Zilisch said.
“I wouldn’t wreck someone, but I feel a championship at the end of the day is a big accomplishment. I would expect him to be aggressive and want to win that as well.”
– Connor Zilisch
The final battle between Zilisch and Love was conducted with integrity, as Love executed a clean, decisive pass with the No. 88 car unable to keep pace in the closing stages. Zilisch, although disappointed, maintained his respect for his competitor and friend.
Reflecting on Love’s title win, Zilisch said,
“It will be core memories for both of us,”
continuing,
“Yeah, wish it was the other way around. Yeah, I’m very happy for him. He works really hard at it. He deserves it. Yeah, it’s cool to see your best friend win. I came here to win, so it still doesn’t make it feel any better.”
– Connor Zilisch
Looking Ahead: Legacy and Impact
Although the result at Phoenix left Zilisch and his team with heartbreak, the legacy of his 2024 Xfinity season is unmistakably impressive. His journey from adversity and injury to record-breaking performances has raised the bar for future contenders, even as debates around the playoff structure and ways to ensure deserving champions continue to intensify.
Zilisch now transitions to the Cup Series, bringing the determination and competitiveness that made his Xfinity season unforgettable. His rivalry and friendship with Jesse Love, along with the challenges faced by other teams such as those led by Justin Allgaier and Corey Heim, will remain a talking point as NASCAR considers the future of its championship format. The 2024 season, despite ending in Connor Zilisch Xfinity Championship loss, underscores the emotional stakes, passion, and unpredictability that make motorsports a test of both skill and spirit.
