“I don’t want to race against him”: Connor Zilisch not comfortable competing with Shane van Gisbergen in Xfinity Series next year

Connor Zilisch recently opened up about his NASCAR plans and shared his apprehensions about racing against Shane van Gisbergen. The Mooresville native, discussed the topic during an appearance on Corey LaJoie's podcast, "Stacking Pennies," which aired on August 2, 2024, before it was announced that the 18-year-old would join the Xfinity Series next year, driving the #88 for JR Motorsports.

On Wednesday, the news broke that Connor Zilisch will be joining JR Motorsports full-time in 2025. The 18-year-old has already had a good year, notching victories at the 24 Hours at Daytona and the 12 Hours at Sebring, along with several wins on the ARCA circuit.

Zilisch is ready to make his debut with JRM in September under a four-race agreement announced back in March.

While talking to Corey LaJoie, the teenager spoke about his NASCAR future, saying:

"First of all, I want to run Xfinity any full time next year. That's a goal of mine and something I'm working towards. [...] Hopefully I'll be able to go out there and... If I do run full-time, go, win a road course win two road courses and hopefully be competitive on the ovals."

"And hopefully, SVG is not running full-time Xfinity next year so I don't have to worry about that. [...] I don't want to have to race against him. As much as I want to learn from him I don't want to have to race against him in Xfinity," he continued.

Even Corey LaJoie found himself nodding in agreement with Connor Zilisch about Shane van Gisbergen’s dominance in the sport, remarking:

"That dude is the cheat code."

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Connor Zilisch expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity given to him by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

According to the announcement, Connor Zilisch will make his debut in September 2024 at Watkins Glen, New York, and will also compete at speedways in Kansas, Homestead-Miami, and Phoenix, before taking on the role of full-time driver for the NASCAR Xfinity Series #88 car in 2025.

The Dale Earnhardt Jr. team has a strong track record of propelling drivers like Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick into Cup Series careers. Reflecting on his new role, Zilisch described it as 'an amazing moment' and extended his thanks to Chevrolet, Trackhouse, and his ARCA team, Silver Hare Racing. He shared his excitement, stating [via The Hamilton Spectator]:

"It is mind-blowing to think that I will drive for JR Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who is one of my heroes. I’m ready to put in the work.”

With no current plans announced for Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) to move up to the Cup Series next year, it will be intriguing to see how Zilisch and SVG fare against each other in the Xfinity Series and possibly even in a few Cup races.