“It’s tough for me to celebrate”: Connor Zilisch comes clean on ‘ruining’ teammate's weekend on his path to COTA glory

Connor Zilisch proved his dominance during last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at COTA. He won the event, his first of the season, but had to battle it out with his JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil on the way.

However, his road to victory lane wasn’t a smooth one. He got sent to the back of the field due to a commitment line violation. But following the restart, he managed to gain positions before finally snatching the lead away from Kvapil on Lap 56.

But before that could happen, Connor Zilisch had to resort to desperate means. He went all out, battling Kvapil until the latter’s right front tire blew up four laps later. In the end, the Charlotte native earned that cherished trip to the victory lane, but was upset that his teammate’s day was ruined.

Speaking of the same, during the latest episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, the 18-year-speedster said,

“I got out and I was in victory lane; honestly it’s tough for me to celebrate wins like that because you know you ruined someone else’s race…you know, especially my teammate’s. That’s what I felt worst about.” (0:20)

However, a win is a win and Connor Zilisch is now locked in the playoffs alongside Richard Childress Racing drivers Jesse Love and Austin Hill. His next race, i.e. the GOVX 200, is scheduled for March 8 at Phoenix Raceway.

Fans can watch the 200-lap event on CW from 5 pm ET onwards. Alternatively, they can listen to its live radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR veteran praises Connor Zilisch despite heartbreaking Cup Series outing

Although Connor Zilisch won on Saturday, his Cup Series debut on Sunday didn’t turn out the way he had wanted to. He recorded some of the fastest laps during the time he was on the track, but got caught in an incident with his Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez on lap 50.

That contact left Zilisch limping to a disappointing 37th-place finish, while Suarez had to settle for a P36. Zilisch made some mistakes for sure, but proved that he is made for bigger things in the future. Even Denny Hamlin stated the same.

In the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said:

“He made some mistakes. We all recognize that, but I still feel for an 18-year-old… I mean, for God’s sake, I could be this kid’s father; that’s how crazy this world is right now, that I could be his father!” (9:15 onwards)

Hamlin was referring to Connor Zilisch’s mistakes during the Xfinity Series race at COTA. In a battle for the lead, Zilisch bumped into fellow racer Corey Heim and knocked him out of the race. Then, he battled Carson Kvapil and held off William Byron for the win.

“For an 18-year-old, he is so far further advanced as a motorsports driver than I was when I was 18. It’s not even remotely close. I think I was probably running third or fourth in four-cylinder mini stocks at that age,” Hamlin exclaimed.

Following the race, Zilisch admitted that those weren’t the cleanest of laps, leading Hamlin to believe that the latter has a conscience. But that shouldn’t affect his celebrations, the Cup Series regular explained.