Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s long-standing frustration with NASCAR’s playoff format reached its breaking point at Phoenix Raceway. After a dominant season that had JR Motorsports positioned as the clear championship favorite, everything unraveled in the final laps, leaving 19-year-old Connor Zilisch in tears and Junior questioning the system once again. The 51-year-old, who has repeatedly voiced his desire to bring back the old Chase format, found fresh validation for his stance as his team’s title hopes slipped away in the winner-take-all finale.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. accepts defeat to Richard Childress Racing

Speaking post-race, the NASCAR Hall of Famer couldn’t help but admit defeat. He said, “Well, there’s been some years, Bob, where the guys have dominated and didn’t win the championship, even with the old format. The one we all love even had its own flaws, right? So there’s not a perfect format. There’s just ones we all prefer more than others. I was ready after my podcast Tuesday and we had Jesse there. I was ready to accept the outcome, no matter what it was.”

Having all three of your drivers fight for the championship title is definitely special, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows that all too well. But JR Motorsports came up just a bit short when it mattered the most.

The night began with Zilisch and his JR Motorsports teammates well-placed early, with Justin Allgaier winning Stage 2 after a strong duel with Zilisch. But as adjustments unfolded on pit road and strategy calls split the field, momentum shifted toward Love’s No. 2 car. A blistering pit stop vaulted Love into contention heading into the final stage, where he methodically reeled in Allgaier and Zilisch.

Love made the decisive move with 24 laps remaining, overtaking Zilisch for the lead and never relinquishing it. The victory marked his third career win and his first on a non-super speedway track. But it carried extra weight beyond the championship itself; he became the first driver in the series to record bookend victories, having also won the season opener at Daytona. The 20-year-old called the moment “relieving,” crediting his father, mentor Scott Speed, and the entire No. 2 team for helping him “click into a mindset I’ve never clicked into before.” Despite the fierce on-track battle, Love praised Zilisch and JR Motorsports for their season-long effort, calling the young driver “his best friend in the world, except when we’re racing each other.”

And  Zilisch, the championship favorite after an extremely dominant season, faced the most heartbreaking loss at Phoenix, as he got ousted by his best friend Jesse Love in the closing laps. With the winner-take-all system, Zilisch’s consistent performance through the year got trampled.

Moreover, to add insult to injury, Aric Almirola slipped past the No. 88 Chevrolet driver to claim second place, delivering the NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship to Joe Gibbs Racing and its No. 19 Toyota team.

To make matters worse for JR Motorsports, Almirola’s late surge snatched away what could have been their championship night. Even 2024 Xfinity Champion Justin Allgaier couldn’t deliver the win, as a late pit stop under a caution cost him positions. Meanwhile, rookie Carson Kvapil, the team’s last title contender, hovered between 10th and 15th place before settling for 13th place, securing a fourth place in the championship standings. Despite entering Phoenix with high hopes and a season of dominance, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team left empty-handed.

But Junior couldn’t help but give credit to the championship-winning driver and team. He said, “ I love this sport. I love the Xfinity series, and I love what we’ve been able to do here. I want to be a champion tonight, but we just, we’re not, it’s not us. It’s Jesse Love and RCR, and I can appreciate that, and I can celebrate that, and I’m proud. I’m happy for Danny Lawrence, and all those people over there at RCR are like family to me. It is what it is. We’ll see what next year brings.” 

But as Jesse Love walked away with the trophy, Connor Zilisch was left back in the dust. But the North Carolina native is still proud of his team, and he didn’t shy away from acknowledging it.

Connor Zilisch praises his team despite the championship loss

Connor Zilisch delivered a valiant effort in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, finishing third overall and earning the distinction of being the highest-finishing rookie of the race. Starting from a strong fourth place, the driver of the No. 88 car showed poise beyond his years and briefly led the pack after lap 158, executing a bold move into Turn 1.

However, as the race unfolded, he faced mounting pressure from Jesse Love and Aric Almirola. Despite holding the top spot for 27 laps, the 19-year-old ultimately lost ground after lap 176 when Love surged, stretching the gap to over two seconds in the closing laps.

He said, “You bust your a– for 33 weeks and you know, I feel like we’ve done the best job we could all year long. And yeah, we just didn’t, didn’t have it today. So, you know, I’m so proud of this team. We have nothing to hang our heads about. But yeah, this one is going to sting.” 

It was definitely a bittersweet conclusion, as he was just six points shy of the championship lead, and he had won the regular season championship as well. But on the brighter side of things, Zilisch gets a fresh start next year as he will be piloting the No. 99 car for Trackhouse Racing, replacing the 2016 Xfinity champion, Daniel Suarez, and the NASCAR community can’t wait to see how he tunes in for the Cup Series.