Just a month ago, JR Motorsports’ Dale Jr. was rallying behind his teenage prodigy, Connor Zislich, saying, “Connor Zislich is just a generational kind of talent. I feel like he’s got a real opportunity to be a big star in the sport.” And the 19-year-old has certainly lived up to the hype, delivering the team’s 100th win while racking up 10 wins in the season and an impressive 18 consecutive top-five finishes—a series record in just his first year. But now, the NASCAR Hall of Famer seems to have shifted his focus, naming another driver as his current championship favorite.

And if you guessed defending champion Justin Allgaier, then you are absolutely right. Allgaier grabbed the Xfinity crown at Phoenix last year despite falling a lap down and picking up two penalties. A timely caution gave him the lifeline he needed as he rocked past Austin Hill and Cole Custer. And Junior trusts in the experience and the determination to win another.

Speaking on his DJD podcast, Junior hinted at a second championship, saying, “I will say the one thing that I took away from the Xfinity race, obviously the eight cars struggled terribly. I don’t understand why that happened, but I was really surprised to see them not run better than that. The 1 car struggled. Was obviously disappointed with both of those results. Justin Allgaier had a pretty quick car. Feel pretty good about where they are momentum wise, speedwise going into these next couple of races, and feel like if Justin can get to Phoenix, he’s got a great shot at winning another championship.” 

It’s no secret that Justin Allgaier had a tough break at Las Vegas. Coming into the weekend, he had great momentum, securing the pole position; however, his race unraveled with slight disappointment. The 39-year-old maintained a competitive pace through the 201-lap race, leading 28 laps.

Despite a late race surge by Aric Almirola, who secured his first-ever Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas, Justin’s consistent driving ensured a solid points finish, bolstering his position in the playoff standings. Currently, Justin sits second to his teammate Connor Zilisch, with a 44-point advantage over the cut line. So as of now, the 2024 Xfinity champ isn’t in a must-win scenario.

But amid Jesse Love’s fiery confrontation and Allgaier’s missing out on the win, the race wasn’t short of drama. However, Junior is playing his cards well by also acknowledging the rookie in his camp.

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Dale Jr. heaps praise on Connor Zilisch amid Justin Allgaier’s title hopes

Connor Zilisch turned heads in the recent NASCAR Xfinity race at Las Vegas, putting on a stunning show in the closing laps as he hunted down leader Aric Almirola. Though he ultimately came up just short, finishing second, the young driver’s fearless performance earned widespread praise across the NASCAR community.

Dale Junior couldn’t help applaud him on his DJD podcast, saying, “The 88 of Zilisch. I’m telling you, man. The way the kid drove that car the last 20 laps was epic. You’re like, ‘All right, just settle in and bring it home.’ Then he makes another run, cools it down.”

Dale Jr could not stop admiring the teenager’s composure and aggression, recalling how Zilisch nearly lost control before gathering it back up and charging again.

He concluded by saying, “I think you know we’re just seeing this kid show us that he really is the real deal.” His words ring true; Zilisch’s 2025 season has been nothing short of dominant, featuring 10 wins, a string of top finishes, and a commanding lead at the top of the playoff standings, 82 points above the cut line as he heads into the Championship 4.

However, with two of Dale Jr.’s drivers in the fight for the title, the question arises about which JR Motorsports driver gets to lift the Xfinity trophy. At this point, the best thing to say would be ‘May the best man win’…