Connor Zilisch recently shared a message on X thanking Kyle Larson for stepping in for him at the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The post, which directly points to Larson’s last-minute involvement, came after JR Motorsports confirmed that Zilisch would not be racing due to injury.
The tweet, posted by Zilisch on April 30, was a retweet of JR Motorsports’ official announcement. Zilisch expressed gratitude toward Kyle Larson, the Cup Series driver, for taking over the No. 88 car in Texas. He wrote,
“Thank you to @KyleLarsonRacin for stepping up for me this weekend and everyone who has helped me through this process. Doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible❤️”
Zilisch is a rising name in the NASCAR Xfinity Series scene who had to withdraw from the Texas race after suffering a back injury in a crash at Talladega. He crashed during the final lap at Talladega after contact with Jesse Love sent him sliding into the inside wall.
While Zilisch initially reported feeling fine and said his X-rays were clear, the team later announced he would sit out the Texas race to recover.
Kyle Larson already won an Xfinity race at Bristol this year. Under NASCAR rules, Cup drivers are limited to five Xfinity appearances per season. This start will be one of those five.
Zilisch, just 18, has made a strong impression in 2025, including a win at Circuit of the Americas and a spot in the top six of the Xfinity standings. While he’s sidelined, the team has not confirmed whether it will seek a playoff eligibility waiver from NASCAR. Drivers who miss races for medical reasons typically receive such waivers, which would allow Zilisch to continue his push for the playoffs even after missing a regular-season race.
Although JR Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing haven’t revealed the full extent of Zilisch’s injury, the series now enters a two-week break, which may give him time to recover before returning for the Memorial Day weekend events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I Don’t Think There’s Anything I Could’ve Done on the Final Lap” — Kyle Larson Reflects on Talladega Finish
Kyle Larson gave his thoughts after finishing third at the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega. In a post-race interview, Larson explained that he had little room to maneuver during the final lap and couldn’t make the charge he wanted.
The 32-year-old was initially scored third behind Austin Cindric and Ryan Preece, but was later moved up to second after Preece’s car failed post-race inspection. According to a PRN-sourced report, Larson said,
“I don’t think there’s anything I could’ve done on the final lap. I was just second row inside and was gonna do everything I could to advance our lane and see if I could get to the outside, but we’re all just pushing equally so it was jammed up.”
Larson’s No. 5 car, run by Hendrick Motorsports despite being a strong contender, was boxed in and unable to make a decisive move before the checkered flag. The race ended with Cindric taking the win—Team Penske’s first of the 2025 season—and Larson officially in second.
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Edited by Tushhita Barua
