Connor Zilisch Eyes Aggressive Response After 'Unexpected' Chicago Xfinity Lesson
Saturday's The Loop 110 Xfinity race saw temporary JR Motorsports teammates, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen, battling each other to the last minute in the final two laps. The ex-Supercars champion aggressively outdueled the 18-year-old for the checkered flag at the Chicago Street Course.
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Despite being co-drivers at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, this was the first time two batted each other for the finish line. But Zilisch wasn't spared by the aggressive racing nature of the 36-year-old veteran. On the restart, he was caught on the inside on the entry to Turn 1. This bold move by his teammate caused him to lose his position and, eventually, his fourth Xfinity win.
Connor Zilisch walks through the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage at Daytona.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Reflecting upon it in the post-race conference, the JRM full-timer regretted not being aggressive enough against van Gisbergen's unexpected move.
"I would have done it differently," Zilisch said. "You know, just before the braking zone, I was called clear, and I didn't take it because I wanted to be on the inside for Turn 2, expecting we'd exit Turn 1 side by side. If I had known he wasn't going to leave that space and was going to clear himself, I would've blocked and protected the inside line more aggressively.
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"Now that I know his plan, I would have approached it differently. But that's racing. It wasn't dirty—just aggressive. I'll take note of that. I had never raced Shane before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was trying to run him with as much respect as possible. But when you're racing for the win, we're all going to do whatever we can to get it—and I should have done more."
Learning from this, he also revealed his plans to use more aggressive tactics in his next races, especially against his teammate. "I'll definitely learn from it and be more aggressive next time—regardless of the situation," said Zilisch.
"As a driver, I like to know who I'm racing against, and I use that to my advantage. I take notes on how people race and adjust my approach accordingly. I had never raced against Shane before, so I didn't have that reference. If I get the chance to race him again, I'm going to do something differently."
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Experiencing SVG's racing style, the 18-year-old will surely bring this aggressive nature to their next face-off at the Sonoma Raceway. The race will be held on July 12 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Connor Zilisch Didn't Want to Be Trackhouse's 'Scaredy-Cat' at Atlanta Cup Race
Related: Shane van Gisbergen's Chicago Burnout and Near-Miss Sparks Debate Over Dangers in Victory Celebrations
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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