Connor Zilisch looking to become just the third NASCAR Xfinity driver to achieve landmark feat at 19

Following a hat trick earned at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Connor Zilisch has the chance to become the third NASCAR Xfinity Series driver to win four straight races. The 19-year-old will attempt to achieve the feat at Iowa Speedway on Saturday.

Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, Zilisch is an Xfinity Series rookie under Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, JR Motorsports. He currently has the most victories in the series at five, including the ongoing three-consecutive-win streak from Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis.

If Connor Zilisch wins at Iowa, he will join Sam Ard and Noah Gragson as the only drivers in Xfinity Series history to have four straight wins, and the youngest at 19. His triumph at Indianapolis saw him become the youngest to win three straight and earn six career victories, beating reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano.

Speaking about his race at Iowa Speedway, the #88 JR Motorsports driver said (via Jayski on X):

“I was fortunate enough to win the ARCA race at Iowa last year, so I’m looking forward to using what I learned in that race with a new challenge in the Xfinity car [...] My crew chief, Mardy Lindley, won the race there with Sam Mayer last year, so I know we’ll have a really good KOA Chevrolet when we get to the track this weekend.”

He added:

“We’ve been on a roll lately with top-five finishes and trips to Victory Lane, so I’m ready to get to the track and continue that with (sponsor) KOA.”

Connor Zilisch drives the #88 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports - Source: Imagn

The HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. It will precede the race weekend at Watkins Glen International, where Zilisch won his debut Xfinity Series race last year.

So far, the 19-year-old has amassed five wins, 10 top-5s, and 12 top-10s, enough to rank second behind JR Motorsports and defending series champ Justin Allgaier. Perhaps one of the reasons he was short of taking the top seed despite winning the most races was missing one race (Texas Motor Speedway) due to an injury.

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“It's going to be a process”: Connor Zilisch on his climb to the NASCAR Cup Series

With a remarkable rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it is only a matter of time before Connor Zilisch graduates to the Cup Series. However, despite the hype, the 19-year-old believes learning the Cup car is going to take time and expects to make mistakes from time to time.

The Trackhouse Racing development driver said (via Racer):

“It's going to take time. The car is a lot different. It's very on edge. There's not a lot of room for error. I'm probably going to make mistakes and have moments, and there're going to be bad days. But as long as I continue to see myself grow, I'll be satisfied. So it's going to be a process no matter how you look at it.”

While an announcement on his plans for the Cup Series has yet to be made, rumors suggest Connor Zilisch might replace Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse Racing. Suarez is set to leave the team at the end of the year after five seasons in the #99.