"He's like a dad to us": Connor Zilisch credits Justin Allgaier's mentorship for elevating JR Motorsports' success

Connor Zilisch recently opened up in a YouTube interview with Frontstretch about the major influence Justin Allgaier has had on his development at JR Motorsports. The 18-year-old Trackhouse Racing developmental driver pointed out that Allgaier’s leadership during team meetings and his willingness to share his experience without holding anything back have made a real difference at JR Motorsports.

In the Frontstretch interview, Connor Zilisch went into detail about how Allgaier’s presence in the shop and in meetings has helped him grow as a driver. The 39-year-old is a veteran with close to two decades in the sport and takes charge during team discussions, especially the Monday post-race meetings.

“He’s like a dad to us,” Zilisch said. [1:32 onwards] “He’s so valuable to our team, and I don’t think we’d be doing as well as we are right now. I don’t think our cars would be as fast... In meetings every Monday, he almost directs the show.” he added.

Zilisch shared that being around someone like Allgaier, with his depth of experience, is a rare and valuable opportunity. In his own words,

“As an 18-year-old, I’ve only sat in, whatever, 10 post-race meetings before. A guy like him... I learn so much just listening to him and being around him.”

What stands out most to Zilisch is Allgaier’s openness. Referring to what he shared,

“He’s an open book, which is rare for guys that are so competitive in this sport... I feel like I can go to [him] and be open and honest, and he’ll be open and honest back to me.”

In August 2024, JR Motorsports confirmed that Connor Zilisch would join the team full-time for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The Mooresville native began racing at five years old, has won several national karting titles, and broke records in his debut SCCA season in 2021. He signed with Trackhouse Racing in January 2024 and has since continued his upward trajectory.

In the current Xfinity Series season, Connor Zilisch has been performing at a consistently high level. In 19 races, he’s taken four wins, earned nine top-5 finishes, 11 top-10s, and four poles. He’s second in driver rankings with 674 points, just 56 behind the leader.

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Connor Zilisch reflects on the violent Talladega crash that forced him to miss Texas

The Talladega Superspeedway crash was a turning point in Connor Zilisch’s 2024 season. During the Ag-Pro 300 on April 26, Zilisch was in contention for the win when a last-lap incident sent him into the wall. He was trying to block Jesse Love when he got nudged from behind, causing a direct head-on impact. At the time, Zilisch had started 13th, ran in the top 10 for most of the race, and was leading with just a lap to go.

The crash’s severity forced him to sit out the next race, the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson stepped in to drive the No. 88 in his absence and went on to win. Speaking on the Stacking Pennies podcast with Corey LaJoie and Skip Flories, Connor Zilisch opened up about how brutal the crash felt from inside the car.

“Like as soon as I hit the wall... I literally—this sounds crazy—but when I was in the car, I closed my eyes, and I was inside of my own body, and I saw my back shatter inside,” Zilisch said. “It sounds crazy, but I swear... I immediately knew something ain’t right.”

He went on to explain that although the care center cleared him, he still had to miss the Texas race due to how bad he felt afterwards. Austin Hill won the race at Talladega, followed by Jeb Burton and Jesse Love.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua