Connor Zilisch captures NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year honors
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Despite coming up two spots short in his quest for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, 19-year-old Connor Zilisch captured 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
Zilisch’s third-place finish was enough to beat his JR Motorsports Carson Kvapil outright — a fellow Championship 4 contender — for the honor.
NASCAR awards the accolade by the total accumulation of points across the season, whether the driver makes the playoffs or not.
“I’m still so proud of my team, what we’ve accomplished this year,” Zilisch said post-race. “We have nothing to hang our heads about. We were the best car for two-thirds of the year. We dominated until these last three races. Yeah, it cost us a championship, so… We’ll keep our heads high.
“We are walking home with more than three times as many trophies as anybody else. We won the most races, had the most Top-10s, Top-5s, poles. There’s no reason we should be upset because of this outcome.”
Zilisch ended the season with 10 wins, 20 Top-5 finishes, 23 Top-10 finishes, and 1,013 laps led.
Other rookie contenders this year included Daniel Dye, Christian Eckes, Taylor Gray, Carson Kvapil, Nick Sanchez, William Sawalich, and Dean Thompson.
Past NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year Winners
2024: Jesse Love
2023: Sammy Smith
2022: Austin Hill
2021: Ty Gibbs
2020: Harrison Burton
2019: Chase Briscoe
2018: Tyler Reddick
2017: William Byron
2016: Erik Jones
2015: Daniel Suarez
2014: Chase Elliott
2013: Kyle Larson
2012: Austin Dillon
2011: Timmy Hill
2010: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
2009: Justin Allgaier
2008: Landon Cassill
2007: David Ragan
2006: Danny O’Quinn, Jr.
2005: Carl Edwards
2004: Kyle Busch
2003: David Stremme
2002: Scott Riggs
2001: Greg Biffle
2000: Kevin Harvick
1999: Tony Raines
1998: Andy Santerre
1997: Steve Park
1996: Glenn Allen, Jr.
1995: Jeff Fuller
1994: Johnny Benson, Jr.
1993: Hermie Sadler
1992: Ricky Craven
1991: Jeff Gordon
1990: Joe Nemechek
1989: Kenny Wallace
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.