Dale Earnhardt Jr gives verdict on bubbling NASCAR rivalry
The recent battle for supremacy at The Loop 110 could have served as a preview of what is to come from two of NASCAR's best road course stars
Following a fierce late race battle for the win in Chicago between the wily veteran Shane van Gisbergen and the up-and-comer Connor Zilisch in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has high hopes for the budding rivalry between his two star drivers.
Coming down the main straightaway to start the second-to-last lap at The Loop 110, Van Gisbergen muscled his way past Zilisch to reclaim the lead into turn one, with the 18-year-old sliding into the wall in the process. With the JRM duo ultimately finishing first and second, it marked a historic day for the team as they hit 97 wins.
As for van Gisbergen, he wound up sweeping the weekend, winning from pole in both the Xfinity and Cup Series. As such, the Supercars Championship legend has now won four of the six races held in Chicago since 2023.
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The elbows-out action between the two drivers proved controversial, with Earnhardt Jr. surprised by the New Zealander’s willingness to push past his teammate, while Zilisch said it was a valuable learning experience for him.
Taking in the bigger picture, Earnhardt Jr. believes this could be the start of not just a friendship between the two drivers, but an eye-catching rivalry, reminiscent of that of Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. “They will be the best of friends. They will push each other in terms of trying to get better and besting each other,” he predicted on the Dale Jr. Download.
“Connor will get better and better as a road racer, believe it or not…It’s gonna be insane. SVG won’t be here for 20 years, and when he moves on, Connor Zilisch will be the SVG of the Cup Series. If everything works out like it should…
“SVGs a great guy. And Connors a good guy too. So they’ll find some common ground. It’ll be a lot like Gordon and Johnson, when they were at [Hendrick Motorsports], they had those races at Martinsville where they’d get out and go, ‘Man you f—--- got me a little dirty.’ They’re gonna have those because they’re both good and they’re both gonna be up front.”
What’s more, with both Van Gisbergen and Zilisch currently in a league of their own when it comes to road courses, but in need of improvement on ovals, Earnhardt Jr. reckons this mutual need to grow will “endear them to each other as they both have some things that they’re trying to accomplish together.
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“And so, while that was a profound moment on Saturday, it was a bit of a look into the future, which was kind of fun.”
For van Gisbergen, it’s less about the future and more about the here and now. With two Cup Series wins this season and another road course race at Sonoma on the horizon, the 36-year-old is fifth in the playoff standings with 10 races to go.
Zilisch, who already has two Xfinity Series wins this season, has his whole career ahead of him, with the fourth Cup Series race of his young career approaching at Watkins Glen.
“Connor Zilisch has the opportunity to be a multi-time, you know, four, five-time champion in NASCAR,” Earnhardt Jr. predicted. “He has the opportunity to have a 50+ win career. All that stuff is really realistic. And he’s just one of those guys that feels like he’s got not only the talent to do all of those things but the pathway and a ton of people in the industry that believe it.”
