Connor Zilisch is a name that’s lighting up NASCAR like a spark plug. At just 19, the kid’s already got a trophy case most veterans would envy. like winning his very first Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen in 2024. In that year, Hendrick Motorsports saw the potential and locked him into a development deal, tossing him into select Truck and Xfinity races.

It’s the kind of meteoric rise that draws comparisons to William Byron’s fast track, not the slow grind most drivers slog through. But with that speed comes skepticism. Is Zilisch being rushed too fast? NASCAR’s ladder system typically demands years in Trucks and Xfinity to hone skills, and history is littered with cautionary tales like Joey Logano’s rocky Cup debut at 18. Some observers simply wonder if he’s still too fresh for the top-level pressure. Enter Dale Earnhardt Jr., who’s not buying the doubts about Zilisch’s fast track.

Zilisch’s ability to hop between stock cars, sports cars, and late models with wins at every stop suggests he’s cut from a different cloth. On his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Jr shut down the skeptics, calling the young phenom a rare talent who might just rewrite the playbook.

Dale Jr. backs Zilisch’s fast track

On the latest Dale Jr. Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tackled the buzz around Connor Zilisch’s rapid rise. “I think when you’re that successful. It’s perfectly fine to go ahead and head on up, but most people you’d like to see a couple years right in Xfinity. I don’t know why, but like you know, if you’re going to go into the trucks, give me a couple there. I think if you go if you’re going to seek out ARCA I think one year in the ARCA series is good. Mixed with some other stuff at the short tracks.” Dale Jr said.

Dale Jr’s laying out the traditional path, time in ARCA, Trucks, or the CARS Tour to sharpen skills. But Zilisch? He’s already checked boxes most don’t touch in a decade, winning in ARCA, IMSA, and Trans-Am before even hitting a full-time NASCAR schedule. His Watkins Glen ARCA victory in 2024 was a stunner, and his IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge title at 17 made him a history-maker. Dale Jr’s point is clear that Zilisch’s results scream “ready.”

He doubled down, “Maybe you go into you do a couple years at the short tracks running the Cars Tour. Maybe you go into your ARCA for a year or get into a truck for a couple years and then you know a couple years in Xfinity. I think that’s a great. That’s not really all that is to try to help race craft help maturity not only in the car but out of the car right saying the wrong things and the right things and learning from how you handle conflict and disagreement or success. Just the flow of the weekends in general. Connor is one of those rare guys that’s kind of like ‘One season is Enough.’”

Dale Jr’s got skin in the game since he co-owns the CARS Tour, where drivers like Josh Berry cut their teeth. But he’s calling Zilisch an exception, a kid who’s shown poise beyond his years. Unlike Logano, who admitted he was rushed to Cup and struggled with maturity, or Noah Gragson, whose early Xfinity antics cost him, Zilisch handled double-duty IMSA and ARCA weekends in 2023 like a veteran. Hendrick’s 2024 deal for him backs Dale Jr’s take. This kid might not need the usual two-year pit stops to shine.

While Zilisch’s future is bright, Dale Jr. also has eyes on the 2025 playoffs, where Denny Hamlin is making waves.

Dale Jr. sees this season as Hamlin’s best shot yet

Last Sunday, Hamlin locked in his Round of 12 spot with a commanding win at World Wide Technology Raceway, his fifth of the season and Toyota’s historic 200th Cup victory. It’s a familiar story. Hamlin’s been a title contender for years, hitting the Championship 4 multiple times but always falling short.

On Dale Jr. Download, Dale Jr didn’t hold back his optimism, “Every year we say, ‘Man, this is his best shot.’ What Denny’s been able to do over the last handful of seasons to be one of the favorites, one of the contenders year after year after year. And literally every single year it seems like he’s even better. You’ve got to give the guy a ton of credit. Right now, I think we can say, maybe for the first time, that he’s the best car in the field at this point.”

Dale Jr’s not just blowing smoke. Hamlin’s been a top-three threat every weekend, and his work ethic, praised by everyone from Dale Jr to Joe Gibbs, sets him apart. “It really does feel like he’s in the best position he’s ever been in,” Dale Jr added. At 44, Hamlin’s outworking younger drivers, driven to outshine the new guard.

His Gateway win, leading 75 of 240 laps, showed he’s got the speed and strategy to go the distance. With 59 career wins and a shot at 60, Hamlin’s chasing more than a title. He’s building a legacy. As Bristol’s elimination race looms, Dale Jr is backing both Zilisch’s generational talent and Hamlin’s title shot, proving he’s got an eye for who’s ready to make history.