JR Motorsports prodigy, Connor Zilisch is tearing up the Xfinity Series in 2025 with nine wins through 25 races, including seven victories in his last eight starts that clinched the regular-season title. This hot streak has fans buzzing about records, pulling Kyle Busch into the conversation since Zilisch sits just four wins shy of tying Busch’s single-season mark of 13 from 2010 and five from breaking it. With playoffs underway and momentum on Zilisch’s side, that feat looks within reach, but Dale Jr. sees a deeper connection to Busch’s history that spotlights something off in today’s NASCAR setup.

That link ties back to how the sport has evolved, making Zilisch’s path potentially smoother than what drivers faced in Busch’s era. Busch racked up 102 Xfinity wins overall, many against top Cup talent dipping down, making the Xfinity races totally different from what we see nowadays. Dale Jr., as a team owner during those years, felt the sting firsthand and uses it to frame Zilisch’s success, hinting at a shift that’s reshaped competition.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. spotlights Kyle’s dominance

On Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media podcast, the conversation with his co-host TJ Majors turned to Connor Zilisch’s impressive run, prompting Dale Jr. to draw parallels to Kyle Busch’s heyday while exposing a key change in NASCAR’s lower tiers. That era forced series regulars to battle elite talent weekly, raising the bar but frustrating owners like Dale Jr., whose Chance 2 Motorsports team struggled for podiums when Busch showed up. “I am not comparing it. I think that what Connor’s doing, the only thing that I could say is similar is the Kyle Busch run when Kyle could run all the races,” Dale Jr. said, highlighting how Busch’s unrestricted schedule let him dominate, amassing 10 wins in 2008 and nine in 2009 before his record year.

By invoking Busch’s era, Dale Jr. exposes a modern flaw: today’s Xfinity fields lack that consistent Cup pressure, making standout runs like Zilisch’s, highlighted by his Watkins Glen debut win in 2024 and Indianapolis triumph marking JR Motorsports‘ 100th, easier to achieve without facing weekly giants. “And Carl Edwards was closed. Brad was close, but I don’t really remember them being as annoying as Kyle Busch was,” Dale Jr. added, underscoring Busch’s unique nuisance factor that warped competition.

Busch’s “annoying” past, as Dale Jr. put it in a complimentary way, stemmed from his relentless success in Xfinity, where he notched 13 wins in 2010 alone, often sweeping weekends against full-time Cup stars like himself, Carl Edwards, and Brad Keselowski, who frequently dropped in.

That dominance annoyed Dale Jr. not just as a competitor but as an owner watching paydays slip away, with race wins yielding far more purse money than seconds or thirds. “And when Kyle was winning all his races and he would come and run, we knew we weren’t going to race for wins,” he recalled, explaining the financial hit, a $200,000 to $400,000 swing per season from settling for top-fives instead of victories.

Back then, the rules allowed Cup drivers unlimited Xfinity starts, letting Busch jet across the country for double duty, even starting from the rear and still triumphing. This setup bred tougher fields but drew criticism for overshadowing development drivers, leading to NASCAR’s 2017 rule capping Cup veterans at five Xfinity races annually to give emerging talent like Zilisch clearer shots at success.

This shift, while boosting young stars, reportedly dilutes the proving ground. For fans, it means thrilling streaks but questions if they’re as battle-tested as Busch’s records. Beyond the Xfinity talk, Dale Jr. shared thoughts on his own racing future, answering to speculations about a Bristol return.

Dale Jr. rules out Bristol comeback

Fans hoping for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to strap back in at Bristol got a straightforward update, as he reflected on past runs without hinting at more. His 2024 Xfinity outing there, finishing seventh despite radio glitches and setup tweaks, left him content but uninterested in repeating it. The night race, a staple where he won in 2004, holds memories, yet challenges like poor qualifying didn’t spark regret over stepping away.

Dale Jr. opened up about those mid-race moments that solidified his stance. “I’ll be honest. In those races, driving that car, I’d be running along Stage 2, halfway through the race, and I’m sitting there thinking to myself, ‘I wanted to do this. I’m here. I got in the car, and I drove it, and I’m good, you know. And so, nothing about it was, I guess, you know, sitting there running around and going, ‘Man, you know, I’ve had fun. I’m pretty content. I could pull over, get out, and not care about the end result,'” he shared, showing satisfaction trumped any competitive itch.

This mindset, post his 26 Cup wins, including two Daytonas, prioritizes broadcasting and ownership over driving risks at 50. He capped it firmly, addressing Bristol buzz directly. “But I’ve no plans to come back and do it,” Dale Jr. stated, acknowledging he might second-guess later but standing pat for now. With JR Motorsports thriving via drivers like Zilisch, his focus stays off-track, letting protégés chase glory while he enjoys it from the booth.