Talladega Superspeedway is a monster that devours dreams and spits out heartbreak. For 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, a rookie with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Ag-Pro 300 was a harsh reminder of that reality. Connor Zilisch set the NASCAR scene alight when he won his debut Xfinity race at Watkins Glen last year. 2025 is his first full-time season, and he has already locked himself into the playoffs with a win at the Circuit of The Americas. This Saturday at Talladega, another win was in his sights, until his best friend inadvertently ruined his race.
Zilisch was right in the mix, fighting for the victory on the last lap, and that’s when catastrophe struck. Jesse Love was drafting right behind him, with Austin Hill on their tails. Hill nudged Love inside, which led to the #2 Chevrolet bumping into the rear of #88 Connor Zilisch, sending him barreling into the inside wall, nose first.
The crash left him with back pain, but also incredibly thankful for his safety, as he added after the race: “Very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. We were in the right spot. I haven’t really watched it close enough to see what happened, but grateful to be up and walking.” For a young driver with sky-high expectations, it was a moment that could shake his confidence to the core. But in the garage, a veteran’s voice rose above the chaos, offering wisdom to steady the rookie’s heart.
Matt DiBenedetto lets Connor Zilisch off the hook
The incident exemplified what superspeedway racing is all about. Unpredictable incidents like those are out of the driver’s control and can end what seems like a race-winning run. For Connor Zilisch, it was his first true taste of Talladega’s mayhem. But for Xfinity veteran and Viking Motorsports #99 Matt DiBenedetto, this was one of many he has seen throughout his career. Remember the 2022 Truck Series race at Talladega? DiBenedetto was running 4th on the final lap when a crash behind him spread the field and gave him the space to launch ahead of Ben Rhodes as the caution was called, declaring him the winner.
Ben Rhodes was positioned to win, but an unlucky caution split the field open for Matt. Sound familiar? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Zilisch as his caution split the field for Austin Hill to take the win on Saturday. The battle-tested Xfinity driver gave his verdict on the Zilisch incident after the race and reflected on his own tussles with superspeedway wrecks.
“Oh man, that’s superspeedway racing,” DiBenedetto told Frontstretch, with a mix of empathy and hard-earned resolve. “Racing’s hard in general, but these are extra hard just because you can do everything right. I’ve wrecked leading, running second, running 10th, 20th, 30th, it doesn’t matter. You’ve got to do everything right, but you can’t worry about what’s out of your control. I’m thankful that my spotter, Doug, and I have a lot of experience at these speedway races. I’ve been very close to winning a couple of cup races, and won the truck race.” A lifeline for Connor Zilisch and a reminder that Talladega’s cruelty spares no one.
“It’s nice to have that experience and for it to pay off at the end when it counts.”@mattdracing earns his first top five finish of his #NASCAR Xfinity Series career at Talladega, talks having a strong car all day. pic.twitter.com/AWNlQ3FyTD
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 27, 2025
DiBenedetto’s wisdom comes from a career of highs and lows. His near-wins in Cup races and a truck series victory at Talladega are proof of his superspeedway chops. He’s crashed in every position imaginable—leading, mid-pack, back of the field—yet he keeps grinding. His message to Zilisch was clear: focus on what you can control, and move on to the next race.
For Connor Zilisch, the wreck wasn’t just a physical blow—it was a mental one. He was put in such a position because of an inadvertent move by his best friend, Jesse Love, who rushed to the infield care center after the race in tears, awaiting Zilisch’s health update. The 18-year-old described the emotions inside the care center, saying, “Yeah, he just, you know, he [Jesse Love] was crying in there. He just wanted to make sure I was okay. He doesn’t want to hurt his best friend, and I wouldn’t want to do that to him. So, yeah, I’m grateful to have someone like Jesse who, you know, we race hard on the racetrack, but we care about each other off the track.”
Love was full of nerves while watching the wreck at pit road after the race. The Richard Childress Racing #2 said, “I think I f—— wrecked him. Oof. He alright? Is he alright?” After getting a positive response, he let out a sigh of relief: “He’s not dead, so that’s good.” For Love, disqualification at Rockingham the previous week and finishing third after leading over 50 laps today paled in comparison to Connor Zilisch’s safety.
The Talladega wreck was a defining moment for Connor Zilisch, but it won’t break him. His potential, and the garage’s support—embodied by DiBenedetto’s steady voice—will carry him forward. He’s got the heart of a racer and the backing of a team that believes in him. Talladega may have knocked him down, but, Zilisch is already gearing up for the next fight, ready to chase that checkered flag.
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