Connor Zilisch – Future Superstar? – F-R Racing Insider

Connor Zilisch holding off road course powerhouse, Shane Van Gisbergen during the 2025 Sonoma Xfinity race was incredibly impressive. Is Connor a future superstar of the sport? It certainly looks like he’s on pace to reach that! This week on the Insider, we look at that, SVG’s Cup Series win at Sonoma, IndyCar’s attendance issues at Iowa and some iRacing updates.

SVG Dominates Again, Conor Zilisch = Future Star, IndyCar’s Poor Attendance at Iowa | Garage Talk

🎙️ Welcome to Garage Talk! 🚗💨 In this week’s episode, we dive into the thrilling world of motorsports, featuring SVG’s relentless dominance in NASCAR, the potential rise of 18-year-old Connor Zilisch as the next superstar, and the concerning attendance issues at IndyCar’s Iowa race.

🔍 **What are we covering?**

– 📈 SVG’s remarkable performance at Sonoma, once again showcasing his road course prowess in the Cup Race.

– 🌟 Is Connor Zilisch the future star of NASCAR? Discover how he held off top competitors in the Xfinity race with some jaw-dropping driving skills. –

🖥️ iRacing updates from Michigan week, including our experiences with IndyCar and Truck leagues, as well as D.J.’s ongoing VR iRacing project utilizing the lower-cost Meta Quest 3S.

– 📉 A critical look at IndyCar’s marketing challenges and how lackluster promotion at Iowa Speedway contributed to disappointing attendance at the event, despite an exciting race.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00:00 – Introduction and Preview of Topics
• 00:04:33 – NASCAR Points System & Playoff Controversies
• 00:08:40 – Insights on Driver Personalities & Rivalries
• 00:12:28 – VR Racing Experience Tips
• 00:16:54 – Michigan Race Highlights
• 00:21:05 – iRacing Rain Rules Discussion
• 00:25:24 – Marketing Hurdles in NASCAR & IndyCar

SVG Dominates Again, Conor Zilisch = Future Star, IndyCar's Poor Attendance at Iowa – F-R Racing's Garage Talk

Why is D.J. covering his face in the preview? Something involving a parody of a ear worm pop song, hot dogs, and COTA. Watch on and find out why!We had a time crunch this week, so a shorter on script show for once! On this episode of Garage Talk we look into SVG's continued road course dominance in NASCAR, is Connor Zilisch a future superstar for the sport, some iRacing discussion, and the poor attendance at the IndyCar Iowa race.We start off the discussion with Sonoma and how SVG dominated the Cup Race on a road course yet again, but 18 year old Connor Zilisch held him off with some amazing driving late in the Xfinity race. Are we seeing a superstar in the making? Ty Dillon making the news with his (perfectly legal) bump of Alex Bowman on the last turn to keep his million dollar dream alive and more!Next, we shift over to iRacing and talk about our Michigan week (Tuesday IndyCar and Wednesday Night Dash Trucks). Bad restarts and bad finishes led to a mixed bag of results this week. D.J. also hypes a project he's working on to help users break into VR iRacing using the lower cost Meta Quest 3S instead of dropping $500 for the full Meta Quest 3.Finally, we close out the show talking about IndyCar's continued struggles to attract an audience before and after the Indy 500 and how lack of promotion by Iowa Speedway and the series led to really poor attendance, despite the racing being pretty solid.⏱️⏱️VIDEO CHAPTERS⏱️⏱️:00:00:00 – Introduction to Garage Talk and Racing Highlights00:04:33 – NASCAR Points System and Playoff Controversies00:08:40 – Driver Personalities and On-Track Rivalries00:12:28 – VR Racing Experience and Equipment Setup00:16:54 – Michigan Race Recap and Driver Performances00:21:05 – iRacing Rain Racing Rules00:25:24 – Marketing Issues in NASCAR and IndyCar———⁠⁠Bottom Split Racing Series⁠⁠ airs every other Monday at 10pm ET! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wednesday Night Dash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ airs most Wednesdays at 10 pm ET. Xfinity Series portion of the schedule starts in August!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Indy Racing World Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Races air LIVE on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET on Stadium Scene TV! Register today and we'll pro-rate you into the series!Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠F-R Racing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on social media. Affiliate Link:  Today's episode is powered by Extreme SimRacing.  For your best selection of Sim Racing rigs/stands, Simagic Racing Wheels/Pedals, and Mods for your Logitech series racing wheels, they have a selection of the highest quality.  We're proud customers of Extreme Sim Racing.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more at F-R Racing⁠⁠

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Wednesday Night Dash iRacing League Update

Race: The Championship Race (Replay)

Winner: Dawson Buchanan (Also Season Champion)

Next Race: Xfinity Series Starts August 13th at 10 pm ET, only on Stadium Scene TV

Indy Racing World Series iRacing IndyCar League Update

Race: Great Lakes 150 From Michigan International Speedway (Replay)

Winner: John Miles

Next Race: July 29, 2025, from Laguna Seca only on Stadium Scene TV

Season Notes: Want to race IndyCars on Tuesday night? Let’s lock you into the series for next season if you register here.

Bottom Split Racing Series

Race: Round 2 – Daytona International Speedway (Replay)

Winner: Chris Fuge

Next Race: Round 3 – Dover Motor Speedway, Monday, July 21st at 10pm ET, only on Stadium Scene TV

Season Notes: Are you new to oval racing on the iRacing platform or do you just suck at it? Well we’ve created the Bottom Split Racing League just for you! A bi-weekly Monday night league in the ARCA Menards Series cars on Stadium Scene TV! A $10 broadcast fee gets you into the eight race season.

F-R Racing’s GT Sprint Series

We run a monthly race from 11 pm-12 am ET on Fridays throughout the year in preparation for the official iRacing endurance events. It’s free to join, no standings kept, open config, and no iRating limits. Learn more here.

Ready to join us? Drop into our Discord and let us you’re here for the Friday night GT race!

Last Race: Nürburgring 24h Sprint (Replay)

Next Race: Friday, August 22nd from Indianapolis Motor Speedway broadcasted on Stadium Scene TV

Recent Race Results

Race: iRacing Daytona 24

Results: Erik Richardson, Hunter Hughes, Ian Miller, and Tyler Vickery ran in the GTP/Hypercar class for the first time in the Ferrari 499P. The real stars of the show was the rain and the new dynamic track debris system that created chaos all over the track. Numerous accidents led to a P9 in class (of 21) and P33 overall (of 58). We look to bounce back stronger at Sebring in March.

Live Coverage Replay:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

F-R Racing Updates

Check out what else is going on at F-R Racing:

• About F1 Academy on F1 TV
• Updating your gaming PC to Windows 11 for iRacing
• Expanding the Extreme Sim Racing SXT V2 into a full rig
• Learn how to reduce your iRacing costs

Merchandise Store

We have some new products in the F-R Racing merch store! Go check them out:

F-R Racing Endurance Team Unisex T-Shirt

This t-shirt is everything you’ve dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It’s comfortable and flattering for all.

• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz./yd.² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Bl…

$21.00 – $22.50Price range: $21.00 through $22.50

Shop now