Dale Earnhardt Jr. sends warning to Connor Zilisch | Sports News

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has despatched NASCAR prodigy Connor Zilisch, for whom he served as crew chief during their win at Sonoma earlier this season, a stern warning following his pricey late race collision within the No. 88 Chevrolet with JR Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier and Ross Chastain during the Xfinity Series’ HyVee Perks 250.

After a wreck involving Daniel Dye within the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet prompted the sixth warning of the day with simply 49 laps to go, Zilisch, Allgaier, and Chastain had been left battling it out behind leaders Sam Meyer and Jesse Love after the restart.

The JRM trio went three deep into flip one, with 19-year-old Zilisch alongside the underside. However, the teenager received unfastened heading into two, nudging the entrance left of Chastain, who then turned Allgaier, sending him plummeting down the pecking order because the yellow got here out as soon as more.

Chastain wound up ending third behind Richard Childress Racing’s Love within the No. 2 Chevrolet, and Meyer within the No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford, who claimed his first win of the season. Zilisch got here home in fourth, with Allgaier in sixteenth, one spot behind teammate Sammy Smith.

“Connor Zilisch, we know he’s an extremely talented guy, but he’s not done making mistakes,” workforce proprietor Earnhardt stated on the Dale Jr. Download. “He’s not done putting himself in a bad situation. And I haven’t talked to Connor yet, but I will. But if you are going to go three wide into turn one under your teammates, you better f—— wrap the apron. 

“If you’re making that decision on corner entry, you better adjust and make sure your a– can wrap the f—— apron and not get loose and get up into your teammates. I don’t mind you trying to go three wide. I don’t mind you going for it. Wrap the f—— bottom. And if you make the pass, you make the pass. That’s kind of the way it is. 

“That was my instant reaction when it happened, was, ‘Why in the f— wouldn’t you just go down in the corner and wrap the bottom? And don’t charge the corner and get your a– loose underneath them.’ So, you know, s— happens. But, you know, you just try to say, ‘Hey, let’s not make this a habit.’”

The outcome was a significantly pricey one for Allgaier, who was leapfrogged by Zilisch, who has 5 wins this season, within the factors standings for the lead. Zilisch additionally leads the best way within the playoff race whereas his No. 88 workforce additionally leads Allgaier within the house owners’ standings.

“I was underneath the No. 9 (Chastain) and the No. 7 (Allgaier) was on older tires. So, the nine was trying to fill the middle and kind of came down and took my air away, got me a little free,” Zilisch stated post race, by way of Frontstretch. “I talked to Ross about it, he said he probably could have not shot the middle, and I probably could have maybe just gone into the corner easier, I don’t know. 

“I feel really bad for the seven team and Justin. Yeah, I hate that I did that to them, and I was pretty upset at myself at that one, whether it was completely my fault or not, I take responsibility and, yeah, I apologize to the seven team.”