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Denny Hamlin shouts out Connor Zilisch and No. 88 team after Gateway, makes 'wild prediction'

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones09/11/25brianjones_93
Connor Zilisch
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Denny Hamlin loves seeing Connor Zilisch in action, but he believes Zilisch’s magical NASCAR Xfinity Series season could end on a sour note. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin reacted to Zilisch winning at Gateway and the No. 88 team winning its 10th race of the year.

“That team is on a heater,” Denny Hamlin said. “They are white hot, they are just so fast.” Hamlin credited the pit crew for their work this year and Zilisch for “never losing his track position” at Gateway. For the Gateway race, Hamlin said that Connor Zilisch “had a third-place car,” but because the race “never went green enough,” Zilisch came away with his ninth victory of the year.

But as great as Zilisch has been this season, Hamlin believes that the 19-year-old will have some challenges in the playoffs. “I guess if he makes it to Phoenix, he’ll be the favorite, but against Justin [Allgaier], who’s elite there?” Hamlin said. “I’m going to make a wild prediction. I think the 88 wins 10 races and does not win the championship. I don’t know if it’s that wild with this format, but I think it’s going to be tough.”

Connor Zilisch is already a champion

If Zilisch doesn’t win the Xfinity Series championship, it won’t be completely disappointing since he won the regular season title and will join the Cup Series in 2026. In late August, Trackhouse Racing signed Zilisch to a multi-year deal to compete in the Cup Series full-time.

“It’s cool. I knew the whole world knew already, but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the word ‘Cup Series’ is really cool,” Zilisch said at the time. “So, I wasn’t going to try and hide from it, but it’s just a day that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time, and I’m not going to let that kind of the idea that everybody already knows take away from the moment.”

Zilisch is credited with winning 10 Xfinity Series races and earning 20 top-10 finishes in 29 starts. He has competed in three Cup Series races this year, and his best finish was at the second Atlanta race, where he finished 11th.