Amy and Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked into the Phoenix weekend counting their chickens. JR Motorsports, after all, had stacked the Xfinity Series Championship 4 with Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, and Carson Kvapil, and they had already mapped out the days ahead, after what seemed like an imminent victory. Instead, all three came up empty.
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Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love stole the crown from the JRM drivers. And the loss that cut Amy Earnhardt the deepest was Zilisch‘s heartbreak.
The JRM driver won 10 races in 32 starts this season. He had also overcome collarbone and back injuries. That struggle, and the failure at the season finale, left Amy feeling profoundly for him.
In Phoenix, Zilisch surrendered the lead with 24 laps to go to his best friend and title rival, Love. When the checkered flag fell, he sat beside his car, wiped away tears, and faced the cold truth of defeat.
Dale Jr., JRM’s co-owner, wrapped him in a hug. Several others followed, consoling the 19-year-old. Amy stood with Dale Jr. but refrained from approaching Zilisch. She knew that one look would have her in tears.
“My mind was wrapped around the fact that we were going to win. I didn’t plan for anything else. And so, when we didn’t, it was like quite a bit of a shock. But I got super sad just watching how sad the guys were. Like, all three of them were so sad. Justin is very emotional,” Amy admitted on the latest episode of Bless Your Hardt.
“I know him better than the other two. So, I mean, expected him to be, you know, tear-eyed and all that, and I walked up and gave him a hug,” she continued.
“Watching Connor cry like that truly broke my heart. And we were walking towards him, and I knew you were going to go talk to him and give him a hug. And I didn’t follow you because I almost figured I was just going to start ugly crying right there with him. I can’t help it. So, that just broke my heart. I hated that for him. He had such a good season,” Amy said about Zilisch.
Amy and Dale Jr.’s reaction to Love and Zilisch sharing a house
Amy also noted the oddity that Love and Zilisch remained under the same roof despite the showdown. They both knew one would leave gutted, yet they planned to share a house anyway. She couldn’t decide whether it was a sign of maturity, immaturity, or simple lack of planning.
Dale Jr. echoed her view. He called Zilisch on Sunday morning to check in and asked whether he was still staying with Love, picturing one side of the house celebrating while the other sat in silence. Zilisch said he spent some time alone before heading home.
Dale Jr. said he respects the bond between the two, who grew up racing together and became brothers in the trenches. However, he also stated that days like Saturday hand out hard lessons every driver learns sooner or later.
