Few have a dominating debut season, and Connor Zilisch is one among that elite list. Making his full-time debut with Dale Jr., he proved himself on the track, winning 10 races in the season’s second half, and earning a promotion to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing.

There were quite a few iconic moments that he had throughout the season, and some of them stuck with him. Recently, the JR Motorsports crew gave him a surprise, as his father penned a heartwarming post on social media.

Connor Zilisch’s father reacts to a gift from Dale Jr. and Co

Zilisch was quick to make an impression on Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his entire crew. He was given an opportunity to run a few races in the 2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (then called the Xfinity Series). Zilisch managed to win his debut race, confirming a seat for the future.

He followed a similar trend in the 2025 season and managed to earn the team’s respect owing to his performance. However, he won’t be a part of the crew in 2026. He is set to move to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing, as mentioned.

The crew visited him before Christmas for a small party. His father, Jim Zilisch, penned a heartfelt post.

“Some memories will stick with you for a lifetime,” he wrote. “Our season with this @JRMotorsports team will never fade.  Hard to put into words how special it was.  Had most of the team over tonight for some post-season fun & they brought the best gift ever, which is no surprise knowing them.”

The team also brought him a special gift, the door panel from his car, marking all of his victories of the season, and some uplifting messages.

This was a special season for Zilisch. However, it didn’t start at the top. For two consecutive races, he was out of the top 20 and regularly fluctuated. However, between rounds 13 and 30 (Charlotte and Kansas), he formed a remarkable streak, finishing within the top five of all races and winning nine of those.

His performance in these rounds saw him climb the ranks and finish the season in second place. All of these wins were marked on the door panel that the team gifted him. However, there was also a good bit of humor in the gift.

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What was the secret message on Connor Zilisch’s gift?

One of the messages on the door panel was highlighted in bright yellow. It read “DO NOT STEP” and was placed on the window net opening. This was because of an incident that Zilisch had back in Watkins Glen. He won the race, which marked the first of the four consecutive wins he would have.

As he pulled the car into the victory lane, stepping on the window net to celebrate, his foot slipped, and he fell on his face. The fall was serious, and Connor Zilisch had to undergo collarbone surgery.

Although this raised serious questions about the remainder of his season, he managed to get back on track for the next race at Daytona and conquered the track with a strong victory.

While the injury was serious, his recovery only made it a little blot on his racing portfolio, and the little joke Dale Jr’s crew played with his gift made it more iconic. The celebration was special for the departing driver. Now, however, he has a major challenge to face as he prepares to make his full-time debut in the Cup Series.