Connor Zilisch’s first season in the NASCAR Cup Series has been anything but easy. The young Trackhouse Racing driver is now toward the bottom of the standings due to crashes, technical issues, and dismal finishes. Away from the racetrack, those struggles have become the source of a running joke among some of the sport’s youngest drivers. The latest chapter even caught the attention of 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin, who couldn’t resist joining in.
“Connors been our sugar daddy 🤣🤣.”
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After hearing Todd Gilliland hilariously describe Connor Zilisch’s role in one of NASCAR’s most entertaining off-track traditions that was Denny Hamlin’s reaction on X.
The joke is based on what the group refers to as the “loser’s dinner.” There is an agreement between Zilisch, Gilliland, Zane Smith, Riley Herbst, and Noah Gragson.
Whoever finishes last among them each race weekend picks up the bill for dinner later in the week. The catch is that the loser also pays for everyone else’s wives or girlfriends.
Unfortunately for Zilisch, the arrangement has been particularly expensive as he is the only one without a wife or a girlfriend. However, he is rumoured to be dating LSU swimmer Lauren Bernardo for quite some time now.
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“I should be able to reap some benefit of not having a plus one with me,” Zilisch joked. “I’m getting the short end of the stick on that because I’m having to buy for all these girls.”
The running tab illustrates how challenging his debut season has been. Zilisch ranks 34th in Cup Series standings, one spot ahead of Ware among drivers competing in all 22 races so far.
He has finished in the top ten only once, with eight DNFs continually derailing promising weekends. The Trackhouse Racing rookie has seldom been able to put together a whole race, whether it has been due to collisions, technical issues, or just bad luck.
That explains why his friends have happily crowned him the group’s unofficial “sugar daddy.”
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Zilisch admitted there have even been weeks where multiple poor finishes forced him to combine dinner obligations into one bigger outing instead of paying twice. The group rotates restaurants each week, usually settling somewhere in the middle (not quite Chili’s though). And it’s not just Tuesday dinners, sometimes the group likes to have drinks on Wednesday. And they have found a perfect spot for that!
“Usually maybe drinks Wednesday night. Zane’s boat. He’s got a boat deal, so that’s better than having your own boat, right?”
Now, while the results haven’t gone his way on Sundays, the tradition highlights a different side of NASCAR’s next generation. Fierce rivals on the racetrack, they remain close friends once the helmets come off. Denny Hamlin’s amused reaction showed that even one of the sport’s biggest stars appreciated the humor. As for Zilisch, he continues searching for performances that will finally end his dinner-tab streak.
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The post Denny Hamlin Reacts as ‘Single’ Connor Zilisch Crowned “Sugar Daddy” of NASCAR’s Losers Circle appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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