Dale Jr. Endorses Zilich as Next Star, Bubba Wallace Credits Fatherhood for Mental Reset and More

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’s wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes — we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁

Thre latest edition of our newsletter covers :

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls Connor Zilich the next superstar

• Bubba Wallace explains how fatherhood helps his mental game

• Denny Hamlin talks about a longer career if certain changes are made

• Jimmie Johnson on SVG and if he can be considered a road course GOAT

🏁Inside the Oval

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Believes Connor Zilisch Can Be NASCAR’s Next Superstar

Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t easily impressed. But mention the name Connor Zilisch to Junior, and he starts fawning. And Junior believes Zilisch, who just turned 19 on July 22, is the next big thing in NASCAR.

Zilisch is killing it in the Xfinity Series: In 20 starts this season, the Mooresville, North Carolina native leads everyone in the Xfinity ranks with five wins. He also has 10 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, along with a series-high four pole positions.

What makes Zilisch so good? Earnhardt gave his thoughts in this week’s edition of the Dale Jr. Download podcast.

“Connor is a hell of a driver,” Junior said. “Professional across the board, does all the things, says all the things, man. It's gonna be fun to keep watching him go for sure.” It doesn’t hurt that Zilisch races for Junior and his JR Motorsports. 

Earnhardt then surprised listeners by comparing Zilisch with, of all things, a new song that someone has heard for the first time in their life.

“Everybody's probably had the experience where they've discovered a song that's really good, that no one really knows yet,” Earnhardt said. “And you're like, ‘This is a good song.’ You don't know that it's going to blow up (in terms of popularity), but you're like, ‘Man, I really, really like this song.’

“Two months later … everybody loves this song now. It really blew up. I knew it would. I heard it before anyone else heard it around in my little circle. And that's kind of what this Connor Zillich thing feels like.

“If this kid keeps doing what he's doing and gets to the Cup level and starts replicating some of the success, the sky is the limit.”

Dale Jr. indirectly compared Zilisch to Jeff Gordon. The comparison, however, is warranted with the way Gordon elevated the sport and its popularity, particularly his good-natured rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr. (you know, Gordon wore the white hat and Earnhardt was the Snidely Whiplash villain). Junior believes Zilisch has the potential to push the sport up the popularity charts.

“Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but we're all like clamoring for that next NASCAR superstar that could take us to Saturday Night Live or get into the places where we don't get, and become that national superstar in all forms,” Earnhardt said.

“We're all clamoring for that next person that drags us into the stratosphere with them, takes the whole sport into the mainstream again, that brings the sport back to the level of attendance that we're expecting and hoping for.”

“And yes, a single driver can have that type of connection. I hate to put the pressure on the kid, but I feel like he's got a shot at it.”

🏁Insider Take

Bubba Wallace Credits Fatherhood for His Renewed Mental Resilience

Bubba Wallace returned to Victory Lane last week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, snapping a 100-race winless streak that stretched back to Kansas in 2022. It was a big moment, not just for his NASCAR career, but for where he is in life.

After the win, Wallace spoke candidly to FOX Sports about the shift in mindset that’s helped him stay grounded. A lot of it, he said, comes down to being a dad.

“There’s nothing like it,” Wallace said. “Once you settle your ass down, you probably have a kid or two, and you’ll get to experience it.”

Wallace and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their son, Beck, on September 29 last year. Since then, he says, things have changed, especially in how he processes pressure.

“Having Amanda there… she’s obviously been through the trenches and some with me. And now Beck’s just, you know, he’s 10 months tomorrow, which is so crazy. He has no idea the roller coaster that he’s going through, right?”

That change in approach has been evident in the manner in which Wallace has been driving, especially during high-stress moments like last weekend’s weather-delayed finish.

“During the red flag or the last 15 laps before the rain came, I thought about my son,” Wallace said. “I started overthinking in the car. And then I would quickly go to my son, and I would smile and refocus.”

That reset, he says, is something only fatherhood has given him.

“It allows you to escape the madness," said Wallace. "You gotta focus on him, because he needs something 24/7, if he's not napping. And so you focus on him. And those moments where he's laughing and giggling, and it's like a nice escape. It allows you to kind of reset the down right, reset the clock and and re-rack them and go get it.”

For Wallace, that moment in Victory Lane wasn’t just about the trophy. It was about sharing it with his family, something he says he “wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”

🏁 Trackside Trivia
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1963: The Substitute Driver Who Won the Daytona 500

The 1963 Daytona 500 delivered one of NASCAR’s most improbable victories. Tiny Lund, a substitute driver, won the Great American Race after not even being scheduled to compete.

Lund stepped in for Marvin Panch, who was injured in a fiery crash days before the race. Wood Brothers Racing chose Lund not only because of his ability behind the wheel, but because he was the one who had pulled Panch out from the burning wreck.

Starting 12th, Lund executed a near-perfect race, relying on fewer pit stops and a smart fuel strategy. As others ran out of gas in the closing laps, Lund cruised to the win, marking the only Daytona 500 victory by a substitute driver in history.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Denny Hamlin Hints at Longer Career if NASCAR Changes Flawed Championship Format

Denny Hamlin isn’t holding back anymore when it comes to NASCAR’s championship format. In a candid conversation on his Actions Detrimental podcast a few days ago, the veteran driver made it clear that the current one-race-decides-all system doesn’t just feel unfair, it’s affecting his view of his own future in the sport.

“I would say most of the rooms, if not all of the room’s general opinion is that the one race thing needs to go,” Hamlin said. “When you ask about what do you think of the current, no one ever tries to throw mud on anyone that has won a championship under this format. But there is a large concern of the legitimacy of it, which is very valid.”

Hamlin, who is still chasing his first Cup title despite a Hall of Fame-worthy career, spoke about how unpredictable the format can be. He feels it doesn't reflect season-long excellence.

“One race is just not the way to do it. And stop comparing it to the Super Bowl, because that's a one-versus-one,” he said. “The other 30 teams are not on the field, you know, tripping you and tying your shoelaces together, trying to keep you from winning. Like it's not the same, stop, stop.”

For Hamlin, a fair championship system must reflect the grind of an entire season, one where teams pour in resources, drivers build rhythm, and consistency counts.

“These teams do spend tremendous resources, week in, week out, to build the best and the fastest cars possible, and they hire the best and the fastest drivers,” he said. “But you must create a larger sample size to crown your champion, because in one race, anything can happen.”

That "anything" isn't just an arbitrary remark. Hamlin cited the 2021 Phoenix finale, where an untimely caution altered the outcome.

“Everything that I work for can get taken away by someone else that has nothing to do with this championship battle, his mistake,” he said. “Kyle Larson went from being the worst car at Phoenix to winning a championship a few hours later because of this pit cycle. That’s just not the right way, not in racing.”

He also took aim at the role TV networks play in shaping the format. “Do I love that NBC has the biggest voice in what our championship format is? Absolutely not,” Hamlin admitted.

But the most striking part of his comments came when he hinted that a more merit-based format could extend his career.

“If they get a legit format down, I might go longer,” he said. “Because I feel like my chances would be better on a more typical sample size. The one race, I don’t know, my chances are 25%. If you go to 36 races, I think my chances are better than that.”

For a driver as competitive and capable as Hamlin, that says it all. The clock’s ticking for him, but the right changes to the flawed format could help reset it.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Jimmie Johnson Gives Nuanced Take on GOAT Talk Around Shane van Gisbergen

Jimmie Johnson likes Shane van Gisbergen. He readily concedes that the New Zealander is a great driver, particularly on road courses, where all four of his NASCAR Cup career victories have come.

But Johnson isn’t ready to elevate SVG to the greatest road course driver in NASCAR history just yet.

“It's tough to put that label on a guy two seasons into driving stock cars,” Johnson said in a recent media availability session. “But the conversation is warranted. I think time will tell. He is in another stratosphere compared to road course racers.”

“Seeing him up against Tony Stewart at his peak, that would have been an interesting time to see peak to peak. Even Jeff Gordon. We've had drivers go on a run on road courses in the past.”

Johnson was a long-time teammate with NASCAR Hall of Famer Gordon, who is indeed NASCAR’s greatest road course driver. Gordon has a series-high nine road course wins among his 93 career wins in the top tier.

While there’s no argument about SVG’s road course prowess, his age (36) and late start in NASCAR (2023) could work against him potentially being the greatest of all-time in the sport. He has maybe 10 years to leave a mark in a sport where most drivers peak between 30 and 40 years old before retiring in their early-to-mid 40s.

So right now, he’s among the best-ever in road course racing, maybe even one day will become the GOAT of road courses. But being the best-ever driver in NASCAR? That’s a big reach.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that Gisbergen wins one more road course race this year, which would be his fourth in 2025 and fifth Cup triumph overall. He’d have to average somewhere around seven wins per season, at least, for each of the next 10 years to even be in the conversation of the greatest driver ever in the sport.

And even if SVG were to manage that nearly unachievable wins-per-season average, there are plenty of diehard NASCAR fans who would argue against him. They will point to former drivers like Richard Petty, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Darrell Waltrip, and yes, even Johnson himself as their GOAT candidate ahead of SVG.

If Gisbergen can ever figure out how to win on ovals, and he admittedly is a work in progress in that area, then the GOAT inference may become warranted, Johnson said. But for now, the seven-time Cup champ will reserve his opinion.

“The greatest of all time? I think that is kind of given to someone over a long duration of time versus just a couple of years,” Johnson said. “The skills he has, if he stays in the sport for five, 10 years, in my mind, the way I view it, I would then start to think greatest of all time.”

“Fastest guy to be in a car in a Cup car, that conversation is timely. Greatest of all time, we need more sample sets to choose from,” added Johnson.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1963: Wendell Scott Becomes the First Black Driver to Win a NASCAR Grand National Race

On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott quietly made history at Jacksonville Speedway Park. Despite initially being denied the trophy in Victory Lane due to scoring “errors,” Scott was later confirmed as the winner, making him the first black driver to win a race in NASCAR’s top series.

He led 27 of the 100 laps and beat Buck Baker by two laps. It took NASCAR two years to formally acknowledge the victory in its official records. And Scott didn’t receive a trophy until 2021, 58 years later.

It remains one of the most significant and underreported milestones in NASCAR history.

📚Also Worth Reading

1. “That Is a Real Tool”: Amy Earnhardt Reveals the Key Relationship Practice That Strengthened Her Marriage With Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2. “We Want It All”: Chase Elliott Gears Up for 2025 Playoffs, Eyes Regular Season Crown and a Postseason Points Lead

3. Meet Marsai Martin—NASCAR Star Rajah Caruth’s Girlfriend Who ‘Kicks His Tail’ on the Regular