Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch will be racing in a paint job inspired by Buddy Baker in observance of the Darlington Raceway’s yearly “Throwback” weekend. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s older sister, Kelley Earnhardt, co-owner of Jr. Motorsports, noticed Zilisch wearing the Hall of Famer’s livery. Zilisch’s paint scheme commemorating the NASCAR veteran was teased on social media by Jr. Motorsports. On Instagram, the group posted: “Ol’ Buddy Baker. Darlington’s No. 88 WeatherTech Throwback Chevrolet is here to pay tribute to Buddy Baker, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and to his 1987 Crisco Oldsmobile.
Kelley Earnhardt, whose Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth at $50 million, responded to this. On her Instagram story, she announced the news. “Love this one!” was the three-word caption written by the late Dale Earnhardt’s daughter. In 2020, Baker became a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class. Among his 19 Cup Series victories were the 1970 Southern 500 and the 1980 Daytona 500. In 2023, in celebration of the sport’s 75th anniversary, Baker was also listed as one of the 75 Greatest NASCAR drivers.
Zilisch, meanwhile, is a full-time Xfinity Series competitor with Jr. Motorsports. The 18-year-old has won twice in his career, including his Xfinity debut victory at Watkins Glen last year. For his first victory of 2025, he drove the #88 Chevrolet to victory at the Circuit of the Americas earlier this year. Zilisch is currently ranked ninth in the points standings following five races. This year at CoTA, Zilisch also drove the #87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, marking his Cup Series debut. Zilisch began the race in 14th place, but things didn’t go as planned for him; he crashed out and finished 37th.
In a social media post, Connor Zilisch discussed his pit road mishap in Las Vegas
This season, Connor Zilisch has emerged as one of the top rookies on the Xfinity Series circuit. But even though the #88 driver had a great run at Las Vegas last Saturday, a crucial pit road error cost him a strong finish. For the most of Saturday’s race at The LiUNA!, Zilisch’s Jr. Motorsports vehicle was in the lead. However, his chances of winning were ruined by a pit road speeding penalty in the last stage. “Man… had such a fast car today and ran inside the top 3 all day until I sped on pit road in stage 3 and never caught a caution to bring us back into it,” the rookie wrote in an Instagram post reflecting on his race.
“Thank you to @weathertech and @jrmotorsports for everything, just need to put it all together and we’ll be good💪🏼” Zilisch’s teammate, Justin Allgaier, went on to win the race, which was his 26th career victory in the Xfinity Series.
