“This sport humbles you”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivers a powerful message to ‘heartbroken’ Connor Zilisch after crushing title loss 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a powerful message for Connor Zilisch after JR Motorsports' Xfinity Championship loss to Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love. The No. 88 driver, Zilisch, who dominated his rookie campaign with 10 victories, failed to win the race when it mattered the most.With a storied road course background, the young sensation Zilisch not only showed his dominance on left and right turns but also headlined the traditional oval tracks of NASCAR. While the 19-year-old was poised to win the title with his season-long speed, he was short of two spots, finishing P3 at Phoenix Raceway.Reflecting on the same, JRM co-owner Dale Jr. delivered an emotional message as he spoke to the reporters post-race."He's heartbroken," said Dale Earnhardt Jr. "But there's probably worse days at the racetrack for him. This won't be the defining moment. There'll be days and hard times in the future that'll tower over moments like this, unfortunately. Because this sport, man, it humbles you. And there's some tough moments in front of him. And then I guess that's all I can tell him. It's like, hey, this ain't the worst day. This won't be the worst. Don't feel like it right now. But try to be proud of the things we did together."In his maiden full-time season in the Xfinity series, Zilisch became the regular season champion and took home the Rookie of the Year award. Along with his 10 wins, the RedBull athlete managed 20 top-5 finishes with an 18-race top-5 streak. He also led 1013 laps in 32 starts for JRM.Dale Earnhardt Jr. concedes defeat to Jesse Love after Xfinity Championship lossIn the same interview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about the current NASCAR playoff format that ultimately made the season's final race the most important event of the year. The Hall of Famer claimed that there isn't a perfect format amid the highly debated topic in the NASCAR community. He said:"Well, there's been some years, Bob, where the guys have dominated and didn't win the championship, even with the old format, the one we all love, even had its own flaws, right? So there's not a perfect format. There's just ones we all prefer more than others." [1:38 onward]Furthermore, Dale Earnhardt Jr. added:"I love this sport. I love the XFINITY series. And I love what we've been able to do here. I want to be a champion tonight, but we just, it's not us. It's Jesse Love and RCR. And I can appreciate that. And I can celebrate that. And I'm proud. I'm happy for Danny Lawrence and all those people over there at RCR, like family to me."With Connor Zilisch finishing third, reigning champion Justin Allgaier finished fifth, followed by Carson Kvapil, JRM's third Championship 4 contender, crossed the checkered flag at P13.