Kyle Larson will play the role of super sub this weekend as he substitutes for the injured Connor Zilisch in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in the JR Motorsports No. 88.

The 18-year-old Zilisch sustained a lower back injury in a crash on the final lap of last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Statement from JR Motorsports. pic.twitter.com/Q2oT4hqKku

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) April 30, 2025

“Thank you to @KyleLarsonRacin (Kyle Larson) for stepping up for me this weekend and everyone who has helped me through this process,” Zilisch said in a statement on X. "Doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible.”

Zilisch currently sits sixth in NASCAR Xfinity Series points after eleven races, with a win at Circuit of the Americas in March.  He won in his series debut with JR Motorsports last September at Watkins Glen.

Meanwhile, Larson has a win and a fourth in two Xfinity starts in 2025 for Hendrick Motorsports.  The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion won in his lone previous Xfinity appearance with JR Motorsports, that coming at Watkins Glen in 2022.

Larson recently made headlines when he appeared on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour and told Harvick that he competes in Xfinity races to embarrass the competition and NASCAR. 

“In Xfinity, I do get motivated, and this is going to come across like very cocky, but I want to embarrass them, honestly,” Larson said. “I want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit because they just don’t let Cup guys run anymore, and the kids probably think they’re in a good spot and they don’t know where the bar really is at."

In addition to competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races this weekend, Larson will be behind the wheel of a Sprint Car at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on Thursday and Saturday.