Connor Zilisch arrived at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) with one goal in mind—making history. The 18-year-old phenom had already set his sights on becoming the youngest winner in NASCAR Cup Series history. But before he could chase that record, he had another challenge: the Xfinity Series race. After two back-to-back setbacks in Daytona and Atlanta, Zilisch had to deliver in COTA, and he did.
The young phenom grabbed the pole in qualifying, showing early dominance. But when the race began, it turned into a battle of resilience. The JR Motorsports driver started from the pole, but an unfortunate pit penalty in the first stage dropped him to the back of the pack. Starting 32nd for Stage 2, his hopes for victory seemed slim. Yet, Zilisch refused to give up. He methodically worked his way through the field, overtaking cars with precise, aggressive moves.
By Lap 30, he had broken into the top 16. Three laps later, he cracked the top 10 and found himself within striking distance when the green flag dropped for the final stage. The defining moment came with nine laps to go. Zilisch, battling teammate Carson Kvapil for the lead, made a daring pass that forced Kvapil wide. This opened the door for Austin Hill and Corey Heim to briefly challenge, but Zilisch held his ground. Despite sustaining heavy damage from earlier contact, he muscled through and took the checkered flag.
Notably, this was no ordinary win. Coming from 32nd to victory on a challenging road course like COTA was a feat unheard of. Zilisch not only locked himself into the Xfinity Series Playoffs but also out-dueled a powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports entry driven by William Byron, who finished second. After the win, JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. also praised his young driver. “Very proud of @ConnorZilisch and @Mardylindley and the @JRMotorsports team. That battle with Carson made me nauseous. Gonna be a fun but very stressful year!” he wrote on X.
Here is the final result of Focused Health 250 at COTA:
Position
#
Manufacturer
Name
1
88
Chevrolet
C. Zilisch
2
17
Chevrolet
W. Byron
3
41
Ford
S. Mayer
4
21
Chevrolet
A. Hill
5
16
Chevrolet
C. Eckes
6
2
Chevrolet
J. Love
7
54
Toyota
T. Gray
8
9
Chevrolet
R. Chastain
9
18
Toyota
W. Sawalich
10
31
Chevrolet
B. Perkins
11
8
Chevrolet
S. Smith
12
00
Ford
S. Creed
13
19
Toyota
R. Herbst
14
07
Chevrolet
A. Labbé
15
11
Chevrolet
J. Williams
16
71
Chevrolet
R. Ellis
17
10
Chevrolet
D. Dye
18
26
Toyota
D. Thompson
19
39
Ford
R. Sieg
20
44
Chevrolet
B. Poole
21
42
Chevrolet
A. Alfredo
22
91
Chevrolet
J. Bilicki
23
1
Chevrolet
C. Kvapil
24
48
Chevrolet
N. Sanchez
25
27
Chevrolet
J. Burton
26
32
Chevrolet
A. Green
27
28
Ford
K. Sieg
28
51
Chevrolet
J. Clements
29
7
Chevrolet
J. Allgaier
30
20
Toyota
B. Jones
31
24
Toyota
C. Heim
32
99
Chevrolet
M. DiBenedetto
33
5
Chevrolet
K. Wright
34
53
Chevrolet
S. Karam
35
25
Ford
H. Burton
36
50
Chevrolet
P. Pardus
37
35
Chevrolet
B. Leguizamon
38
14
Chevrolet
C. Hocevar
This is a developing story.
The post Connor Zilisch Pulls Historic First Against Rick Hendrick as Dale Jr.’s Prodigy Beats Unthinkable Odds appeared first on EssentiallySports.
