Connor Zilisch has arrived in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The 18-year-old Zilisch scored his first career win in his first start in the Xfinity Series after saving enough fuel in a double overtime finish. The Mooresville, N.C. native The driver of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet led the most laps of the day at 45 and will drive the entry full time in the 2025 season.
Zilisch became the seventh driver in Xfinity Series history to win in his first career start, the first since Ty Gibbs won at Daytona International Speedway road course in February 2021.
“It’s so special to me man,” Zilisch said. “I don’t know how I even saved enough. I sputtered up the hill with two to go. I didn’t think I was going to make it to the line. I was saving the last two laps. I’m going to enjoy this one for a while.”
Sheldon Creed emerged as the driver in second after an intense three-wide battle for the runner-up position. Creed extended his record of most runner-up finishes without a victory to 12. Creed also locked his way into the playoffs via points with his finish.
AJ Allmendinger saved enough fuel to finish third and earn his ticket to the Xfinity playoffs, and Parker Kligerman, who announced retirement from full-time racing this weekend, finished fourth. Chandler Smith battled three wide in the closing laps but settled for fifth.
Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, Jesse Love, Joey Logano and Josh Bilicki rounded out the top 10.
Zilisch, who led every lap of stage one, was so dominant that at one point van Gisbergen, starting at the rear for an unapproved brake adjustment, pitted at the end of green flag racing in stage one, coming out ahead of the 18-year old. On older tires, Zilisch looked poised to pass van Gisbergen in the final two laps of the first stage.
Allmendinger assumed the lead during the first half of stage one, but he kept a line of cars behind him as his car lost grip during the run, and William Byron took the lead and held it through the end of stage two.
At the stage two break, Thomas Annunziata, in his third career Xfinity start, had to get out of the car after having problems with his helmet hose. He was replaced in the Joey Gase Motorsports No. 35 Toyota by owner Joey Gase.
The first caution for incident came out for Jordan Anderson Racing’s fourth entry. Mike Skeen, a IMSA GTD driver, got into Justin Allgaier in turn 7, sending him into the sand trap.
At the time of caution,…
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