Xfinity Series: Connor Zilisch makes it six at The Glen

Bailey Defoor
1 day ago
6 min read

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Connor Zilisch wins back-to-back in Watkins Glen, his sixth win of the year. It was a hectic one, so buckle in.

As it unfolded

Zilisch beat Shane Van Gisbergen to the pole by over half a second! Zilisch got the jump on SVG while Taylor Gray and Sam Mayer stayed door to door through the first corner. Mayer took third into Turn 2.

Gray retook third from Mayer on Lap 3 while going into the esses, and William Sawalich closed in on Mayer.

Garrett Smithley had an issue, smoking headlily on Lap 4

On Lap 5, Ryan Sieg wheel-hopped and spun at Turn 6, and had contact with Josh Bilicki, who got stuck in the gravel trap and brought out the first caution.

Zilisch and SVG take them back to green on Lap 8, and this time, SVG was a little more aggressive. They stayed side by side until Zilisch got ahead just before the bus stop. Sawalich was also able to jump ahead of SVG at the bus stop.

SVG got passed Sawalich again on lap 10 after Zilisch had built a one and a half second gap to second place.

With 10 to go in Stage 1, Anthony Alfredo and Thomas Annunziata made contact and spun at Turn 6, but both kept it out of the gravel and continued.

With 4 laps to go, Christian Eckes almost completed a two-car pass on Jeb Burton and Ryan Sieg, but wasn’t able to get J. Burton until one lap later.

SVG, along with quite a few drivers, pit just before the end of the stage. Zilisch pitted one lap after and came out in 16th, considerably ahead of Sawalich and SVG in 20th and 22nd.

Justin Allgaier assumed the lead. Gray was right on his bumper. Still, Allgaier was able to secure this stage win.

Stage 1 Results:

No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
No. 48 - Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing)
No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)
No. 25 - Harrison Burton (AM Racing)
No. 26 - Dean Thompson (Sam Hunt Racing)
No. 4 - Parker Retzlaff (Alpha Prime Racing)
No. 39 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)
No. 99 - Matt DiBenedetto (Viking Motorsports)

The top 14, who had not pitted before the end of the stage, all pit under the stage caution, cycling Zilisch and Sawalich to the front row with SVG and Mayer on row 2.

Zilisch and Sawalich stay side by side on the restart on Lap 25, but Zilisch cleared Sawalich out of Turn 1. SVG went the other way, falling to fifth on the restart.

On the restart lap, Annunziata went around at Turn 7 but was able to make it back to pit road.

Zilisch was told to start fuel saving on Lap 32.

With 3 to go, Sawalich pitted, along with the other JGR cars.

Daniel Dye also suffered a flat tyre, but Zilisch had already passed the start/finish, so pit road was closed.

Riley Herbst also had a problem as Zilisch won the stage.

Stage 2 Results:

No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)
No. 9 - Shane Van Gisbergen (JR Motorsports)
No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)
No. 21 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)
No. 1 - Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)
No. 11 - Michael McDowell (Kaulig Racing)
No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
No. 8 - Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)
No. 32 - Austin Green (Jordan Anderson Racing)

Alfredo suffered a fuel pressure issue and went behind the wall. Herbst and Annunziata were also retired from the race under the caution.

After a cycle of pit stops, Zilisch opted to stay out, so he kept the lead while SVG lined up alongside him.

For the restart on Lap 45, SVG had the run, but Zilisch surged on the inside of Turn 1 to keep the lead. Eckes also plummeted from 10th and pitted with an issue.

SVG and Jesse Love pitted on Lap 51, and Love actually made it off pit road ahead of SVG. At the same time, Sheldon Creed hit the wall between Turns 5-6, bringing out the caution.

All but five drivers pit, cycling Parker Retzlaff and Love to the lead. Carson Kvapil, Gray and A. Hill all beat Zilisch off pit road.

Retzlaff and Love led the way on Lap 55, and SVG swept around both of them into the lead. Zilisch was also on a charge, making his way into the top 5 by the end of the restart lap.

On Lap 57, Sawalich had some contact with Sanchez and started smoking.

By Lap 58, Zilisch had caught up to SVG and began chasing him down for the lead.

A. Hill caught back up to the front two, almost taking second from Zilisch on Lap 63.

Zilisch got to the outside of SVG on Lap 64, and tagged the back of SVG while coming back on the track. SVG spun around in Turn 7. The caution is out. SVG is able to limp to the pits, but there was still debris on the track.

Zilisch and A. Hill line up with 14 to go, and A. Hill spun the tyres. There was contact between A. Hil and Zilisch, allowing A. Hill to take the lead and Michael McDowell, Gray, and Sammy Smith to get through.

A. Hill and McDowell lead the way with 12 to go, and A. Hill got the jump, but Smith gave a push to McDowell. McDowell to the lead as Zilisch moved up to fourth.

A. Hill and McDowell have slight contact and go wide, bringing Smith and Zilisch closer. Zilisch got passed Smith and A. Hill.

Zilisch to the lead with 10 to go and immediately pulled away from the rest.

Huge crash on Lap 73 between Turns 5-6, bringing out the seventh caution. A. Hill caught the back of McDowell, sending him into the wall and back onto the track. 16 drivers were collected in this incident, including Kyle Seig, Ryan Seig, Jeb Burton, Preston Pardus, Kaz Grala, Dean Thompson, Ryan Ellis, Josh Bilicki, Alfredo, Gray, Love, Sawalich, Dye, and Sanchez.

The race was red-flagged.

When they went back to caution, Allgaier and Grala pitted. As the field was getting ready to go back to green, Sanchez had a problem and went straight into the wall in Turn 5.

Zilisch and Smith line up for the restart with 4 to go, and Smith got the lead, and Mayer got up to second.

Retzlaff spun but kept out of the wall, and Zilisch got back up into the lead on the back stretch. He built a gap to second and drove off!

Connor Zilisch goes back-to-back in Watkins Glen!

Provisional Results