Xfinity Series: Connor Zilisch makes it three in a row at IMS

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Connor Zilisch wins his third race in a row, fifth of the season, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a late caution, and this marks JR Motorsports' 100th team win.

As it unfolded

Sam Mayer secured his fourth career pole after not running a single lap at last year’s race at IMS, while rookie Nick Sanchez rolls off alongside him.

Prior to starting, Christian Eckes started smoking out of the dash on the formation and pitted. The No. 16 team was able to fix the issue, and Eckes rejoined where he was originally starting in 15th.

Mayer and Sanchez led the field to green with Sheldon Creed behind his teammate Mayer, and Jesse Love behind Sanchez.

Creed gives a push to Mayer and clears Mayer into the lead. Creed slots into third as Sanchez keeps second.

Logan Bearden slows on the opening lap and goes into the pits.

Justin Allgaier grazed the wall on Lap 2 after being run out of room by Aric Almirola while battling for fifth.

Harrison Burton spins from 19th and brings out the first caution on Lap 3.

Mayer and Sanchez lead the way again on Lap 7, but this time, Creed and Brandon Jones are behind them. Sanchez had a bad restart as Mayer and Creed immediately cleared for the lead into Turn 1. 

Jones fell out of the top five, allowing Almirola, Zilisch and Allgaier to get ahead on Lap 8.

Zilisch passes Almirola for fourth on Lap 13 out of Turn 2, and moves up to third on Lap 14, passing Sanchez in Turn 3.

By Lap 15, Mayer had built a gap of 2.5 seconds to the rest of the field.

Zilisch goes on the inside of Creed on Lap 17 and moves up to second.

Kyle Larson, who started down in 19th, broke into the top 10 on Lap 18.

On Lap 22, Almirola passed Zilisch down the backstretch but still trails Mayer by over 2 seconds.

On Laps 24 and 27, Allgier passed Zilisch and Almirola. Both in Turn 3.

In the last lap of the stage, Allgaier got pretty close to Mayer, but was not able to take the lead.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)

2. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)

3. No. 19 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing) 

4. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)

5. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)

6. No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)

7. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 17 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

9. No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

10. No. 1 - Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)

After a cycle of pit stops, Almirola, Allgaier and Zilisch are the biggest movers off pit road as Mayer falls three places. Creed also had a slow stop, dropping him out of the top 10. 

Almirola and Allgaier lead the way on Lap 37.

Taylor Gray makes it three wide in turn 2 with Mayer and Sanchez. Gray gets ahead of them as Sanchez gets bumped into the wall by Eckes.

Allgaier and Almirola stayed door to door though Lap 38 before Zilisch got behind Allgaier and helped him into the lead. Zilisch also moved up to second.

Sanchez goes onto pit road as he started smoking on Lap 40.

Eckes starts smoking again on Lap 49, but this time, it was a right front tyre issue. He pits to change both right tyres.

Larson also passed Almirola for third on Lap 50. Larson is still about 2.5 seconds back from Zilisch and Allgaier.

On Lap 52, Zilisch goes underneath Allgaier and passes for the lead entering Turn 3. This makes it 10 consecutive races that Zilisch has led a lap.

On the last lap of the stage, Allgaier battled with Zilisch for the lead and was narrowly able to take it across the line.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)

2. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)

3. No. 17 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 19 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing) 

5. No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

6. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)

7. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)

8. No. 1 - Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)

9. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)

10. No. 18 - William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing) 

After another cycle of pit stops, Allgaier gets off pit road first, followed by Larson and Jones. Almirola and Love have slow stops, and both drop out of the top 10.

Allgaier and Larson led the way on Lap 65, and Jones made it three wide for the lead. Larson comes out on top.

Kvapil goes sideways and hits the wall backward on the restart lap after going three wide with William Sawalich and Leland Honeyman and brings out the caution. Honeyman got loose from the inside and spun Kvapil out.

The restart was delayed due to some raindrops beginning to fall.

Larson and Allgaier led the field back to green on Lap 73. Mayer pushed Larson, but Allgaier was able to sweep for the lead alone. 

Zilisch goes out of line and is able to jump into fourth as Mayer falls back. Zilisch moves up to third on lap 76.

Allgaier is ahead when the fifth caution comes out for rain with 20 laps to go.

Allgaier and Larson take them back racing with 14 laps to go. Zilisch lined up behind Larson on the inside while Jones took the outside behind Allgaier. 

Larson has a slight advantage before Allgaier got slight contact from Larson and the two fell back as Zilsich goes inside to the lead. Jones also got a little loose, allowing for Gray to get up to second. Allgaier pitted to retire the car.

On Lap 90, Austin Hill and Almirola had slight contact. Hill was able to save it for a second before he clipped the back of Almirola, sending him into the wall. Almirola had to retire while Hill pitted.

Hill was penalized for reckless driving and was held for 5 laps.

The race was upgraded to a red flag due to fluid on the track and for weather with 8 laps to go.

About 15 minutes later, the race was back to caution.

With 4 to go and Zilisch on the inside and Gray on the outside, they lead the way back to green.

Gray gets the lead after a big push from Creed and Zilisch slots into second. 

Zilisch goes to the inside of Gray with three to go and Mayer helps Gray on the outside, so Gray stays ahead.

One lap later, Zilisch goes on he inside of Gray again, but Mayer gives the push to Zilisch, getting him up to the lead. 

Connor Zilisch scores his fifth win of the season and JR Motorsports’ 100th win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!

Provisional Results

1. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports)

2. No. 41 - Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team) [FL]

3. No. 54 - Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 17 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

5. No. 39 - Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing) 

6. No. 18 - William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing) 

7. No. 8 - Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)

8. No. 10 - Daniel Dye (Kaulig Racing)

9. No. 2 - Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)

10. No. 26 - Dean Thompson (Sam Hunt Racing)

11. No. 99 - Matt DiBenedetto (Viking Motorsports)

12. No. 51 - Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing) 

13. No. 16 - Christian Eckes (Kaulig Racing)

14. No. 4 - Parker Retzlaff (Alpha Prime Racing) 

15. No. 27 - Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing) 

16. No. 28 - Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing) 

17. No. 00 - Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)

18. No. 25 - Harrison Burton (AM Racing) 

19. No. 91 - Josh Bilicki (DGM Racing x JIM)

20. No. 44 - Brennen Poole (Alpha Prime Racing)

21. No. 71 - Ryan Ellis (DGM Racing + JIM)

22. No. 11 - Josh Williams (Kaulig Racing)

23. No. 42 - Anthony Alfredo (Young’s Motorsports)

24. No. 45 - Mason Massey (Alpha Prime Racing) 

25. No. 14 - Garrett Smithley (SS-Green Light Racing)

26. No. 70 - Leland Honeyman (Cope Family Racing)

27. No. 31 - Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing)

28. No. 53 - Joey Gase (Joey Gase Racing)

29. No. 35 - David Starr (Joey Gase Racing)

30. No. 1 - Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)

31. No. 74 - Dawson Cram (Mike Harmon Racing) 

32. No. 20 - Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing) +3 laps

33. No. 48 - Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing) +4 laps

34. No. 21 -  Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) +5 laps

35. No. 19 - Aric Almirola (Joe Gibbs Racing)  [DNF]

36. No. 7 - Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)  [DNF]

37. No. 32 - Katherine Legge (Jordan Anderson Racing) [DNF]

38. No. 7 - Logan Bearden (SS-Green Light Racing) [DNF]

Next week, NASCAR Xfinity heads to Iowa on Saturday, August 2, at 16:30 EST (21:30 BST). Be there, or be square.