Amazing 18-Year-Old Connor Zilisch Wins NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut at Watkins Glen

• Connor Zilisch became the seventh driver to win in his Xfinity Series debut.

• Ty Gibbs was the most recent driver to accomplish the feat, recording his victory Feb. 20, 2021, on Daytona’s road course.

• Zilisch has three more Xfinity Series races with JR Motorsports this year—Kansas, Homestead and Phoenix—before joining the Mooresville, N.C.-based operation full-time in 2025.

Prior to Connor Zilisch’s inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International the advice given to the 18-year-old by Chevrolet’s development program trainer Josh Wise was simple: Prepare like your life depends on it and compete like it doesn’t matter.

However, Saturday’s Mission 200 at The Glen did matter. In fact, Zilisch’s thrilling double overtime victory is one for the record books as he became the seventh driver to win in his Xfinity Series debut. Ty Gibbs was the most recent driver to accomplish the feat, recording his victory Feb. 20, 2021, on Daytona’s road course. The other five on the list are Dale Earnhardt, Joe Ruttman, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch.

At 18 years 1 month 23 days, Zilisch is the second youngest driver to win a Xfinity Series race. Joey Logano remains the youngest at 18 years 21 days.

“It’s hard to put into words how much this meant to me,” said Zilisch, who received a congratulatory telephone call from team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his post-race interview. “I worked so hard for this race. I’ve been preparing for it for over three months. Outside of the (Rolex) 24 this is probably the biggest race of this year for me.”

Zilisch has three more Xfinity Series races with JR Motorsports this year – Kansas, Homestead and Phoenix – before joining the Mooresville, N.C.-based operation full-time in 2025. He is under a driver development contract with Trackhouse Racing.

Earlier this year, Zilisch won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class, and he said the fuel mileage lessons he learned in IMSA paid dividends in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.

“I don’t think I would have been able to do that (save enough fuel to win the race) had I not raced the prototype that I race in IMSA because that’s almost half the battle is fuel and trying to get that extra lap and stretch out the stint,” Zilisch said. “I kind of learned everything that I did today through my team Era Motorsport and the LMP2 car.

“I was lifting at the flag stand into (turn) one, and I was lifting probably two football fields before the 600 board in the Bus Stop (chicane) and rolling third gear through the Bus Stop. Never went down to second (gear). Trying to do those things I know I have done before.”

Even though Zilisch was the top lap leader, setting the pace three times for 45 laps, the race’s pole position winner had to fight back from a penalty assessed him, Gibbs and Sam Mayer. The three of them bypassed the chicane on the backstretch on lap 46 of the scheduled 82-lap race when Justin Allgaier’s Chevrolet stalled on the road course in turn six. The three drivers had to go to the rear of the field and when the race restarted on lap 50, Zilisch was 31st.

“It was dumb of me,” Zilisch responded when asked about his penalized move. “Honestly, I just thought Ty and Sam knew better than me. I should have known better.

“I thought those guys who’ve been racing this series for a few years would have been doing the right things. So, I was like, OK, I’ll just follow them and try to act cool, and then I was at the tail of the field.”

Zilisch regained the lead for good on lap 84 of the 90-lap race, but he still had to endure a 22-minute 27-second red flag while the track was cleared following a four-car crash in turn one. He spent the time joking on the radio, trying not to think about being so close to his first Xfinity Series victory.

“I asked about the score of the Florida-Texas A&M game,” said Zilisch, the first American driver to win the Karting Academy Trophy. “I asked who was on the pit box, if Noah (Gragson) was still there. I was asking why he didn’t wear my bright orange shirt today because I knew he bought one. I was just trying not to focus too much on what I was going to do on the restart.”

Zilisch’s inaugural Xfinity Series victory came a day after he won the ARCA General Tire 100 at The Glen. It was his fifth victory in six ARCA races this year. His only ARCA loss this season came at The Milwaukee Mile where he finished second to William Sawalich.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at the Glen

Watkins Glen International

1. (1) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 90.

2. (9) Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 90.

3. (3) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 90.

4. (6) Chandler Smith, Toyota, 90.

5. (13) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 90.

6. (21) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 90.

7. (19) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 90.

8. (11) Jesse Love #, Chevrolet, 90.

9. (33) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 90.

10. (26) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 90.

11. (27) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 90.

12. (7) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 90.

13. (12) Riley Herbst, Ford, 90.

14. (23) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 90.

15. (35) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 90.

16. (32) Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, 90.

17. (4) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 90.

18. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 90.

19. (17) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 90.

20. (5) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 90.

21. (15) Cole Custer, Ford, 90.

22. (14) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 89.

23. (31) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 89.

24. (37) Ed Jones, Toyota, 89.

25. (2) Ty Gibbs(i), Toyota, 89.

26. (8) Aric Almirola, Toyota, 88.

27. (34) RC Enerson, Chevrolet, 85.

28. (16) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 84.

29. (30) Thomas Annunziata, Toyota, 84.

30. (25) Mike Skeen, Chevrolet, Accident, 83.

31. (28) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Oil Leak, 81.

32. (38) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Accident, 80.

33. (10) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 80.

34. (24) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 80.

35. (20) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Rear Gear, 75.

36. (22) Alon Day, Chevrolet, Brakes, 57.

37. (36) Kyle Sieg, Ford, Axle, 54.

38. (29) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, Rear End, 15.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 85.007 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 35 Mins, 38 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 19 laps.

Lead Changes: 10 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Zilisch 1-22;T. Gibbs(i) 23-24;A. Allmendinger 25-29;W. Byron(i) 30-44;T. Gibbs(i) 45;C. Custer 46-51;W. Byron(i) 52;S. Van Gisbergen # 53-66;C. Zilisch 67-82;S. Mayer 83;C. Zilisch 84-90.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Connor Zilisch 3 times for 45 laps; William Byron(i) 2 times for 16 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen # 1 time for 14 laps; Cole Custer 1 time for 6 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 5 laps; Ty Gibbs(i) 2 times for 3 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 88,7,20,81,18,00,2,98,39,51

Stage #2 Top Ten: 17,19,88,1,7,00,98,21,39,51