Sep 14, 2024; Watkins Glen, New York, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Collection driver Connor Zilisch celebrates in victory lane after successful the Mission 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen Worldwide. Obligatory Credit score: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Pictures WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Introducing. … Connor Zilisch.
The 18-year-old North Carolina native made his formal entree into massive time NASCAR racing with a significant assertion holding off the sphere on a pair of thrilling extra time restarts on the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen Worldwide street course to say his first profession NASCAR Xfinity Collection victory in his first profession begin.
The Mission 200 at The Glen completed below warning with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed ending runner-up — for a report twelfth time — rising from a three-wide battle for second place with a multi-car accident farther behind within the area bringing out the yellow flag that in the end froze the sphere.
“I labored so arduous for this one,” a smiling Zilisch mentioned, his voice cracking with emotion. “I have been working for this one for months and it is so particular to me, man. I do not even have phrases.
“I do not know the way I saved sufficient, I sputtered up the hill,” he mentioned of getting to save lots of gasoline within the closing laps which included a restart with two laps remaining after which two extra in extra time.
“With two to go, I did not assume I used to be going to make it again to the road even. I will take pleasure in this one for some time. I am unable to say sufficient about JR Motorsports and everybody who helps me.”
Zilisch, who additionally received at school on this yr’s Rolex 24 at Daytona IMSA race, is the seventh driver to win in his first NASCAR Xfinity Collection begin — an inventory that features the legendary Dale Earnhardt and present NASCAR Cup Collection standout Ty Gibbs. And he turns into the second youngest race winner — to Joey Logano — in sequence historical past at 18 years, one month and 23 days.
It was that sort of weekend for the younger driver, who led a race-best 45 of the 90 laps after incomes his first profession Xfinity Collection pole place earlier Saturday. On Friday, he claimed his fifth ARCA Menards Collection victory in seven begins.
Creed, who continues to be competing for that first sequence victory after so many shut calls, smiled on pit street Saturday, conceding this time his second-place end was one he may truly be happy with as a substitute of seeing it as a near-miss. His rally on the ultimate lap getting one of the best of a number of the finest street course drivers was a small victory in and of itself.
“Simply attempting to maintain the nostril on it there, truly actually enjoyable,” Creed mentioned of the final lap battle. “I felt like that was the battle for the win in all probability there if the 88 (Zilisch) ran out (of gasoline). I believed I put myself in actually good positions to finish up second once more. I am truly completely satisfied, for a way my day was going.”
He completed simply forward of Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, the NASCAR Xfinity Collection’ all-time street course finest, JGR teammate Chandler Smith and Kaulig’s Shane van Gisbergen, who had received the season’s earlier three street course races.
Ross Chastain, who received the pole place for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Collection race on the monitor earlier Saturday, completed sixth within the DGM Racing Chevrolet with Large Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman scoring a seventh-place end. Richard Childress Racing rookie Jesse Love was eighth, adopted by Joey Logano within the AM Racing automotive and MBM Motorsports’ Josh Bilicki.
The race was impactful with solely a single occasion now left within the common season to find out the 12-driver Playoff area. JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier completed seventeenth after an eventful day when the veteran was collected in a number of multi-car incidents. However he nonetheless emerged because the NASCAR Xfinity Collection championship chief by 43-points over defending sequence champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer, who completed twenty first Saturday after additionally being caught up in incidents on monitor.
On the different finish of the standings, JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith was capable of barely lengthen his benefit over RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg for the twelfth and ultimate Playoff place. Regardless of a mechanical challenge from his first inexperienced flag pit cease, Smith was capable of rally to a Nineteenth-place end. Sieg, who collected factors through the second stage, is now 44 factors behind Smith heading to Bristol.
The common season finale concludes with subsequent Friday evening’s Meals Metropolis 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Community, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Present NASCAR Cup Collection driver Noah Gragson is the defending race winner.
NASCAR Xfinity Collection Race — Mission 200 on the Glen
Watkins Glen Worldwide
Watkins Glen, New York
Saturday, September 14, 2024
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 Inexperienced, 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 Finish, 15.
Common Velocity of Race Winner: 85.007 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 35 Minutes, 38 Secs. Margin of Victory: Warning Seconds.
Warning Flags: 7 for 19 laps.
Lead Adjustments: 10 amongst 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 Abstract (Driver, Occasions Lead, Laps Led): Connor Zilisch 3 instances for 45 laps; William Byron(i) 2 instances for 16 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen # 1 time for 14 laps; Cole Custer 1 time for six laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for five laps; Ty Gibbs(i) 2 instances for 3 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Prime Ten: 88,7,20,81,18,00,2,98,39,51
Stage #2 Prime Ten: 17,19,88,1,7,00,98,21,39,51
–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Particular to Area Degree Media.
