Zilisch Cruises To Xfinity Pole At Circuit Of The Americas

Connor Zilisch celebrates his NASCAR Xfinity Series pole Friday at Circuit of the Americas. (Nigel Kinrade/NKP photo)

AUSTIN, Texas – Connor Zilisch was the assumed favorite entering NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying Friday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas, and he backed that status up by earning the pole for the Focused Health 250.

Zilisch wheeled his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet to a lap of one minute, 37.262 seconds (88.832 mph) around the 2.356-mile, 18-turn “short course” at COTA for his second career Kennametal Pole Award, worth $2,000.

It gives the 18-year-old prodigy prime real estate as he seeks to right the ship following two straight DNFs to open the season at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway and Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

“It’s funny, honestly; I don’t feel like there’s a target on my back at all,” said Zilisch, one of two rookie-of-the-year contenders from the JR Motorsports stable. “I feel like we can use this and just go out, execute our race, and do what we know how to do. We’ve got a really fast WeatherTech Chevrolet and I’m hoping for a fun battle at the front … and to make it through turn one. That’s the first test.

“At the end of the day, executing and making the right decisions on race day will be what leads to success,” he added. “I can’t let the outside noise affect my ways and what I do at the track.”

In addition to the Xfinity Series race, Zilisch will also make his NASCAR Cup Series debut on Sunday afternoon in a fourth entry for Trackhouse Racing, as part of his development deal with the team owned by former driver-turned successful businessman Justin Marks.

The qualifying format Friday featured the 41-car field split in half, with each of the two groups getting 20 minutes to set their fastest possible lap and an unlimited number of attempts in those 20 minutes to do so.

Joining Zilisch on the front row for Saturday’s race is his all-star teammate for the weekend in Ross Chastain, who took the No. 9 Chevrolet to a lap of one minute, 37.446 seconds (88.664 mph) and gave JRM a lockout of the top two starting spots.

Despite that showing, however, Chastain knows it will still be a tall order to beat Zilisch in the race, especially after the aforementioned teenager went from pole to victory in his Xfinity Series debut last September at a different road course in Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l.

“It’s a long race. The kid’s fast, though,” Chastain said moments after debriefing with Zilisch. “We had a bit of a peer pressure effect there to go out early … and it didn’t quite work out as well as we wanted it to on the time sheet, so I guess we learned to ignore peer pressure next time!

“I was good after the first run with just sitting (on our time); figured this old farmer from Florida should be proud of that run to be as close as we were to Connor there.”

Zilisch and Chastain were the only two drivers in qualifying to turn laps below the one-minute-38-second threshold.

Two-time defending Daytona 500 champion William Byron turned in the third-best lap (1:38.236/87.951) in a rare Xfinity Series appearance with Hendrick Motorsports, followed by two more JRM drivers in defending series champion Justin Allgaier (1:38.390/87.814) and rookie Carson Kvapil (1:38.485/87.729).

Allgaier and Kvapil were the two best drivers from group two of qualifying. The top three starters all came out of group one.

Recently minted 23XI development driver Corey Heim was the best Toyota driver in sixth (98.540/87.680) in his season debut for Sam Hunt Racing.

“I’d be lying if I said I was happy with it,” said Heim of his qualifying run. “We’ve still got a lot of warming up to do, so to speak. Just need a little more grip overall, but we are making gains. I’m grateful for 23XI Racing and everyone at Sam Hunt Racing for allowing me to come back and run these races.

“We are making progress, but there’s still more to make.”

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Taylor Gray, Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer, JGR’s Riley Herbst, and Kaulig Racing rookie Christian Eckes closed out the top 10 in time trials.

Mayer was the only Ford driver to qualify inside the top 13 on Friday.

Richard Childress Racing teammates Jesse Love and Austin Hill, who have combined to win the first two Xfinity Series races of the year, will start from row six Saturday after timing in 11th and 12th, respectively.

Love was second-quick in practice behind Zilisch, but had a major right-front lock up on his first qualifying lap that hampered his efforts the rest of the way.

Other notables starting deeper in the field include Sheldon Creed (14th), Anthony Alfredo (17th), Nick Sanchez (19th), Austin Green (20th), Carson Hocevar (24th), Sage Karam (28th), and Harrison Burton (31st).

With only 38 starting spots available, Thomas Annunziata and the Alpha Prime Racing duo of Brad Perez and Parker Retzlaff failed to qualify for the event.

Saturday’s Focused Health 250 is slated for a 2:30 p.m. ET green flag, with live coverage on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.