Zilisch Delivers Xfinity Hat Trick; 100th Win For JRM

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Saturday at the Racing Capital of the World, NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie sensation Connor Zilisch authored the latest masterpiece in his still-young professional racing career.

The teenage prodigy added his name to the legendary list of winners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a thrilling late-race flourish in the Pennzoil 250 at the Brickyard.

After then-leader Justin Allgaier was squeezed into the wall coming off turn two by a hard-charging Kyle Larson on a lap-87 restart, Zilisch snuck through underneath both veterans to take a lead he wasn’t expecting to have at that juncture.

Zilisch then came out on top of a back-and-forth duel with fellow rookie Taylor Gray in the waning moments, following the race’s final restart with four laps left, to win for the third race in a row and the fifth time overall this season.

Not only did the sixth triumph of Zilisch’s burgeoning career move him even closer to Allgaier in the regular-season standings, it also marked the milestone 100th Xfinity Series victory for JR Motorsports since the organization’s founding in 2006.

That led to a jubilant and special celebration on the frontstretch and in victory lane, and that was even before the ceremonial kissing of the bricks by Zilisch, who just celebrated his 19th birthday on Tuesday.

“I see some bricks that look kissable, and I’m going to kiss them,” Zilisch said, referring to the IMS tradition started in 1995 by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett. “This is awesome. One hundred wins for JRM. Congrats to Dale, Kelley, L.W. (Miller), everybody who’s raced for JRM, and everybody who works at JRM.

“I’m the smallest part of this team,” added the humble superstar, “and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”

While Zilisch starred in the ending headline, a majority of the race was controlled by his veteran JRM teammate Allgaier, the defending Xfinity Series champion who was chasing a second Brickyard win.

Allgaier led four times for a race-high 37 of 100 laps, won stage two in thrilling fashion by a nose over Zilisch, and appeared to be in the driver’s seat down the stretch despite a fierce duel with Larson.

Larson, the defending Brickyard 400 winner who rose from 19th on the grid Saturday into prime contention, wrested the lead from Allgaier when the final stage opened on lap 67 moments before Carson Kvapil backed into the wall in turn two.

That led to the fourth of six cautions on the day, but also gave Allgaier a chance to strike back after Larson had successfully soared past him around the outside during the prior green flag.

With concerns about approaching storms ratcheting up the intensity, Allgaier didn’t disappoint when racing resumed with 27 to go, taking control back from Larson and leading when light rain began to fall around the 2.5-mile oval seven circuits later.

But that shower dissipated almost as quickly as it appeared, forcing Allgaier to go back to work with 14 to go.

It was then that Larson’s No. 17 washed up into the No. 7 exiting turn two, sending Allgaier hard into the outside wall and ending any hope of the JRM cornerstone being the driver to bring the team to the century mark.

Zilisch took the lead at that point, but then had to weather a four-lap dash to the finish after a vicious crash between Aric Almirola and Austin Hill drew the final yellow flag.

Almirola packed air on Hill’s left rear on approach to turn three, ducking underneath the No. 21 and taking fourth place on lap 91.

Hill caught his car as it slid sideways before coming back down into the right rear of Almirola’s Toyota, hooking the part-time veteran hard into the outside wall between turns three and four just before the resumption of the SAFER Barrier.

The crash ended Almirola’s day and led to a five-lap penalty to Hill for reckless driving. NASCAR officials will review the incident in the coming days to determine whether additional penalties are warranted.

Zilisch and Gray lined up on the front row for the race-defining sprint, and initially it was Gray who gained the advantage, after he got a drafting push from Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer on the final restart.

Gray led laps 96 through 98, but was caught out on the backstretch after Zilisch got underneath him coming off the second turn with a lap and a half to go.

After Mayer helped Gray the lap before, he tucked in behind Zilisch the second go-round and gave Zilisch the necessary push to take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish again.

Zilisch led the final two laps – and 19 laps overall – to make JRM the fourth team in Xfinity Series history to reach the 100-win threshold. He took the checkered flag .339 seconds ahead of Mayer, who took the runner-up honors from Gray in the end.

“Connor is just a good little driver,” team co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. said as he soaked in the milestone on pit lane. “Man, these races are tough on your heart. The emotions go up and down, up and down, but 100 wins for our team is a big deal. I know my sister (Kelley Earnhardt Miller) and everybody are all very emotional right now.”

But Earnhardt also acknowledged the swing in emotions for Allgaier, the winningest driver in team history, as well after the late crash that eliminated the defending series champion and left him with a 36th-place finish.

“I hate it for Justin, because he’s been the cornerstone of company for so many years,” Earnhardt added. “He’s been dependable, reliable, great with our partners, and he want to do these things for us.”

Behind Gray, Larson rallied back to fourth after the contact with Allgaier, while Ryan Sieg made a late charge to finish fifth.

William Sawalich, Sammy Smith, Daniel Dye, Jesse Love and Dean Thompson closed out the top 10.

NASCAR Xfinity Series teams return to action Saturday, Aug. 2 at Iowa Speedway for the Hy-Vee Perks 250. Mayer won last year’s race at the seven-eighths-mile, D-shaped oval.