Zilisch Storms To Pole Ahead Of Xfinity Series Debut

Connor Zilisch celebrates the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole Saturday at Watkins Glen International. (HHP/Jim Fluharty photo)

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, Connor Zilisch did exactly the same thing in qualifying that he did in his maiden NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearance earlier this year.

Zilisch raced to the pole position during Xfinity Series time trials Saturday at Watkins Glen International, turning the fastest lap of the day in the second and final knockout round.

The prodigious 18-year-old talent toured the 2.45-mile road course in one minute, 11.028 seconds (124.176 mph) with the No. 88 Carolina Carports Chevrolet Camaro to put JR Motorsports out front to kick off the Mission 200 at the Glen.

“I can’t say I [expected to win the pole],” said Zilisch, who won Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race by leading every lap and will drive full time for JRM in the Xfinity Series next year.

“I can’t say enough about everybody on this team, from [crew chief] Andrew Overstreet to everyone who works at JR Motorsports. This car is driving itself and made my job easy. I’m just thankful to be in this position with this team and have the opportunity to race these fast cars.

“Hopefully, later today in the race, I won’t miss turn one like I did in the Truck race earlier this year at COTA [Circuit of the Americas] and we can have a good clean race to be there at the end,” he added. “It’s a long race, so I just have to take my time and learn as we go. There’s a lot of great guys around me with a lot of talent, so there’s definitely a lot to learn in the race, but it’s nice to start off on a good note.”

Zilisch becomes the 213th driver in Xfinity Series history to win a pole and the second this season to do so in their debut start, joining his longtime friend Jesse Love, who achieved the feat in February’s season opener at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff contender Ty Gibbs went out for a late flying lap in an effort to unseat Zilisch from atop the board, but fell a tenth-and-a-half short of being able to do so.

Gibbs will join Zilisch on the front row, starting second after a time of 1:11.171 in the No. 19 Starkey Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier – both Xfinity Series regulars with impressive road-course resumes in their own right – qualified third and fourth, respectively. They’ll start on row two in Saturday afternoon’s 82-lap race.

Sam Mayer closed the top five, followed by Chandler Smith, Cup Series star William Byron, Aric Almirola, Sheldon Creed, and Austin Hill among the 10 drivers who advanced through both knockout rounds.

Love (Group B) and Shane van Gisbergen (Group A) were the first drivers from their respective groups that failed to advance into the top-10 pole shootout.

Love will start 11th for the penultimate race of the Xfinity Series regular season, the fastest driver from round one that did not make the transfer, and was frustrated with his qualifying effort after climbing from the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro.

“I can’t believe I missed the bus stop two times in a row,” Love lamented. “Obviously, my guys are better than that. Pretty pissed off at myself, and me only. But I think we’ve got a really good car for the race. There’s still a little bit to go, a little bit to work on, but I definitely have to put in some work here and try to figure out how to iron out the mistakes.”

Other notables starting deeper in the field include van Gisbergen (13th), defending series champion Cole Custer (15th), Ross Chastain (21st), Alon Day (22nd), and two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano (33rd).

Custer and Logano were at the center of late frustration in round one, as Logano impeded Custer’s final lap when Custer was on a fast-enough run to transfer into the second round.

“It sucks,” said Custer of the situation. “We were going to make it [into the top 10], and [Logano] definitely saw us [coming] up there through the bus stop, but he passed us off pit road before that, which frustrates me. I think he was in a spot where he had to make the show … so I understand it.”

Logano, in fact, was the final driver to make the race on speed and noted his AM Racing-prepared Ford was experiencing brake issues throughout the morning.

“I knew it was a situation where we had to go or go home, unfortunately,” Logano admitted. “I did see him behind me, but I couldn’t give up the lap.

“Right now, we can’t get the car to slow down, which is pretty important, of course, to make sure she stops,” he added. “We’ll take it back [to the garage] and take it apart to try to figure out what’s going on with the brakes so we can race with it later and have something we can drive up through the field with.”

With 41 drivers in attendance for 38 starting spots, Blaine Perkins, Jade Buford, and Kyle Keller were the three drivers who failed to make the show. Perkins was the only full-time driver who did not qualify.

Broadcast coverage of the Mission 200 at the Glen is slated for 3 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

The USA broadcast will feature radio-style commentary, with MRN’s Mike Bagley and Dillon Welch joining the traditional NBC Sports commentary crew of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte.