Zilisch Weathers Flat Tire For Rockingham Xfinity Pole

Connor Zilisch celebrates the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at Rockingham Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Connor Zilisch’s NASCAR Xfinity Series pole-winning lap Saturday at Rockingham Speedway was every bit as impressive as it was chaotic.

Even with a right-rear tire that went flat during his time-trial lap, Zilisch still eked out the top time of 22.630 seconds (149.536 mph) by a scant one-thousandth (.001) of a second, earning the Kennametal Pole Award as a result with his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet.

It’s the talented rookie’s fourth career pole in 14 Xfinity Series starts and third in 10 races this season.

Despite that, however, Zilisch won’t lead the field to green in the North Carolina Education Lottery 250, because having to change the right-rear tire after qualifying drops him to the rear of the starting lineup.

“It’s frustrating,” Zilisch admitted. “(The tire) went flat off turn four. To qualify on the pole and have to then start in the back is a challenge, but our WeatherTech Chevrolet is as fast as Xfinity Mobile (internet) and was really strong in practice Friday also. Hopefully, the track will widen out a little bit in the race and make my job (moving up through the field) a little bit easier, but it could be tough.

“Nobody knows exactly what we’re going to see out there, so anything can happen, but we’re looking forward to the unknowns and the challenge,” Zilisch added. “It’s not the way we wanted to start our race, but it’s the situation we’ve been dealt and I still think we’ll have a really good day.”

With Zilisch dropping back, Alpha Prime Racing’s Parker Retzlaff will become the control car for the initial green flag, after qualifying second at 22.631 seconds (149.529 mph) in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

The Rhinelander, Wis., native was simultaneously pleased and gutted with his qualifying effort, thinking until late that he had a second Xfinity Series pole within his grasp.

“I didn’t cut down (to the apron) coming to the (start-finish) line, and was just a little too tight on my lap,” lamented Retzlaff. “I do think we have something to race with, though. I felt really good about our race runs in practice and knew after our mock (qualifying) run that we had something we could contend for a pole with. I didn’t think it’d be a thousandth off the pole, though.

“This is definitely the most painful (runner-up) qualifying of my life. I thought we had it.”

Big Machine Racing’s Nick Sanchez qualified third and made it two Sunoco rookie-of-the-year contenders inside the top three, followed by the returning Kasey Kahne, who was fourth quick in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 Chevrolet.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich rounded out the top five, followed by Brandon Jones, Jesse Love, defending series champion Justin Allgaier, Christian Eckes, and Austin Hill.

Notables gridding deeper in the pack include Sam Mayer (11th), Taylor Gray (15th), Sheldon Creed (17th), Justin Bonsignore (19th), practice leader Carson Kvapil (25th), and Harrison Burton (29th).

With 40 drivers on hand for just 38 starting spots, Katherine Legge and Dawson Cram failed to qualify for the first Xfinity Series race at Rockingham since 2004.

Broadcast coverage of the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 is slated for 4 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.