An 18-year-old road course prodigy, Connor Zilisch, overcame multiple setbacks to win Saturday's Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Starting from pole position, Zilisch faced an early setback with a commitment line violation, forcing him to restart 32nd after the first stage. Undeterred, he skillfully worked his way through the field on the 2.4-mile, 17-turn circuit.

Despite sustaining damage to his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet from contact with Corey Heim and managing a serious tire rub, Zilisch took the lead from Carson Kvapil on lap 56 of 65. He maintained his position when Kvapil suffered a flat tire with five laps remaining.

William Byron finished second in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, closing the gap to 1.639 seconds but unable to mount a serious challenge in the final laps. Sam Mayer secured third place, while Atlanta winner Austin Hill finished fourth after briefly leading following a lap 46 restart.

This marks Zilisch's second Xfinity Series victory, following his win at Watkins Glen last summer. The young driver will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, starting from 14th position.

Top 10 Finishers:

1. Connor Zilisch
2. William Byron
3. Sam Mayer
4. Austin Hill
5. Christian Eckes
6. Jesse Love
7. Taylor Gray
8. Ross Chastain
9. William Sawalich
10. Blaine Perkins

Related Articles

Previous Articles