NASCAR

NASCAR Xfinity Series Fans React To Rookie Connor Zilisch Commanding Focused Health 250 At COTA

Author photo
By
Jeff Hawkins
Author photo
Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

Get to know Jeff Hawkins better
Sports Editor

Published01 Mar 2025

Disclosure
We publish independently audited content meeting strict editorial standards. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.
xfinity series connor zilisch wins cota race (1)

What will rookie Connor Zilisch do for an encore? 

NASCAR fans will not have to wait long. About 20 hours after claiming the Xfinity Series’ Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas, the 18-year-old phenom will make his Cup Series debut. 

First, though, he took time to celebrate his second trip to Victory Lane in seven Xfinity Series starts. Zilisch, who won from the pole, displayed a veteran’s presence after a first-stage penalty sent him from the front to the rear. 

Zilisch led a race-high 26 laps and 41 within the top five. 

“That was way harder than I wanted it to be,” Zilisch told CW. “I did not drive a clean race at all and sorry to everyone that I hit. I was kind of mentally fogged halfway through that race and glad we were able to fight back.” 

X (Twitter) users responded to Zilisch rallying after dropping to P32 on Lap 24 and winning the 65-lap event on the 2.40-mile reconfigured oval … 

The field went green on the new-look road course … 

The race’s first caution developed on Lap 4 after Jeb Burton, running P24, bumped Carson Hocevar’s No. 14 Chevrolet into a tire barrier along Turn 6A. Hocevar was a substitute for Garrett Smithley … 

Zilisch dominated early, extending his lead to nearly 3 seconds over Ross Chastain by Lap 14. The 18-year-old then made a rookie mistake. On Lap 19, Baltazar Leguizamon’s No. 35 Chevrolet stalled along the frontstretch and the pit road closed just before Zilisch came in for a planned pit stop. The penalty sent him to the rear …

William Byron, like Zilisch, planned on entering pit road after Leguizamon’s car troubles but was able to abort the decision. The quick-reacting decision benefited Byron. The back-to-back Daytona 500 champion went on to capture the first stage …

 Jesse Love claimed the lead along Turn 1 on Lap 26 by executing a crossover move on the frontstretch, followed by Riley Herbst … 

In his 500th career start, Jeremy Clements, racing for P32, spun out along Turn 6A on Lap 30, but continued racing. When asked about his milestone start by CW earlier Saturday, Clements said: “I feel old, but I can’t imagine doing anything else” …

Justin Allgaier’s machine experienced contact with Zilisch along Turn 1 of Lap 33. Zilisch, who worked back through the pack after the Stage 1 penalty, made an aggressive move and caused Allgaier to crash … 

 Attempting to pull into the Xfinity Series’ playoff chase, Harrison Burton earned 10 points with a Stage 2 win … 

With 10 laps to go, Zilisch came all the way back, setting up a one-on-one-battle with Kvapil. At least, it appeared that way. Kvapil lost a right front tire on Lap 61 and finished P26 … 

On Sunday, Zilisch’s nerves will be tested during his Cup debut. On Saturday, it was time to celebrate …