Connor Zilisch performed like a cagey veteran as he took the win in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International, which is weird because he’s only 18 years old and was making his series debut in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
Following the win, where he started from the pole, won Stage 1, and led a race-high 46 laps, Zilisch’s race-winning No. 88 machine underwent scrutiny in the post-race inspection bay, where his car was given a passing grade.
As a result, NASCAR declared Zilisch and his team the official winners of the race. With the win, Zilisch becomes just the seventh driver to win in their NASCAR Xfinity Series debut all-time, and he is now the second-youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series winner in history (Joey Logano holds the record).
No issues were detected in post-race tech, which means all results and standings are now considered official.
Sheldon Creed was the runner-up finisher in the race, marking his 12th career second-place finish in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. AJ Allmendinger, Chandler Smith, and Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the top-five finishers in the race.
