Connor Zilisch, the standout rookie who has surged to the front of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, demonstrated his dominance once again last weekend at Portland International Speedway. Claiming victory in six of the past seven races, Zilisch continues to set the pace as the Connor Zilisch NASCAR Xfinity Series leader, entering the season’s closing race with a substantial points advantage.
During Saturday’s event, Zilisch separated himself early by leading the first 67 laps and securing both green-flag stages with significant margins—14 seconds in the first stage, and eight in the second. His commanding performance left little competition on the track for much of the race, though he admitted the unchallenged lead lessened his excitement.
“Yeah, it’s tough you know, when you’re leading by that much and just kind of out front by yourself,”
Zilisch said, as reported by Motorsport.com.
“It gets boring, you know. It’s hard to believe, but you know, it does get boring when you’re just making laps and they keep telling you to slow down, slow down, slow down. And as a race car driver you don’t wanna slow down.”
—Connor Zilisch, Driver
After a largely solitary drive at the front, the closing laps provided the intensity Zilisch craved. Multiple restarts late in the race brought contenders back into contention, and Austin Hill briefly took over the lead on the penultimate restart. Despite competing with a broken collarbone, Zilisch managed to regain his position after a chaotic sequence through the chicane, prompted by William Sawalich’s braking error. This maelstrom repeated on the final restart, with Zilisch navigating the disorder and ultimately emerging victorious.
“You know, a pretty crazy race,”
Zilisch commented.
“I feel like we had a dominant car all day long and yeah, all of a sudden it, it turned into a bit of a mess with those late race restarts and just glad we were able to come out on top and get ourselves a win and what we deserved.”
—Connor Zilisch, Driver
“I feel like it would’ve definitely been unfortunate to not win that one.”
—Connor Zilisch, Driver
Zilisch’s remarkable performance has placed him 20 points ahead of his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, setting the stage for a riveting finish at the World Wide Technology Raceway, with just one regular season event remaining.
Confirmed Drivers for Nu Way 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway
NASCAR officials have released the full entry list for the upcoming Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog, set to take place at World Wide Technology Raceway. The field showcases notable names such as Sheldon Creed, Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, and points leader Connor Zilisch, who will be racing the No. 88 Chevrolet. Other key competitors include Justin Allgaier in the No. 7 Chevrolet, William Sawalich in the No. 18 Toyota, and Austin Hill in the No. 21 Chevrolet. This diverse lineup includes drivers representing Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, promising a competitive race as the season nears its climax.
“Max points.@ConnorZilisch picked up his 3rd #XfinitySeries #FastestLap of the season to go along with sweeping the race to take over the regular season lead with one race to go. pic.twitter.com/jhRAJNFMaW”
—Xfinity Racing, Official Account
The anticipated field consists of 40 entries, ranging from experienced veterans to emerging talents. This depth is expected to amplify the competition for the all-important final regular season points.
Full Entry List for the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog
Below is the complete entry list for Saturday’s major event at World Wide Technology Raceway:
- Sheldon Creed, No. 00 Ford
- Carson Kvapil, No. 1 Chevrolet
- Jesse Love, No. 2 Chevrolet
- Parker Retzlaff, No. 4 Chevrolet
- Nick Leitz, No. 07 Chevrolet
- Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet
- Sammy Smith, No. 8 Chevrolet
- Daniel Dye, No. 10 Chevrolet
- Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Chevrolet
- Garrett Smithley, No. 14 Chevrolet
- Christian Eckes, No. 16 Chevrolet
- Corey Day, No. 17 Chevrolet
- William Sawalich, No. 18 Toyota
- Justin Bonsignore, No. 19 Toyota
- Brandon Jones, No. 20 Toyota
- Austin Hill, No. 21 Chevrolet
- Harrison Burton, No. 25 Ford
- Dean Thompson, No. 26 Toyota
- Jeb Burton, No. 27 Chevrolet
- Kyle Sieg, No. 28 Ford
- Blaine Perkins, No. 31 Chevrolet
- Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Chevrolet
- TBA, No. 35 Toyota
- Ryan Sieg, No. 39 Ford
- Sam Mayer, No. 41 Ford
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 42 Chevrolet
- Brennan Poole, No. 44 Chevrolet
- Lavar Scott, No. 45 Chevrolet
- Nick Sanchez, No. 48 Chevrolet
- Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Chevrolet
- Joey Gase, No. 53 Ford
- Taylor Gray, No. 54 Toyota
- Thomas Annunziata, No. 70 Chevrolet
- Ryan Ellis, No. 71 Chevrolet
- Dawson Cram, No. 74 Chevrolet
- Kole Raz, No. 76 Ford
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Chevrolet
- Matt Mills, No. 91 Chevrolet
- Matt DiBenedetto, No. 99 Chevrolet
- Stefan Parsons, No. 105 Chevrolet
Schedule for NASCAR National Series Weekend
The World Wide Technology Raceway is set for a busy schedule featuring high-profile NASCAR National Series events. Action begins Friday with Xfinity Series practice at 5:05 p.m. (ET), providing teams an opportunity to fine-tune their setups. Saturday sees Xfinity Series qualifying at 3 p.m., followed by Cup Series practice at 4:30 p.m. and Cup Series qualifying at 5:40 p.m. The highlight of the day is the Xfinity Series Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog race, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Sunday rounds out the packed weekend with the Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at 3 p.m., capping three days of competitive racing and setting the tone for the series as it moves toward its final stretch.
“Springfield, get ready!🏁 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion and hometown favorite Justin Allgaier is bringing Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and Wyatt Miller with him for a special event ahead of World Wide Technology Raceway. Join us next Wednesday, September 3 for… pic.twitter.com/YHkmuegXrr”
—BRANDT, Official Account
What’s Ahead as the Season Draws to a Close
As Connor Zilisch looks to add to his string of victories, the pressure mounts on top contenders like Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill to close the points gap before the playoffs begin. With one regular-season race left at World Wide Technology Raceway, the stakes are high not only for race wins but also for the coveted championship lead.
The attention now shifts to Springfield on September 3, where Xfinity Series figures—including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller—will join Justin Allgaier and Wyatt Miller for a pre-race event that promises to generate additional excitement in the lead-up to the final regular-season showdown.
