Connor Zilisch’s victory in the latest NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Speedway sparked intense debate after a contentious final restart, as the series’ top drivers, including Denny Hamlin, weighed in on the legality and sportsmanship of the outcome. The Connor Zilisch Xfinity Portland controversy centers on his actions in Turn 1, raising questions about NASCAR’s enforcement and the impact on championship dynamics.
Dominant Performance Overshadowed by Final Restart Events
Zilisch demonstrated his racing prowess by leading 70 out of 78 laps and securing his eighth win of the 2025 season from pole position. However, the end of the race became the focal point when, during overtime, Zilisch locked up his brakes heading into Turn 1 and quickly veered left, taking his car through the A-frame penalty area. As he re-entered the track, Zilisch emerged substantially ahead of the rest of the field, which became entangled in a chaotic stack-up and wreck at the corner.
The lack of a penalty from NASCAR for this maneuver prompted criticism and sparked controversy regarding both the fairness of the win and the broader rules on road courses. Denny Hamlin addressed the uproar and the circumstances that surrounded Zilisch’s win.
“It was very controversial in the way he won it,”
—Denny Hamlin, Cup Series Driver & Podcast Host
According to Hamlin, the core of the issue lies in whether Zilisch genuinely attempted to navigate the corner or had premeditated his detour through the chicane. Hamlin elaborated on the potential advantages of Zilisch’s tactic, both in terms of time lost and reduced risk of getting involved in a crash.
“… I guess the uproar is that they feel he didn’t even attempt to make the first corner. He had it in his mind the entire time that I’m just going to blow this, run that chicane and see where I net out. That does two things for him. One, it’s really not that big of a time loss. Two, it would be well, now I’m gonna avoid the corner where the incidents happen the most often. You take yourself out of the opportunity of getting wrecked,”
—Denny Hamlin, Cup Series Driver & Podcast Host
Hamlin Critiques NASCAR’s Approach to Chicanes
While Hamlin agreed that Zilisch was the fastest driver on race day and deserved recognition for his performance, he strongly criticized NASCAR’s planning regarding the chicane’s penalty area. According to him, the system failed to deter drivers from skipping critical sections of the track, ultimately undermining fair competition.
“Is there any doubt that the best car won? No. Or the best driver won? No. That’s just not good sport. Not on Connor’s part, I’m talking about on the sport. You gotta do better than that,”
—Denny Hamlin, Cup Series Driver & Podcast Host
“These chicanes have been exposed for a few years now, and you haven’t figured out a way to actually make them penalize you when you miss the track? Just poor planning. Poor lots of stuff,”
—Denny Hamlin, Cup Series Driver & Podcast Host
Zilisch Responds to the Criticism
Responding to the scrutiny, Zilisch provided his perspective, noting that drivers practiced running through the penalty area and found it was not prohibitively slow. He explained that his decision to bypass the corner during the race was unplanned, triggered by a mistake under braking. Nonetheless, he justified it as a last-ditch choice in a high-stakes situation.
“It’s kind of funny, I ran it in practice, and I was like, ‘it’s not even that slow,’”
—Connor Zilisch, Xfinity Series Driver
“As soon as I hit the brakes, I wheel-hopped, but kind of committed to it as soon as I realized I wasn’t going to make the corner. And it worked out. I wasn’t really planning on it, but last resort, you’ve gotta do what you gotta do,”
—Connor Zilisch, Xfinity Series Driver
What’s Next for NASCAR and the Season Leaders
Despite the debate and his recent recovery from collarbone surgery, Zilisch’s victory increased his regular season points lead over JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. The outcome highlights ongoing concerns among drivers and fans about rule enforcement and course design at road course events, particularly those involving penalty areas and restarts under pressure. As the season progresses, both NASCAR and its top teams will likely face increased scrutiny and demands for solutions to avoid similar controversies, ensuring that sporting integrity remains central to the competition.
