Connor Zilisch. Ayrton Breckenridge/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Connor Zilisch on NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at Daytona after weather cancels qualifying

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 4:45 PM ET

Connor Zilisch may not run the entirety of Friday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, but at the very least, he'll lead the field to the green flag.

A string of lightning delays canceled qualifying after less than half the field had an opportunity to make a lap, forcing the starting lineup for Friday's Wawa 250 to be set by the NASCAR rulebook.

Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone on Aug. 9 after falling in victory lane at Watkins Glen. While he will start Friday's race, he plans to hand over the reins of his No. 88 Chevrolet to Parker Kligerman at the first caution flag of the race.

With qualifying on hold due to weather, @ConnorZilisch provides an update and says he will likely get out of tonight's race at @DAYTONA at the first caution. pic.twitter.com/Lbs4rQ95rm
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) August 22, 2025

Sam Mayer will join Zilisch on the front row, with Sammy Smith, Austin Hill and defending Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier rounding the top-five. Carson Kvapil, Brandon Jones, Harrison Burton, Christian Eckes and Jesse Love complete the top-10 starters.

Other notable include Jeb Burton in 13th, Taylor Gray in 14th, Nick Sanchez in 18th, Justin Haley in 21st and Sheldon Creed in 27th.

The Wawa 250 will go green shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on the CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Friday's race is the third-to-last race of the Xfinity Series regular season.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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