Connor Zilisch wins at Pocono with Dale Earnhardt Jr. making crew chief debut

Two quick cautions to start at Pocono

The race got started with two quick caution flags. First, for Daniel Dye spinning out on the track and into the grass. He held onto the car and managed to avoid major damage, and kept racing. Early on, Connor Zilisch showed that he had the speed to compete up front.

Then, there was the No. 19. Justin Bonsignore had an engine failure, and before you knew it, caution was out and cleanup was underway on the track. Chase Elliott stayed out in front of the field the entire time.

With a few laps to go, Elliott went to pit road. Not having to worry about points, Elliott decided to flip the stage and get his track position back. Brandon Jones went on to win the stage

Elliott, Allgaier, Zilisch separate themselves in Stage 2

It became very evident as Stage 2 went on that this was a three-car race. Chase Elliott, Justin Allgaier, and Connor Zilisch were the best on the track. In Stage 2, they really showed it. The trio got away from the field as others were involved in wrecks.

A couple of cautions in the second stage mixed things up with five to go before the break. Elliott once again cut the stage short to pit. Allgaier followed suit. Zilisch stayed out to go after the points.

The Xfinity Series delivers each and every week. From differing strategies to intense battles on the track. With Allgaier and Elliott dipping out to pit before the end of the stage, Connor Zilisch drove off to win the stage and bank the playoff point and 10 regular-season points.

Connor Zilisch outduels Jesse Love to win at Pocono

We saw Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love race up front at Talladega earlier this season. Today, the race ended much more to Zilisch’s liking than Dega did. But it wasn’t easy to get there. This race was clearly going to come down to Zilisch, Allgaier, and Elliott. A late restart got two of those drivers out of the way.

Elliott and Allgaier ended up racing too hard for the lead. With the two of them drifting up the track, drivers like Love, Zilisch, and more made their moves. It was a miracle that Allgaier didn’t get spun out and wreck most of the field.

With the race coming down to Love and Zilisch, more or less, it was interesting to see it play out. The 88 was the strongest car at that point. The two drivers went back and forth and side drafted for a few laps. Eventually, Zilisch’s speed was just too much to hold off any longer. So, he took the lead.

While this is Connor Zilisch’s first oval win, it won’t be his last. He has learned so incredibly quickly on these oval tracks. Now that he has shown that he can win on these tracks, he is a legitimate championship contender.