Connor Zilisch won the pole for the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blue Hog as he searches for win No. 9 of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
MADISON, Ill. — Connor Zilisch scored the pole for the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blue Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season finale.
Joining him on the front row is Nick Sanchez, who is followed by William Sawalich, Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray to round out the top five.
The pole is the seventh of the season for Zilisch and set a new track record with a time of 32.935 seconds in the process as the series returns to World Wide Technology Raceway for the first time since 2010.
“Coming across the line, I would’ve believed them if they told me I was 15th, and I would’ve believed them if I was on the pole,” Zilisch said. “No matter where we go, we’re as fast as Xfinity Mobile and I know that we can win no matter the racetrack. I think that’s one of the best parts about our team.”
Entering tonight’s race, Zilisch holds a 20-point lead in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings over JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, who is starting 14th, for the regular season championship. Going into the finale, he thinks track position will be a key factor in getting the win tonight and feels strong about how well his team has been performing overall.
“I think track position is going to be really important tonight, so starting up front is definitely going to help,” said Zilisch. “Everybody’s been doing their job, and it’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Connor Zilisch qualified on pole at World Wide Technology Raceway in search of the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season title. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Besides the additional 15 playoff points for winning the regular season title and five playoff points for a race win, Zilisch has some extra motivation, as it’s his mom’s birthday, and he will look to get win No. 9 of the season for her.
“It’s also my mom’s birthday,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get her a win tonight for her birthday, excited for it.”
Allgaier, who had a strong points lead entering the summer months, knows his No. 7 team has given away a lot of valuable points due to various scenarios, admitting they haven’t executed well as of late.
“I’m mad at ourselves because we’ve given away so many points this year,” said Allgaier. “This sport is all about doing the right thing and executing whenever the time comes to it. We’ve not done a good job of that.”
Despite the issues with execution over the past few months, Allgaier remains confident in the pace of his team and believes they are in the right spot to defend his title on that front.
“I still feel like speed-wise, when I look at raw speed, other than maybe a road course, I feel like we’re right on pace with where we need to be at,” Allgaier said. “We can go run upfront and battle for a win no matter where we go.”
On the flip side of the playoff grid, the battle for the 12th and final spot is currently held by Harrison Burton, who holds a 31-point lead over cousin Jeb Burton as he searches for AM Racing’s inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff birth. Harrison Burton had a strong qualifying run, putting his No. 25 car in the sixth position, and Jeb Burton will start the race in the 19th position.
Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray also sit above the cutline at 65 and 60 points to the good, respectively, heading into tonight’s race as they look to clinch a spot in the postseason.
