Doubtless Connor Zilisch would like the same outcome he enjoyed last year at Watkins Glen International.
Just as certainly, he wouldn’t want to repeat the circumstances that followed the 2025 race after Saturday’s Mission 200 at the Glen (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Zilisch is the two-time defending winner of the event. He triumphed at the Glen in his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut in 2024. Last year he was victorious at the 2.45-mile road course during a 10-win campaign.
However, as he climbed from his car in Victory Lane last season and attempted to stand on the window ledge, Zilisch slipped and took a frightening fall. The result was a broken collar bone.
Nevertheless, the win at the Glen was the first of four straight victories from the pole for the then 19-year-old prodigy.
Now a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Trackhouse Racing, Zilisch will try for three straight Watkins Glen wins on Saturday.
“I’m excited to go for the three-peat at Watkins Glen with JR Motorsports,” said Zilisch, who will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet. “We’ve had a lot of speed everywhere this year with them, and I’m looking forward to our second road course race with the Jockey 150th Anniversary Chevrolet this weekend.
“It’s going to be fun racing against SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) all weekend and being teammates with him on Saturday in the O’Reilly Series race. I can’t wait to get up to Watkins Glen this weekend.”
Van Gisbergen will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JRM as Zilisch’s teammate and primary rival. With the No. 1 and No. 9 Camaros occupied, Carson Kvapil will move to the No. 91 Chevrolet fielded by DGM Racing/Jesse Iwuji Motorsports.
JRM’s streak of putting at least one driver in the top 10 reached 69 races last week at Texas Motor Speedway—second all-time behind RFK Racing (79 races, 2008-2010). The team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller has won the last 10 road course races in the O’Reilly Series, including four straight at WGI.
Aside from Zilisch, Sam Mayer of Haas Factory Team is the only other former Watkins Glen winner in the field for Saturday’s race.
— NASCAR Wire Service —