Connor Zilisch goes back-to-back with rain-shortened Dover win

Eighteen-year-old Connor Zilisch continues to silence any doubts about his all-around racing ability. The rookie phenom claimed his series-best fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season in Saturday’s rain-shortened BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway.

Zilisch dominated the race, leading 77 of 134 laps in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet before rain forced NASCAR to end the event early, cutting it short from its scheduled 200 laps. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Aric Almirola and Brandon Jones finished second and third, respectively.

Starting third in a rookie-heavy front row, Zilisch ran inside the top two for most of the race and took the lead for good on the restart after the Stage 2 break.

“We’ve been showing what we can do lately,” Zilisch said after learning the race had been declared official. “I hate we couldn’t finish it the right way—Aric was fast and pushing me hard. But I’m proud of this JR Motorsports team. We executed on every level and put ourselves in the right place when the rain came.”

Zilisch’s four wins lead the series, and he’s been on an incredible run. The North Carolina native now has eight straight top-five finishes, including three wins and three second-place results, averaging a 2.25 finish. He’s led laps in 15 of the 19 races he’s entered this season.

Before going full-time in NASCAR, Zilisch already had major sports car victories under his belt, including wins at the prestigious Daytona 24 and Sebring 12 Hour endurance races. He made an immediate splash in Xfinity, winning from pole in his debut last year at Watkins Glen.

In 2025, he’s proved just as strong on ovals as on road courses, with wins at Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma Raceway, Pocono Raceway, and now the “Monster Mile” in Dover.

Saturday’s win boosted Zilisch to second in the Xfinity championship standings, just 56 points behind his JR Motorsports teammate and reigning series champ Justin Allgaier, who finished fourth.

Zilisch’s close friend Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing) took fifth, followed by Ryan Sieg, polesitter Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, and rookies William Sawalich and Christian Eckes completing the top 10.

“It’s been an awesome stretch,” said Zilisch. “Even when we’re not perfect, we’re still running top five. That kind of consistency builds confidence every week. We’ve just got to keep pushing for more wins.”

Further back in the field, Jeb Burton finished 20th but still holds a narrow seven-point edge over cousin Harrison Burton for the 12th and final playoff spot.

The Xfinity Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next Saturday for the Pennzoil 250 (4:30 p.m. ET on The CW, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Dover Motor Speedway Xfinity Series Results

July 19, 2025