The stage is set for a heavyweight road course battle at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). In Friday’s qualifying session for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250, teammates and road-course specialists Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen locked out the front row, signaling a potential two-man duel for Saturday’s trophy.
The Front Row: Youth vs. Experience
Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom, showed exactly why he’s considered a generational talent on road courses. Driving the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Zilisch posted a blistering lap of 1:37.740 around the 2.4-mile Austin circuit.
This performance marks a significant milestone for Zilisch:
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Career Poles: 10
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Career Starts: 37
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Stat: He maintains an incredible 27% pole-winning rate in the series.
Starting right beside him is three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen. The Trackhouse teammate (driving for JRM this weekend) trailed Zilisch by just over two-tenths of a second. Given their history, the run into Turn 1 on Saturday is expected to be aggressive.
Noteworthy Stories from the Paddock
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The “Other” Austin Hill: In a stroke of bad luck, Austin J. Hill suffered a mechanical failure during practice and failed to post a qualifying time. Fortunately, he will start 38th on Saturday by virtue of owner points.
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The Cut Line: With 40 cars vying for 38 spots, two drivers head home early. Josh Williams (No. 92 DGM Racing) and Tyler Gonzalez (No. 5 Hettinger Racing) failed to make the field.
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Practice Pace: Before qualifying, Haas Factory Team showed strength. Sam Mayer led the practice session with teammate Sheldon Creed right behind him, suggesting they may have better long-run speed than their qualifying positions indicate.
How to Watch
The Focused Health 250 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Zilisch will look to defend his crown and go back-to-back at COTA, but he’ll have to hold off a hungry SVG and a field of veterans to do it.
COTA O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Starting Lineup
|
POSITION
|
BEST SPEED
|
BEST TIME
|
BEHIND
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
C. Zilisch #1
|
88.398
|
1:37.740
|
Winner
|
|
2 |
S. Van Gisbergen #9
|
88.209
|
1:37.949
|
0.209
|
|
3 |
Austin Hill #21
|
87.841
|
1:38.359
|
0.619
|
|
4 |
B. Jones #20
|
87.762
|
1:38.448
|
0.708
|
|
5 |
J. Allgaier #7
|
87.661
|
1:38.562
|
0.822
|
|
6 |
C. Kvapil #91
|
87.652
|
1:38.572
|
0.832
|
|
7 |
B. Crews #19
|
87.565
|
1:38.670
|
0.930
|
|
8 |
S. Mayer #41
|
87.523
|
1:38.717
|
0.977
|
|
9 |
S. Creed #00
|
87.462
|
1:38.786
|
1.046
|
|
10 |
S. Smith #8
|
87.394
|
1:38.863
|
1.123
|
|
11 |
J. Love #2
|
87.372
|
1:38.887
|
1.147
|
|
12 |
C. Day #17
|
87.361
|
1:38.900
|
1.160
|
|
13 |
A. Green #87
|
87.358
|
1:38.903
|
1.163
|
|
14 |
T. Gray #54
|
87.254
|
1:39.021
|
1.281
|
|
15 |
W. Sawalich #18
|
86.928
|
1:39.393
|
1.653
|
|
16 |
A. Alfredo #96
|
86.896
|
1:39.429
|
1.689
|
|
17 |
P. Pardus #50
|
86.849
|
1:39.483
|
1.743
|
|
18 |
R. Sieg #39
|
86.798
|
1:39.542
|
1.802
|
|
19 |
R. Caruth #88
|
86.796
|
1:39.544
|
1.804
|
|
20 |
N. Sanchez #25
|
86.794
|
1:39.546
|
1.806
|
|
21 |
R. Chastain #32
|
86.759
|
1:39.586
|
1.846
|
|
22 |
S. Karam #55
|
86.446
|
1:39.947
|
2.207
|
|
23 |
H. Burton #24
|
86.379
|
1:40.024
|
2.284
|
|
24 |
B. Perkins #31
|
86.279
|
1:40.140
|
2.400
|
|
25 |
J. Bilicki #07
|
86.275
|
1:40.145
|
2.405
|
|
26 |
B. Poole #44
|
86.236
|
1:40.190
|
2.450
|
|
27 |
D. Thompson #26
|
86.192
|
1:40.241
|
2.501
|
|
28 |
A. Labbe #0
|
86.191
|
1:40.243
|
2.503
|
|
29 |
P. Retzlaff #99
|
86.029
|
1:40.431
|
2.691
|
|
30 |
J. Clements #51
|
86.003
|
1:40.462
|
2.722
|
|
31 |
L. Scott #45
|
85.984
|
1:40.484
|
2.744
|
|
32 |
P. Staropoli #48
|
85.798
|
1:40.702
|
2.962
|
|
33 |
R. Ellis #02
|
85.753
|
1:40.755
|
3.015
|
|
34 |
J. Burton #27
|
85.536
|
1:41.010
|
3.270
|
|
35 |
K. Sieg #28
|
85.396
|
1:41.176
|
3.436
|
|
36 |
J. Yeley #42
|
84.855
|
1:41.821
|
4.081
|
|
37 |
B. Leguizamón #30
|
84.263
|
1:42.536
|
4.796
|
|
38 |
Austin . Hill #35
|
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|
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|
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|
