Dale Jr.’s star driver Connor Zilisch faces an unwanted penalty after qualifying on pole at Rockingham
JR Motorsports #88 Connor Zilisch's pole-winning lap at Rockingham Speedway during the NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying session quickly turned bittersweet. The rookie clocked the fastest lap of the day. However, a flat right rear tire will force the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet to start from the rear of the field in the race.
The 18-year-old rising talent confirmed the development, after qualifying in 22.630 seconds reaching a top speed of 149.536 mph, to secure the top spot. He noted that the tire went flat on turn 4 during his rapid lap. Despite the setback, Zilisch remains optimistic about his chances and praised the speed of his car over the weekend.
Speaking to the media shortly after the penalty, Zilisch shared his immediate reaction to the sudden twist of fate:
"It went flat right off of four, frustrating. You qualify in the pole and have to start at the back, it's a little frustrating, but our WeatherTech Chevrolet is as fast as Xfinity Mobile. It was really good in practice yesterday. Hopefully, the track will widen out a little bit and make my job a little bit easier, but, it could be tough... Nobody knows. Anything can happen, and we're looking forward to it." (via NASCAR)
The pole marked Connor Zilisch's fourth in his Xfinity career and his third this season, adding to his earlier top qualifying efforts at COTA and Martinsville. While starting from the rear at a track as unpredictable as Rockingham is never ideal, the young driver sees the challenge as a chance to prove himself once more.
Reflecting on his practice pace and adaptability, Zilisch added:
"I'm excited for it, right? It's a challenge, and it's not the way we wanted to start our race, but it's the situation we've been dealt, so we're going to deal with it. I think we'll have a really good day. Our car is really good. You just gotta be patient and be there at the end."
Zilisch improved on his speed of 23.052 seconds on his last practice lap where he was the second fastest in the 40-car-field. Parker Retzlaff will start in pole position at Rockingham driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing.
"Drove the wheels off it": Connor Zilisch's reacts on social media after qualification penalty
Shortly after qualifying, Connor Zilisch posted a light-hearted yet determined message on X (formerly Twitter), pairing it with a picture of him holding the $2,000 Kennametal Pole Award check while smiling in front of the Xfinity Series backdrop.
"Drove the wheels off it. Starting last with the fastest car today at Rockingham due to a flat right rear in Q! Gonna be a fun one👊🏼," Connor Zilisch wrote on X.
Fans and analysts were quick to note his poise despite the penalty, with many pointing to his maturity beyond his years. JR Motorsports shared Zilisch's achievement while acknowledging the oddity of the situation:
"A lap so HOT, he burned the right rear tire off the car and will start from the rear. But a POLE is a POLE. 💪"
Zilisch's teammates also had mixed outings in qualifying, setting up a strong collective effort from the JR Motorsports stable. Veteran Justin Allgaier secured P8, Sammy Smith slotted into P13, and Carson Kvapil rounded out the group in P25.
Connor Zilisch is currently fifth in the Xfinity Series standings with 260 points and looking for his second win of the season. As the green flag approaches at The Rock, all four JR Motorsports entries remain poised to contend in what's shaping up to be a wide-open contest.