A late restart and a couple of mistakes have put the NASCAR Xfinity Series race under another caution flag with 24 laps to go. Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed both had issues that eventually led to a multi-car wreck.
So much went wrong in this restart it is hard to really point the blame at one moment. The NASCAR Xfinity Series is getting a little chaotic late once again.
The regular season finale has a lot on the line. These drivers want every point and position that they can manage. But this is not what anyone had in mind.
Connor Zilisch has led this NASCAR Xfinity Series field for over 100 laps. As this race starts to get into the final laps, drivers are looking for opportunities to take Zilisch out of first place. Could it be a bump and run? Contact on a late race restart?
It has been another night where Zilisch dominates, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. He has been so good all race long, and it is going to take a tremendous effort, or some dirty racing, to prevent him from winning.
This track has been har don brakes. We have seen right front tires fail. Late in the race as tires cool off and refire over and over again, are we going to see more issues? There will only be 12 laps to go when the race goes green and we will see who comes out on top.
Drivers are figuring out that the second row can dive deep into Turn 1 on restarts and make it three-wide. William Sawalich is desperate for a win, which would completely turn his season around.
Connor Zilisch wins NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Gateway
Despite attempts from William Sawalich and Aric Almirola trying to unsettle the 88 car, Connor Zilisch was smooth in final restarts. There were a couple of late cautions that opened the door for others. Zilisch closed it and locked the deadbolt quickly.
These late-race restarts would have shaken Zilisch just a few months ago. Something clicked with him when he sat out the race at Texas. I’m not sure if he was able to take in more information and digest it, rest up and come back stronger, or if it is just coincidental timing.
Either way, Zilisch has been fantastic. 14 races in a row he has finished no worse than P5. Eight wins in that time, nine on the season in total. This is a dream season right now and it will only continue.
The hype is real. Connor Zilisch is the real deal in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He’s also the regular-season champion.
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