Connor Zilisch dominates ARCA field at Watkins Glen
Photo by ARCA Racing photo
WATKINSGLEN, N.Y. — A big weekend for Connor Zilisch at Watkins Glen International got off to a perfect start in Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Glen.
Setting a commanding tone in qualifying with a General Tire Pole run nearly one second faster than second-place William Sawalich, Zilisch faced no resistance as he pulled away for one of the most dominant victories of his young career by an 11-second margin. The perfect outing at Watkins Glen was Zilisch’s fifth ARCA Menards Series national triumph in six appearances.
Watkins Glen was circled on Zilisch’s calendar following his near miss at the facility during his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2023. For Zilisch, redeeming himself in efficient fashion Friday evening encapsulated the arduous effort Pinnacle Racing Group has displayed to keep him competitive all season.
“This Pinnacle Racing Group team worked hard, but this was one we wanted this year,” Zilisch said. “We worked really hard to bring a fast car to these road courses, and it means a lot to get redemption on our second-place finish from last year.”
Zilisch had a Watkins Glen victory all but wrapped up last year after putting together a performance like the one on Friday. A late caution set up a one-lap shootout that required Zilisch to play both offense and defense on a wet race track.
After successfully reclaiming the lead on the last restart, Zilisch found himself having to fend off Jesse Love while navigating the treacherous conditions. Love got to Zilisch’s back bumper in Turn 11, moving him out of the lead and cruising to one of 10 victories during his championship run.
With Love serving as his spotter for the General Tire 100 at the Glen as opposed to his competitor, Zilisch had additional momentum to go along with his road course experience that includes LMP2 class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.
Once he cleared Sawalich on the initial start, Zilisch proved to be unstoppable through all 41 laps at Watkins Glen.
All Sawalich could do was watch as Zilisch’s No. 28 Chevrolet Performance/Silver Hare Development Chevrolet grew smaller in his windshield. Sawalich considered the afternoon to be a success with his second place performance but admitted he had nothing to properly challenge Zilisch for the win.
“I could stick with [Zilisch] in restarts on Turn 1, but that was about it,” Sawalich said. “He had a really fast car, but we had a good Toyota Camry today. I’m really proud of the guys, and we brought it home in one piece. I had a lot of fun today, but it was just a second place car overall.”
Sawalich is now turning his attention toward the upcoming ARCA Menards Series East finale at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday. Entering as the defending winner, Sawalich is confident he can earn a second consecutive Bristol triumph but stressed overcoming a 16-point deficit to Zilisch will require a stalwart effort.
The euphoria of Friday’s win and a potential East Series title next week are only temporary thoughts for Zilisch. Once the celebrations end, Zilisch will strap into a JR Motorsports car for his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Saturday’s Mission 200 at the Glen.
With so much developing in Zilisch’s career, he considers himself fortunate to be in an environment where he can simultaneously learn and thrive. Only a handful of ARCA Menards Series starts remains before Zilisch departs PRG for a full year in the Xfinity Series, but he intends to excel at every opportunity with the program.
“It makes my job easier,” Zilisch said. “Every time I show up to the track, these guys bring me a fast car, and I can count on them. It’s been a lot of fun this year, and I’m super proud of everyone that is a part of this team. It’s truly a blessing to be here, and I’m looking forward to the future.”
Xfinity Series competitor Brandon Jones, who Zilisch will race on Saturday, finished third in the running order, where he was followed by ARCA Menards Series points leader Andres Perez and Connor Mosack.
Rounding out the top 10 were Gio Ruggiero, Thomas Annunziata, Ryan Gemmell, Lavar Scott and Dylan Lupton.
The final battle between Zilisch and Sawalich for the ARCA Menards Series East title at Bristol Motor Speedway will also serve as their last combination event with the national ARCA Menards Series. FS1 will provide live coverage of the Bush’s Beans 100 starting at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
RACE RESULTS
Pos No. Name Sponsor Diff
1 28 Connor Zilisch * Chevrolet Performance/Silver Hare Development Chevrolet
2 18 William Sawalich * Starkey/Sound Gear Toyota 12.778
3 42 Brandon Jones Lyons Bathtubs & Showers/Menards Chevrolet 17.561
4 2 Andres Perez Max Siegel Inc Chevrolet 22.935
5 23 Connor Mosack Sigma Performance Chevrolet 31.336
6 20 Giovanni Ruggiero * First Auto Group Toyota 33.524
7 44 Thomas Annunziata * Bayshore Mortgage Funding Ford 36.683
8 29 Ryan Gemmell * Diamond Brite/TC3 Turf Toyota 39.582
9 6 Lavar Scott * Max Siegel Inc Chevrolet 40.93
10 30 Dylan Lupton Lupton Excavation Ford 40.935
11 4 Dale Quarterley Van Dyk Recycling/ACI/Fire Rover Chevrolet 49.424
12 15 Kris Wright FNB Corportation Toyota 13:55.2
13 73 Andy Jankowiak Whelen Engineering Company Chevrolet 01:02.8
14 17 Marco Andretti * Group 1001 Chevrolet 01:03.2
15 55 Jake Finch * Phoenix Toyota 01:08.8
16 32 Christian Rose West Virginia Department of Tourism Ford 1 Lap
17 25 Toni Breidinger Boozy Jerky Toyota 1 Lap
18 3 Alex Quarterley * Van Dyk Recycling Solutions Chevrolet 2 Laps
19 71 Chris Werth Werth Racing Chevrolet 2 Laps
20 99 Michael Maples * Don Ray Petroleum LLC/Maples Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Laps
21 3 Alex Clubb Wallis Farms/Misfit Productions Ford 9 Laps
22 10 Ed Pompa HyTorc of NY/Double H Ranch Toyota 17 Laps
23 6 Nate Moeller * Peterson Motorsports Toyota 26 Laps
24 11 Cody Dennison * Timcast.com Toyota 29 Laps
25 31 Rob Pellosie * Tooth Acres Dentistry Chevrolet 32 Laps
26 27 Tim Richmond Immigration Law Center Toyota 33 Laps
27 12 Brayton Laster * AC/Cages.com/UTI Ford 33 Laps
28 48 Brad Smith Copra.com Ford 41 Laps
29 22 Amber Balcaen Icon Toyota 41 Laps
Our Partners
.png)
