Connor Zilisch Storms to Pole for Mission 200 at Watkins Glen – Speedway Digest

Connor Zilisch will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series field to green in the Mission 200 at Watkins Glen International after delivering a dominant qualifying performance. Driving the No. 88 Registix Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Zilisch clocked a blistering lap of 70.884 seconds around the 2.45-mile road course, translating to a speed of 124.429 mph—more than half a second faster than his closest competitor.

This marks Zilisch’s sixth career Xfinity Series pole and his fifth of the 2025 season, reinforcing his reputation as a rising star in road course racing. The Mooresville, North Carolina native returns to Watkins Glen as the defending winner, having triumphed from the pole in his series debut at the track last year.

Joining Zilisch on the front row is teammate Shane van Gisbergen, setting up another chapter in their ongoing road course rivalry. Taylor Gray will start third, followed by Sam Mayer and William Sawalich to round out the top five. Other notable qualifiers include Sammy Smith in sixth, Nick Sanchez seventh, Kaz Grala eighth, Justin Allgaier ninth, and Austin Hill in tenth.

The Mission 200 is scheduled to go green at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 9, with live coverage on The CW. With Zilisch’s recent momentum—including four wins in the last seven races—he enters the event as a clear favorite and a contender for the regular-season championship.