Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls the shots as Connor Zilisch wins first oval race at Pocono

In a thrilling late-race shootout at Pocono Raceway, 18-year-old JR Motorsports rookie Connor Zilisch surged to his first oval-track victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming the checkered flag in Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 250.

Zilisch, piloting the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, passed close friend and fellow young standout Jesse Love with three laps remaining, edging out the Richard Childress Racing driver by 0.437 seconds. The win marks Zilisch’s second career Xfinity victory, but his first on an oval—a milestone he’s chased all season.

“It’s been amazing all weekend long,” said JR Motorsports co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who stepped in as crew chief for the day. Filling in for suspended crew chief Mardy Lindley, Earnhardt not only called the race but assisted during pit stops. “Connor Zilisch is going to be a big deal in this sport for a long time,” he added.

Zilisch echoed the excitement. “I’ve been dying for this one for a while now,” he said. “I finished second at Charlotte, second at Nashville. Pretty cool to have Dale Junior up there. This one is definitely special.”

The 100-lap contest was defined by 10 cautions and a final flurry of restarts. Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott led a race-high 38 laps and appeared poised to contend for the win until a near collision with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier opened the door for Love to take the lead.

On the race’s final restart, Zilisch restarted directly behind Love and made the decisive move within a lap. Love, last year’s Rookie of the Year, took the runner-up spot with Kaulig Racing’s Christian Eckes finishing a career-best third. Elliott recovered to finish fourth, while Ryan Sieg completed the top five.

“It’s the most focused I’ve ever been in a race car,” Love said of the final battle with Zilisch. “I did not want Connor to beat me because I’ll have to hear about it for a long time.”

Allgaier, the reigning series champion and current points leader, finished 10th and extended his advantage to 82 points over Austin Hill, who was caught in an early crash and finished 35th.

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