Pit Stops : Circuit of The Americas

• Thursday, February 27th, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

Austin Hill aims to extend Richard Childress Racing’s domination

So far this season, Richard Childress Racing is batting 1.000, having swept all available Playoff points in the first two races of the year.

Jesse Love won the season opener at Daytona in the No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. A week later, Austin Hill put the No. 21 RCR Camaro in Victory Lane at Atlanta for the fifth time in the last six races at the 1.54-mile drafting track.

In addition, Hill swept the first two stages of both races. He dominated at Daytona before falling out of the race because of a rear end gear failure.

Though Hill has never won a road course race, he cautions against discounting his chances in Saturday’s Focused Health 250 at the Circuit of The Americas (2:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

"I’ve been so close to winning one of the road courses," said Hill, who gave team owner Richard Childress his 99th Xfinity Series win last Saturday. "I hope going into COTA that we can be the one on top, and we can be sitting here talking to all of you (reporters) and have that 100th win.

"It would be extremely special."

Hill’s path to Victory Lane won’t be an easy one. Last year’s NASCAR Cup Series winner at COTA, William Byron, is driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that carried Kyle Larson to victory in last season’s Xfinity Series race.

Ross Chastain, who won the Cup race at COTA in 2022, is pulling double duty, and talented road course racers Connor Zilisch and Sam Mayer also are likely contenders for the victory.

• Circuit of The Americas
• Focused Health 250
• Pole Winner: Connor Zilisch
• Age: 18
• Team : No 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet
• Owner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr
• Crew Chief: Mardy Lindley
• Connor Zilisch won the Pole Award for the Focused Health 250 with a lap of 97262 seconds, 88832 mph
• This is his second pole in seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races
• This is his first pole and second top-10 start in 2025
• This is his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Circuit of The Americas He won the pole for both NASCAR starts at COTA (CRAFTSMAN Trucks last year)
• Ross Chastain (second) posted his first top-10 start of 2025 and his third in three races at Circuit of The Americas
• William Byron (third) posted his second top-10 start at Circuit of The Americas It is his first in one race this season

• Saturday, March 1st, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

Connor Zilisch Overcomes Adversity to Win Road Race at COTA

It’s hard to put Connor Zilisch off his game, as the 18-year-old road course prodigy proved once again in winning Saturday’s Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

A commitment line violation couldn’t do it. Sent to the rear for pitting too when pit road closed suddenly for the race’s second caution, Zilisch restarted 32nd after the first stage break and drove though the field, taking the lead from Carson Kvapil on Lap 56 of 65 at the 2.4-mile, 17-turn circuit.

Hard contact with the Toyota of Corey Heim couldn’t do it. Fighting for position in the final stage, Zilisch slammed into Heim, knocking him off course. The wheel-to-wheel contact damaged the right front fender of Zilisch’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and caused a serious tire rub under hard braking.

Hot pursuit from Carson Kvapil couldn’t do it. After making what proved to be the winning pass, Zilisch had to fend off his teammate until Kvapil’s right front tire went flat on Lap 60. That gave Zilisch all the breathing room he needed as he nursed his car to the finish line.

Runner-up William Byron trimmed a four-second lead to 1.639 seconds at the finish but couldn’t mount a challenge over the closing laps.

As a result, the pole winner had his second Xfinity Series victory, adding to his maiden win in his first start in the series last summer at Watkins Glen.

“That was way harder than I wanted it to be,” said Zilisch, who scored the much-needed victory after respective finishes of 27th and 34th in the first two races of the season at Daytona and Atlanta. “I did not drive a clean race at all … I was kind of mentally fogged halfway through that race.

“I made way too many mistakes … I was glad we were able to fight back.”

Byron was driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that won last year’s Xfinity race at COTA with Kyle Larson behind the wheel.

“My car was just kind of floppy in the short run, and I had to try to take care of it,” said Byron, who will defend his win in the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. “I just tried to stay with it there in the long run … I had fun. It was a good workout.

“It was good to get back into the rhythm of things, pushing the car. I think it’ll help me for (Sunday).”

Zilisch is looking forward to Sunday, too. He’ll make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“It’s been a fun weekend, but we’ve got a big race tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to that as well,” said Zilisch, who will start 14th.

Sam Mayer ran third on Saturday, with Austin Hill, last week’s Atlanta winner coming home fourth. Hill charged from fourth to first after a Lap 46 restart when Zilisch and Kvapil ran wide into Turn 1.

But Hill’s lead was short-lived. When he over-drove Turn 6a on Lap 52, Kvapil shot past him into the lead, and Zilisch followed into second.

Four laps later, Zilisch had the lead for good, though Kvapil made it a contest until his tire deflated.

Christian Eckes finished fifth. Jesse Love, Taylor Gray, Ross Chastain, William Sawalich and Blaine Perkins completed the top 10.

• Drivers Entered: 41 (3 drivers will not make the race)
• Laps Scheduled: 65
• Margin of Victory: 01.639 Seconds
• Time of Race: 2 Hours 13 Minutes 32 Seconds
• Average Speed: 70.095
• Cautions: 4 for 14 laps
• Lead Changes: 14
• Green Flag Passes: 1,802 (35.3 passes per green flag lap)

• Circuit of The Americas
• Focused Health 250
• Race Winner: Connor Zilisch #
• Age: 18
• Team : No 88 - WeatherTech Chevrolet
• Owner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr
• Crew Chief: Mardy Lindley
• Connor Zilisch won the Focused Health 250, his second victory in seven Xfinity Series races He becomes the second-youngest multi-time winner in series history (Chase Elliott, 18 years, 4 months, 14 days; Zilisch, 18 years, 7 months, 7 days)
• This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2025
• This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in one race at Circuit of The Americas
• William Byron (second) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Circuit of The Americas It is his first top-10 finish in 2025
• Sam Mayer (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in four races at Circuit of The Americas
• Connor Zilisch (first) was the highest finishing rookie
• Austin Hill leads the point standings by 13 points over Jesse Love