Connor Zilisch launched his busy NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) by capturing the pole position for the Focused Health 250 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series during Friday’s qualifying session. This achievement marked Zilisch’s first pole of the season and the 10th of his career, setting a strong tone for Saturday’s race.
The NASCAR Cup Series rookie, competing for Trackhouse Racing in the premier series, returned to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend driving for JR Motorsports. Zilisch posted a lap time of 97.740 seconds (88.398 mph) around the demanding 2.4-mile, 17-turn National Course, narrowly besting teammate Shane van Gisbergen by 0.209 seconds.
Intense Battle Between Teammates Highlights Qualifying
Shane van Gisbergen, also racing for Trackhouse and JR Motorsports this weekend, followed closely with a lap time of 97.949 seconds (88.209 mph). After his run, he expressed enthusiasm about being back in the cars, saying,
“It’s fun to be back in these cars. Thanks to JR Motorsports for having me and Safety Culture. It’s really fun,”
van Gisbergen commented.
“They just move around so much. It’s really cool. My lap was good, but that little bugger is pretty quick. Hopefully we race him tomorrow. My long-run speed was good in the race runs we did in practice. Who knows? Up the front is a good place to start.”
Zilisch Overcomes Practice Setback to Secure Pole
Earlier Friday, Zilisch experienced a tire puncture during practice, which limited his speed, resulting in the ninth-fastest time. He described the situation candidly:
“We had a bit of an issue in practice and cut a tire down,”
he said.
“We made some adjustments on the front end to not do that again. The entire #1 crew—it’s great being with Rodney [Childers], having his experience, and everyone here in this JR Motorsports team. It’s been a lot of fun getting back with these guys in the O’Reilly car. I love coming back and racing these cars; they’re a ton of fun. We’ve got a fast Chevrolet for tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Busy weekend for me, but great way to start it.”
JR Motorsports Dominates Qualifying Session
JR Motorsports displayed strong performance overall, securing three of the top five qualifying spots and four of the top ten. Justin Allgaier qualified fifth with a lap time of 98.562 seconds (87.661 mph), while Sammy Smith placed tenth at 98.863 seconds (87.394 mph).
Austin Hill from Richard Childress Racing and Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing interrupted JR Motorsports’ dominance by taking third and fourth positions, respectively. Hill, the pole winner at the Daytona season opener, clocked a 98.359-second lap (87.841 mph). Jones recorded his best qualifying time of the year at 98.448 seconds (87.762 mph).
Looking Ahead to Saturday’s Race
Starting from the pole, Zilisch will lead a competitive 38-car field in the 65-lap Focused Health 250, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, with coverage available on CW, PRN, and SiriusXM. His performance at COTA demonstrates his growing capability as a rookie, and with strong team support from JR Motorsports and experienced crew chief Rodney Childers, Zilisch is well-positioned to contend in what promises to be an intense race weekend.
