<\/p>\n
After winning the NASCAR<\/a> Xfinity Series at Dover Motor Speedway, Connor Zilisch didn’t receive fireworks, exploding bottles of champagne, or a victory glass of wine swapped for apple juice<\/a>. Instead, he collected another checkered flag with a confused look under an umbrella, and a water bottle splash from Aric Almirola.<\/p>\n The 18-year-old phenom and full-time Cup Series hopeful<\/a> captured his second straight Xfinity Series victory Saturday, winning a rain-shortened Pit Boss\/FoodMaxx 250 at Dover Motor Speedway. He led 77 laps and held off street circuit specialist Shane van Gisbergen over the final green-flag stretch of stage 2 to solidify his status as a championship contender.<\/p>\n As the rain poured and the race was officially called early, Zilisch stood under the overhang of pit road tents while his competitors’ cars were draped in tarps. There was no trophy stage, confetti cannon, excessive burnouts, or famous radio calls.<\/p>\n All that stemmed from the win was a moment of confusion as the young JR Motorsports driver tried to locate the television camera and missed a congratulatory fist bump from Brandon Jones. He realized the moment and awkwardly turned to accept the delayed gesture to avoid the embarrassment of a miss.<\/p>\n His “celebration” was a weak splash from Almirola’s water bottle and a quick walk-off. The on-site media, who interviewed Zilisch immediately following the announcement, named the moment a “semi-celebration.”<\/p>\n Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n “We’ve been showing it lately,” Zilisch said during a roomy post-race interview. “I hate that we couldn’t finish the race the right way. Erik was fast and will give me a run for my money. Props to him for being there and making me work for it.”<\/p>\n He was cut off mid-sentence by a hug from Justin Allgaier, who congratulated his JR Motorsports teammate<\/a> with a smile and a slap. Zilisch paused, laughed, and added, “Still really proud of this JR Motorsports team. It feels so good to win in this car again. We were good at Martinsville and couldn’t get it done.”<\/p>\n Zilisch has now won three of the last five Xfinity Series races, adding Dover to a list that includes Sonoma and Pocono. He also won at Circuit of the Americas earlier in the season after securing the pole and stacking up back-to-back second-place finishes at Charlotte and Nashville.<\/p>\n DON’T MISS<\/p>\n He currently sits second in the series standings behind Allgaier and admitted earlier this season that he believed a championship was possible before the year began.<\/p>\n Outside the Xfinity Series, Zilisch has already competed in three NASCAR Cup Series races for Trackhouse Racing, including the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 and the Quaker State 400 in Atlanta<\/a>. He finished 11th in Atlanta and was widely praised for his composure.<\/p>\n