LONG POND, Pa. — Connor Zilisch picked up his first career oval win Saturday, holding off best friend and fellow rookie Jesse Love over the final laps to take the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono Raceway. The 18-year-old’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet pulled alongside Love with four laps to go and drove away for good with three laps remaining, crossing the line just .437 seconds clear of the field.
The win carried an extra layer of storyline: team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. filled in atop the pit box as Zilisch’s crew chief for the day, with regular leader Mardy Lindley serving a one-race suspension. Ten caution flags scrambled strategy throughout the 100-lap race, and it ultimately came down to a restart with 13 laps remaining when Chase Elliott and points leader Justin Allgaier nearly collided while racing for the lead, opening the door for Love to inherit the point — and setting up the final showdown with his good friend. Christian Eckes claimed a career-best third, with Elliott rallying to fourth and Ryan Sieg rounding out the top five.
All-Pro Reels was on hand for the second leg of Pocono’s NASCAR tripleheader, capturing the pit box, the fans, and the celebration that followed.
The Xfinity Series heads to Atlanta next for Friday night’s Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway.