BRISTOL, Tenn. — Connor Zilisch spoiled teammate Kyle Larson’s dominant night at Bristol Motor Speedway, riding a bold strategy call from crew chief Rodney Childers to win the Suburban Propane 300. With 28 laps to go, Childers kept the No. 88 Chevrolet out on older tires rather than pitting for fresh rubber, gambling that track position would matter more than grip on the high-banked concrete oval. The move paid off: Zilisch held on through two restarts, and when Larson’s car slipped in Turn 4 with just over two laps remaining, the door closed for good. Zilisch won by 0.703 seconds for his 12th career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory and his first since Charlotte’s Roval last October.
Larson had been the class of the field all night, leading 230 of 300 laps and sweeping the first two stages, but had to settle for second after the late slip. Brent Crews, who dueled with both drivers over the closing laps before also sliding up the track, held on for third. The win marked the first-ever O’Reilly Series victory for Childers, the 2014 Cup Series champion crew chief best known for his long run atop Kevin Harvick’s pit box.
All-Pro Reels was trackside for the celebration under the lights at “The Last Great Colosseum.”
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action at Texas Motor Speedway on May 1.