Richard Childress Racing was almost on the cusp of its first road course win since 2016 until Jesse Love overcooked the final turn. Meanwhile, his racing buddy Connor Zilisch came back charging to steal a win through a brilliant late-race push to go back-to-back-to-back at the 2.45-mile New York circuit.
After settling for second in Friday’s Truck Series race, Zilisch returned on Saturday with redemption on his mind and delivered when it mattered most. The 19-year-old driver capped off another statement road course performance by snatching victory away from Love in the closing corners at Watkins Glen International.
Love took the white flag with a 0.663-second advantage, but Zilisch relentlessly closed the gap through the final lap. Entering Turn 7 for the final time, the reigning NOAPS champion drove in too deep and slid wide, opening the door for Zilisch to pounce. The No. 1 Chevrolet completed the pass and crossed the line just 0.262 seconds ahead to secure one of the most thrilling finishes of the season.
The race itself was anything but straightforward. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brent Crews looked untouchable for much of the afternoon. Starting fourth, Crews led a race-high 32 laps and dominated the opening stage, becoming the youngest stage winner in the series’ history with his Stage 1 triumph. The No. 19 Toyota also laid down the fastest lap of the race, a blistering 71.93-second tour.
But the race slipped away during the final sequence of pit stops.
A costly stop from the JGR crew dropped Crews behind the leaders, and over the closing stretch, he hemorrhaged more than four seconds to Zilisch as strategy and track position unraveled what had looked like a winning effort. Crews ultimately faded to sixth despite having arguably the fastest car in the field.
Zilisch, meanwhile, methodically worked his way forward after rolling off 17th.
By Lap 7, he had already cracked the top five, and from there the teenager stayed within striking distance all afternoon. He won Stage 2, survived contact on pit road with Shane van Gisbergen, and even overcame right-front damage after clipping the grass exiting the bus stop on Lap 77.
At one point, with 11 laps remaining, Zilisch trailed Love by more than five seconds. But while the leaders focused on fuel saving, Zilisch charged through the field with a noticeably quicker pace. He picked off Austin Hill, reeled in Taylor Gray, and steadily carved into Love’s advantage as traffic and pressure mounted.
The victory marked another road course showcase for Chevrolet, with four of the top five finishers driving Bowties.
As for Love, he came home second after leading 18 laps, while Gray rallied from 25th on the grid to finish third. Meanwhile, Trackhouse Racing’s Cup regular Ross Chastain delivered a solid fourth-place effort despite a trip into the tire barriers earlier in the race, and Brandon Jones rounded out the top five.
SVG finished eighth after pit road damage derailed his afternoon.
All in all, the 82-lap event featured 13 lead changes among six different drivers, with five cautions slowing the race for 13 laps. Crews (32), Zilisch (20), Love (18), Sam Mayer (3), van Gisbergen (7), and Rajah Caruth (2) all spent time out front.
Still, when the pressure peaked in the closing corners, Zilisch once again took the checkered flag for the third consecutive time at Glen.
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