Daytona 500: Zilisch in his Debut Triggers Multi-Car Wreck Approaching Mid-Race

What’s Happening?

As the skies darkened and the laps wound down nearing the halfway mark, the racing got really intense up front. In the three-wide battle, Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch, and Ty Dillon were battling for the race lead. While up front, the ill handling and perhaps his own nerves got to the young phenom of Zilisch. Losing control of his car, the No. 88 doored Justin Allgaier twice before trying to get back in line. This caused a stack-up and Zilisch was tagged from behind by Cody Ware, spinning him out.

Other cars involved in the incident include Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, and Ty Gibbs. It appears that the 88 of Zilisch and the No. 3 of Dillon got the worst of the damage. Again, Allgaier somehow managed to escape the carnage with minimal damage. Ty Dillon was through to the lead with Allgaier skating by in second.

• Zilisch, who drove for JR Motorsports last year in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 88, performed modestly on the superspeedway tracks. He was even in contention to win the spring Talladega race before getting involved in a wreck that ultimately gave him a concussion.
• This being Zilisch’s first Daytona 500, there were a lot of eyes on him going into today’s race. Though he was able to race his way up to the front, his inexperience in these cars on this type of track was on full display in this incident.
• It’s interesting to see how Zilisch will perform this year. Typically known as a road course driver, he likely will be tough competition for his Trackhouse teammate, Shane van Gisbergen.
• Zilisch’s other Trackhouse teammate, Ross Chastain, also appeared squirly fighting for the lead prior to this incident.
• Because of this crash, the Bass Pro Shops cars of Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon headed to the garage.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.