NEWTON, Iowa — It could be troublesome to think about a efficiency extra dominant than the one JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch has customary during the last 9 races.
In that span, Zilisch received 4 races, together with the final three in a row. He additionally completed second 3 times and posted a mean end of two.11 over the 9 occasions.
Together with his win final Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he notched the a centesimal victory for JR Motorsports.
At 19 years, 4 days, he’s the youngest driver to 1) win three straight races in Xfinity Collection historical past; 2) and to achieve six profession victories within the collection, dethroning Joey Logano.
All six of Zilisch’s Xfinity wins have are available in his collection debuts on the respective tracks, a streak he’ll try to take care of in Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway.
Solely two drivers in collection historical past have received 4 straight races: Sam Ard in 1983 and Noah Gragson in 2022.
Although Zilisch has by no means raced an Xfinity Collection automotive at Iowa Speedway, two info argue in his favor: he received final 12 months’s ARCA Menards Collection race on the 0.875-mile quick monitor; and Sam Mayer received final 12 months’s race with Zilisch’s present crew chief, Mardy Lindley, calling the photographs from Mayer’s pit field.
“I used to be lucky sufficient to win the ARCA race at Iowa final 12 months, so I’m trying ahead to utilizing what I discovered in that race with a brand new problem within the Xfinity automotive,” Zilisch stated. “My crew chief, Mardy Lindley, received the race there with Sam Mayer final 12 months, so I do know we’ll have a very good KOA Chevrolet once we get to the monitor this weekend.
“We’ve been on a roll currently with top-five finishes and journeys to victory lane, so I’m able to get to the monitor and proceed that with (sponsor) KOA.”
The Hy-Vee Perks 250 is the third of 5 short-track races on the NASCAR Xfinity Collection schedule this 12 months, however neither of the winners of the primary two such races will compete on Saturday.
NASCAR suspended Martinsville winner Austin Hill for one race for deliberately wrecking Aric Almirola final Saturday at Indianapolis.
Full-time NASCAR Cup Collection driver Austin Dillon will take Hill’s place within the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Iowa.
With 5 races left within the Xfinity Collection common season, there are 5 berths left within the Playoffs. Cousins Jeb Burton and Harrison Burton are on reverse sides of the eligibility bubble, with Jeb Burton holding a 10-point edge for the ultimate spot within the Playoffs.
