Connor Zilisch continues to show why he is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. He has scored his fourth win of the Xfinity Series, this time at Dover Motor Speedway.
Zilisch led a race-high 77 laps, and he scored the stage 2 win to lock up a total of six playoff points. This takes him to a series-high 24 playoff points despite making one fewer start than his fellow championship contenders.
Granted, Zilisch received some assistance on Saturday afternoon as he competed at the Monster Mile. He was in the lead at the time that rain hit the concrete track, and NASCAR declared him the winner after running out of time to dry the track and get the race restarted.
MORE: Full Dover Xfinity Series results
"First of all, I hate that we couldn't finish the race the right way," Zilisch said. "Aric (Almirola) was really fast and was going to give me a run for my money."
Aric Almirola was in second place at the time rain hit the track. The rest of the top 10 included Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, William Sawalich, and Christian Eckes.
Only two drivers failed to finish the race. Ross Chastain broke a rear gear in the No. 9 Chevrolet, and he ended the day in 38th place. Nick Sanchez suffered a steering issue, which sent him behind the wall. He finished 37th.
Zilisch, who missed Texas due to a back injury, has made history multiple times since moving from sports cars to NASCAR. He became the youngest driver to win the Xfinity Series pole, which he did in his debut at Watkins Glen International last season. He won that race and became the youngest to win a road course race.
Zilisch also became the youngest driver in Xfinity history to reach four wins after capturing Watkins Glen (2024), Circuit of the Americas (2025), Pocono Raceway (2025), and Sonoma Raceway (2025).
He then became the youngest driver to win five Xfinity races and the youngest to win consecutive Xfinity races.
The rookie now leads the Xfinity Series with four wins through 20 races. The No. 88 team has five wins, one of which Kyle Larson delivered at Texas Motor Speedway while replacing an injured Zilisch.
As Zilisch continues to gain experience, he will have more opportunities to secure wins before the playoffs start. After all, he still has a trip to Watkins Glen looming in August. He will also have opportunities to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, and Portland International Raceway among other tracks.
For now, the rookie will celebrate his first win on a true oval track, which happened to be JR Motorsports' 99th career win.