Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
Racing

Xfinity Series results at Watkins Glen: Connor Zilisch wins

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Connor Zilisch has put the Xfinity Series field on notice after pulling off a historic feat. He started from the pole at Watkins Glen International and won in his Xfinity Series debut.

The race ended under caution due to a multi-car wreck in double overtime. Sheldon Creed crossed the finish line second while AJ Allmendinger, Chandler Smith, and Shane van Gisbergen were all inside the top five.

MORE: Zilisch wins, full results

Zilisch, who won Friday night's ARCA race at the Glen, became the seventh driver in NASCAR history to win his Xfinity debut. However, he is the first to do so after starting from the pole.

The final stage of Saturday's race was initially about fuel strategy. van Gisbergen gave up the lead with 15 laps to go, but Zilisch stayed out on the track while attempting to save enough gas. According to crew chief Andrew Overstreet, he was two laps shy of the scheduled distance (82 laps).

Zilisch ultimately went 90 laps -- the same distance as Sunday's Cup Series race -- due to multiple on-track incidents that pushed the race to double overtime.

Stage 1: Connor Zilisch won stage 1 by 11 seconds after starting from the pole and leading every lap. Justin Allgaier, Aric Almirola, Chandler Smith, Sheldon Creed, Cole Custer, Jesse Love, Riley Herbst, Ryan Sieg, and Jeremy Clements were all top 10.

Smith had debris on the grille of his car and water spewing from his hood. He had to make a stop on pit road for service. Sammy Smith spent extended time on pit road as his team repaired a broken rear shock and a broken shock mount.

Stage 2: William Byron won stage 2 after taking the lead from AJ Allmendinger. Ty Gibbs, Connor Zilisch, Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Austin Hill, Ryan Sieg, and Jeremy Clements were all top 10.

Allmendinger had to make a second pit stop during the stage break due to a flat left front tire. He restarted outside the top 20.

Almirola spent extra time on pit road between the stages due to transmission issues on the No. 20 Toyota. He fell outside the top 30. Parker Kligerman also dealt with transmission issues. He spent most of the race without fourth gear.

Oddities: Gibbs, Mayer, and Zilisch ran in the top three during the final stage when Allgaier brought out the caution by getting stuck in the gravel. The three drivers slowed their pace but then decided to drive straight through the bus stop instead of going through the inner loop.

None of these drivers stopped after missing the turn, which resulted in a penalty. They all had to drop to the rear of the field for the restart with 33 to go. Cole Custer took over the lead.

Next: The Xfinity Series regular season ends at Bristol Motor Speedway. The drivers will try one last time to lock up a spot in the playoffs. CW will provide coverage for the Friday night race at 7:30 p.m. ET.