NASCAR Xfinity Series Star Connor Zilisch Dominates at Watkins Glen Amid Intense Race and Late-Race Drama

{
"content": "Yesterday's auto racing delivered relentless action across three big series. Kicking off at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Connor Zilisch absolutely dominated. From the pole, Zilisch led 60 of 82 laps, surviving a wild 16-car crash with nine laps left that red-flagged the race for 45 minutes. The drama intensified when Nick Sanchez crashed during caution, extending the interruption. When green dropped with four laps to go, Sammy Smith missed the turn one braking zone, letting Zilisch retake control from the inside. He powered away for his sixth win of the season while Sam Mayer charged to second and Smith grabbed third. The top five were rounded out by Austin Hill and rookie Carson Kvapil. Zilisch's winning strategy centered on early track position and committing to a consistent pit window that allowed him to keep the lead when chaos struck late. The newly updated points put Zilisch seven ahead of Justin Allgaier with three races left before the playoffs. Zilisch, who lost consciousness briefly after climbing from his car post-race, still managed to make headlines as the driver of the day.\n\nQualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series, also at The Glen, was dramatic. Ryan Blaney nailed pole position by just 0.033 seconds over Shane van Gisbergen. Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, and Kyle Busch completed the top five. Busch's strong qualifying was crucial for his playoff hopes as he needs a win to ensure advancement. Kyle Larson's struggles left him a disappointing 27th on the grid. According to Team Penske, Blaney's pace came from an aggressive low-drag setup. Van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse crew focused on maximizing braking stability, trading some corner exit speed for outright one-lap pace.\n\nIndyCar qualifying at Portland was a showcase for Arrow McLaren. Christian Lundgaard topped the sheets but gets bumped to seventh after an unapproved engine change, moving his teammate Pato O'Ward to pole. Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing) starts second, with defending Portland winner Will Power in third. Arrow McLaren’s technical team revealed they went for a shorter gear ratio to optimize acceleration out of Portland’s turns, hoping to capitalize on restart opportunities. Lundgaard’s own post-session quote was telling: \"I just felt like I had a big push in Turn 5 and 6, so I’m surprised the pace held.\" The field went through late drama when Robert Shwartzman crashed in Group One qualifying, affecting several drivers’ grid spots.\n\nFormula 1 qualifying in Hungary saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc snatch pole with a blistering lap, edging Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris of McLaren by less than a half-tenth. George Russell and Fernando Alonso completed the top five. Leclerc’s Ferrari ran an optimized medium downforce package, exploiting cooler track temperatures for extra grip. Leclerc said afterward, \"The car was just hooked up; every lap it gave me more confidence.\" The world championship picture remains tight: Leclerc’s pole sees him close the gap to Max Verstappen and Norris. Verstappen and Red Bull struggled for balance, lining up eighth after experimenting with a new floor design that underperformed.\n\nLooking ahead, NASCAR’s stars now point their sights to Daytona for the chaotic superspeedway showdown. The IndyCar grid prepares for a physical, tactical Portland race—keep an eye on overtaking in sectors two and three where track position will be vital. Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix is set for Sunday, with possible rain mixing up strategy calls and tire choices.\n\nLap times across practice and qualifying showed Blaney and van Gisbergen neck-and-neck at The Glen: practice laps saw Blaney at 1:12.674 and McDowell just 0.001 slower. In the Xfinity Series, Zilisch's fastest qualifying lap was 71.001 seconds, with Smith at 71.717. IndyCar’s pole lap was a 58.3939 from Lundgaard. Driver comparisons show Zilisch’s outright speed advantage was matched by Mayer’s consistency through traffic, while Leclerc...