Connor Zilisch analyzes final stage wreck that ended No. 88’s strong run at Viva México 250

In Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series return to Mexico City at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a final stage wreck became the defining moment for Connor Zilisch. Running strong all day in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Zilisch’s race took a sharp turn during restart that ended his bid for the win and forced a recovery drive through the field.

Connor Zilisch started on pole and led multiple laps and was swept up in a massive crash as the final stage kicked off. The contact with Ty Gibbs, part of a tight three-wide move with Daniel Suárez, knocked him as far back as 28th. He still managed to climb back into the top five by the checkered flag, but the wreck erased a real shot at victory.

Zilisch entered Turn 1 on the inside of a high-speed three-wide battle just after the final stage restart. With Gibbs and Suárez pushing on either side, Zilisch’s car bounced over the curbing and slammed into Gibbs’ door. That set off a chain reaction that damaged multiple cars, sent Zilisch spinning, and shuffled him to the rear.

The final caution came too late for a real comeback. Connor Zilisch had made it to eighth before the yellow flew, and with only four laps remaining when the race went green again, there wasn’t enough time to get to the front.

“We probably had a better car than fifth,” Zilisch said in a post-race interview.

“We clawed back after the incident on that last restart, and I’m just proud to be able to come here and get a decent finish.” he added (via NASCAR.com)

He added that the car’s condition made things harder down the stretch. In his own words,

“I got some damage and didn’t help it,” he said.

“I probably could’ve been a little cleaner after that restart and gotten by the guys a little quicker, but yeah, I don’t think I had what the 9 and the 54 had there at the end.” he added.

Although Connor Zilisch was able to continue, the No. 88 suffered damage that hampered its performance. Still, the 18-year-old rookie launched an aggressive charge through the pack, climbing 20+ positions in the final laps and finishing fifth.

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Late caution not enough to rescue Connor Zilisch’s comeback at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

After being spun out during a crowded restart in the final stage, Connor Zilisch restarted near the back of the field with his No. 88 Chevrolet carrying visible damage. He worked his way back into the top 10, and when another caution came out with just seven laps to go, it seemed like he might have a final chance to climb further.

But the timing of the yellow didn’t leave enough laps for a full recovery. Zilisch managed to gain a few more positions before the checkered flag but ultimately had to settle for fifth place—a result that felt short of what the car and the team had shown earlier in the race.

Zilisch later spoke about the hectic closing laps in an interview with Matt Weaver. He reflected on one particular decision during the late shootout:

“I probably could have just let the 2 (Jesse Love) outside of me have it. That late in the race I feel like you gotta race for it. But yeah, frustrating. The restarts were hectic all day long. You know, that long of a straightaway, you're going so fast into Turn 1 and the brakes weren't so big, so much was happening.”

Connor Zilisch also pointed out how the earlier contact with Ty Gibbs directly affected the car’s performance in the final moments. The damage from the incident left the No. 88 compromised in the last four laps, limiting how far he could move up. As he told Matt Weaver,

“Killed our chance to get the win but proud that we came back to finish top five.”

With this result, Connor Zilisch now holds fifth place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings, sitting on 430 points after 15 races. The 18-year-old from Charlotte has picked up four top-five finishes and six top-10s so far.