Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech JRM Chevrolet, isn’t your average rookie in the Xfinity Series.

Against stellar competition at COTA he proved his ability once again in the 156-mile southern duel, but not without mishaps and fenders thrown by the end of it.

The Focused Health 250 was the first road course race of the 2025 season for the Xfinity Series, and everyone pegged the 18-year-old rookie Zilisch as the favorite, even before festivities

Given a fast JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Zilisch started the weekend off going untouched in practice and taking the pole in Qualifying. Alongside him on the front row was JRM teammate and Cup Series regular Ross Chastain.

The first stage started as suspected, with Zilisch jumping to a quick lead past his teammate Chastain and holding it down for most of it. Battles ensued in the back of the pack, with Riley Herbst and Nick Sanchez among others racing hard.

Carson Hocevar’s day in the #14 Trophy Tractor SS Greenlight Chevrolet ended on lap four after Jeb Burton gave him a small tap that sent him into the wall.

With the stage coming to a close, the #35 of Baltazar Leguizamón stalled during green flag laps, bringing out the caution and sending cars to pit road.

Zilisch headed into pit road right after the lights had come on signaling its closure, and got sent to the rear as the stage ended. William Byron, driving the #17 HendrickCars Chevrolet won the stage off of strategy.

New contenders rise to the top of the field after pit cycles end, with Taylor Gray and Jesse Love battling side by side for the majority of the stage start on lap 25. Riley Herbst eventually joins the group as well as the two Toyotas and Chevy trade spots.

Zilisch slowly made his way through the pack, picking off drivers and making no friends in his wake. One small incident with his teammate Justin Allgaier eventually led to a blown tire for the veteran, putting Zilisch in the top 15.

After fixing the damage, Allgaier was about to be lapped by the leader Herbst, but held him off. That allowed teammates Chastain and the #1 of Carson Kvapil to close in, much to the dismay of Herbst’s crew chief.

Green flag pit stops ensued before stage two ended, giving the #25 of Harrison Burton the stage win.

The third and final stage saw the Chevy tandem of Kvapil, Byron, Zilisch and Hill battling it out to start it off. As Zilisch falls back in the battle, he makes contact on turn 15 with the #26 of Corey Heim, causing major left front damage tire rub for the #88. Zilisch remained in third, however, looking to strike.

The leading Hill was pressured into a wheel hop by a hard charging Kvapil, which gave the 1 car the lead followed in tow by a wounded Zilisch with 13 laps to go.

It took another five laps to do it, but the #88 would complete the pass on Kvapil on lap 57 with a smoking tire to secure the lead once more, for the first time since lap 19.

The rookie Kvapil wouldn’t back down, still able to get to the side of Zilisch on the backstretch, but failing to make a pass. The contact caused tire rub and a blown tire for Kvapil, ending a stellar day with an uninspiring finish.

Damage and self proclaimed “mental fog” aside, the 18-year-old JR Motorsports driver would once again wheel the #88 into victory lane at a road course for his second win in the series. Yet another performance that showcases the elite ability of the young star.

“That was way harder than I wanted it to be, I did not drive a clean race at all. I’m sorry to everyone I hit. I was kind of mentally fogged through the second half of that race.” said Zilisch.

“Glad we were able to fight back. It’s been such a fun weekend, but we’ve got a big race tomorrow”

Zilisch indeed may have had more on his mind during todays contest, as he makes his Cup Series debut for Trackhouse Racing in the #87 Red Bull Chevrolet tomorrow, starting 14th. Despite that, the early W for the young driver is a great way to get ready for the main event.

The Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix starts at 12:30 PM PST on FOX.