Connor Zilisch penalized by NASCAR ahead of Xfinity Series race at Darlington

A pair of drivers are going to have a harder time at Darlington than others. Connor Zilisch and Dawson Cram were dinged. The two drivers went through NASCAR inspection and failed twice. That means a crew member from each team is ejected, and they lose pit selection at Bristol.

Connor Zilisch is coming to Darlington for the very first time. That is no easy task for any driver. None of this really matters for Cram since his No. 74 Mike Harmon team failed to qualify for the race.

While he has a win this year, Zilisch could use another strong finish this season. He won the pole at Martinsville last week and swept the stages, led the most laps. His car eventually took too much damage to compete up front.

This week, he fails tech. So, one less crew member, and he’ll feel the pain next week at Bristol, too.

The Nos. 74 and 88 failed twice in pre-race tech for the Xfinity Series race today at Darlington. Both will have a crew member ejected and loss of pit-stall selection for Bristol.

— Jayski (@jayski) April 5, 2025

Connor Zilisch qualified P16. So, a lot of work to do on the track to get himself in the front of this field. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell is looking for his second straight win from the pole at Darlington. He won last fall’s pole and race in the Xfinity Series.

The Joe Gibbs Racing cars look really good. William Sawalich hit the wall during his qualifying lap, but his three teammates are all in the top-four to start the race.

When you look at the rest of the JR Motorsports entries, there is a mixed bag. Justin Allgaier qualified P3. Meanwhile, Carson Kvapil will start P6. Then you have Zilisch and, further down, Ross Chastain in P27.

We can’t forget about Chase Elliott, either. A trio of Cup Series talent in this race will push these Xfinity drivers to their limits.

Connor Zilisch making second Cup Series start

While it won’t be for a few weeks, there is another Cup Series start on the horizon for Connor Zilisch. He will be driving the No. 87 Red Bull Chevy in the Coca-Cola 600. That is quite the challenge for the 18-year-old racer.

Now, we have seen Zilisch race in endurance events. He has wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring from 2024. So, he knows what it takes to drive for multiple hours. But driving at high speeds on the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway is much different than road course racing for many hours.

600 miles and about five hours. That is what awaits Zilisch in his second start in the Cup Series. It will be his first time on an oval in the Cup car, too. While he has shown a knack for oval racing early in his Xfinity Series career, that next step up is the biggest one he will ever take in this sport.

A huge challenge awaits Connor Zilisch next month. Finishing the race will be a success. Anything on top of that, top-30, top-25, top-20 – is icing on top.