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Connor Zilisch, Xfinity Series points leader, involved in Stage 2 wreck at Talladega

JHby: Jonathan Howard10/18/25Jondean25
Connor Zilisch NASCAR Talladega wreck
Screenshot credit: The CW Sports via X.com

The points leader in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs just got into a wreck. Connor Zilisch has damage at Talladega. William Sawalich, Dean Thompson, Leland Honeyman, and Connor Mosack were also involved in this wreck.

Talladega has given the drivers in the NASCAR Playoffs fits. Connor Zilisch is the latest victim. He has damage on the right front of the car, but is going to be able to race with that damage.

These wrecks happen so quickly. One moment, it’s all fine, and the next, everybody is wrecking. This is the second red flag of the race.

After a lengthy red flag once again, the Xfinity Series race got going again. This wreck took out William Sawalich, Taylor Gray, Dean Thompson, and Connor Mosack. Bascially everyone involved but Zilisch and Honeyman were a DNF.

For Connor Zilisch, his top-five streak is at risk. He has a damaged car and getting a top-five looks like a tall task, let alone getting a win. With the damage on his car, he has to stay in the draft or risk getting sent to he back of the field.

There is so much at stake for these drivers in the NASCAR Playoffs. A win would lock any of the eight drivers into the Phoenix championship race. With two massive wrecks already, are we going to see more carnage and chaos before the finish? Or has the field thinned out enough to allow for a clean finish?

Connor Zilisch akes damage, can he overcome it?

It isn’t impossible to win with damage at Talladega. We’ve seen it happen before. But you have to play your cards right and also hope you get lucky to an extent. There are so many ways to win and to lose a race at a superspeedway.

Connor Zilisch has a beat up car. He has to do more than others to move up in the draft. Part of that equation depends on what everyone else is doing. We have seen these Xfinity races turn into single-lane events towards the end. Drivers are often too timid to make strong moves and build an extra lane to make a move. Zilisch can’t have that tonight.

If we get another extensive red flag, we could bump up against sunset. That time is at 7:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM local time in Talladega. Zilisch is trying to bounce back from his wreck and no one is going to give the 10-time race winner a break. He will have to earn it tonight.