Connor Zilisch’s rookie season just went from impressive to downright legendary. On Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, the 19-year-old phenom scored his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory. And he did it in only 29 starts.
That puts him in rare company, as only Darrell Waltrip reached 10 wins faster, hitting the milestone in just 24 starts back in the 1970s.
This latest triumph also stretches Zilisch’s winning streak to four consecutive races, making him only the third driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series history to pull off the feat, per Reid Spencer of Motorsport.
The other names on that exclusive list are Sam Ard, who set the bar in 1983, and Noah Gragson, who matched it in 2022.
Zilisch’s Streak and NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Clinch
The Nu Way 200, Sauced by Blues Hog at Gateway, was another masterclass from the young driver. Zilisch started from the pole, dominated the track by leading 121 of the 160 laps, and kept control even through a handful of late-race restarts that could’ve rattled a less composed driver.
When the checkered flag dropped, the victory wasn’t just another addition to his growing trophy case; it also sealed the deal on the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship.
That came with a healthy 15 playoff points, giving Zilisch a total of 59 playoff points as he rolls into next week’s postseason opener at Bristol.
“Four in a row, seven of the last eight, that’s awesome,” Zilisch said in victory lane. “We’re going to celebrate this and the Regular Season Championship. Man, this is going to be tough to keep up, honestly. It’s rare that you can go on a run like this.”
“Every week I show up thinking, ‘Man, this is going to be the weekend that we just run eighth,’ but every weekend we show up and we’re a winning race car. My pit crew executes, my team executes, everybody does their job, and we end up doing burnouts on the frontstretch.”
A Rookie Record for the Ages
The Gateway win also secured Connor Zilisch another major distinction: the winningest rookie season in Xfinity Series history. He’s already tallied nine victories this season alone, eclipsing every first-year driver who came before him, according to Matt Weaver of Motorsport.
Even more eye-opening is the fact that Zilisch has now become the youngest driver ever to reach 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins. Ty Gibbs previously held that title, reaching the milestone at age 20. Zilisch just beat it at 19.
That kind of achievement doesn’t just cement him as the hottest rookie in the field; it places him firmly in the conversation as one of the brightest rising stars in NASCAR as a whole.
The Other Side of the Story
Of course, every win also comes with a story of near misses. For William Sawalich, Gateway was supposed to be his chance to keep playoff hopes alive. He needed a victory to advance, but despite a strong showing, he had to settle for second place for the second straight weekend.
“The 88 (Zilisch), he was on rails tonight,” Sawalich admitted. “I think he was definitely the best car all night… We didn’t make the playoffs, but we certainly gave them a run for their money.”
For Zilisch, though, the night was another step in what’s shaping up to be one of the greatest rookie seasons the NASCAR Xfinity Series has ever seen.
Ten wins, a regular-season championship, and a growing list of shattered records, his name is already written into the history books, and the playoffs haven’t even started.
Connor Zilisch Makes History with 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Win at Gateway