NXS Race Recap: Explore the Pocono Mountains 250

The Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 had a new face on the pit box. With Mardy Lindley suspended for one race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. filled in the Crew Chief role for Connor Zilisch. Chase Elliott was the fastest in qualifying, so he started the race on the pole. Brandon Jones joined him on the front row. Nicholas Sanchez and William Sawalich started in the second row. Connor Zilisch started the race in ninth. The stage lengths were 25 laps for the first two stages, with the final stage being 50 laps.

Early Cautions

Elliott got a better launch and took the lead out of turn one. Sanchez got by Jones and moved into second. Ryan Sieg was also able to get by Jones. Daniel Dye brought out the first caution after getting turned around in turn three. He got tight into the turn and was unable to keep it from going around.

On lap eight, Elliott and Sieg brought the field back to green. They both got good restarts, but Sieg was shoved out of the line. The caution was immediately thrown after Justin Bonsignore began smoking into turn one. He complained that a gear had blown out, causing the engine to expire.

Elliott and Sanchez led the field back to green. Elliott, again, was able to scamper out in front to retake the lead. Zilisch fought Sieg for fourth and was able to take it into turn two. Sieg did not give it up and fought back. Zilisch finally got away using the long front stretch. Sawalich was also able to get by Sieg for fifth.

Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and Taylor Gray were the first cars down pit road. They all pitted for tires and fuel in order to flip the stage and not pit during the stage caution. Elliott drove down pit road, coming to two to go in the stage. Jones assumed the lead with Sanchez and Zilisch behind him. Jones would go on to get the stage win!

Sanchez won the race out of the pits, gaining him a spot. Jones, Zilisch, Sammy Smith, and Sieg were the rest of the top five out.

Cautions (cont’d)

Harrison Burton and Elliott brought the field back to green. Burton had a great push from Justin Allgaier and was able to take the lead into turn one. Allgaier was able to get into second. Allgaier passed Burton in turn three. Elliott was also able to get by Burton and set his sights on Allgaier.

Brandon Jones brought out the fourth caution of the day. Jones got loose in turn two and spun in front of Sawalich. Austin Hill also got considerable damage to his right rear quarter panel. Daniel Dye got shoved into the inside wall.

The green flag came back out on lap 38. Allgaier and Gray were on the front row. Elliott pushed Allgaier out in front. Elliott used a good launch to get into second. Sheldon Creed got loose off of turn one and bounced off the outside wall into Burton. Creed would get a tire rub, and smoke began pouring from his car. He was able to get his car onto pit road.

Leland Honeyman brought out the fifth caution. He got some help from Mason Massey, who tapped the rear bumper of Honeyman, which sent him around.

With five to go in the stage, Zilisch and Sanchez brought the green flag out. Zilisch got a great restart and took the lead over Sanchez. Gray settled out in third with Sieg and Love rounding out the top five. Elliott and Allgaier began cutting through the field. Allgaier got back into the top ten while Elliott finished the stage in 12th.

Zilisch would take the field to the green-white-checkered to win stage two! Gray and Sanchez would finish in second and third.

More Cautions

Zilisch and Love restarted the race on the front row. Zilisch got a better launch, but Love was aggressive in turn one. Love got loose, so Zilisch ended up in the lead out of the turn. Elliott got past Eckes to move into fourth. Zilisch built his lead to over a second. Love, Allgaier, and Elliott were on top of each other, fighting for second. Elliott used the long back stretch to draft up to and pass by Allgaier for third.

Zilisch used the jockeying to add a second to his lead. Elliott used a huge run off of turn three to get by Love in second. Allgaier was also able to get by Love. With newer tires and clean air, Elliot began to chop away at the lead.

With 31 to go in the race, and Elliott in his trunk, Zilisch pitted for tires and fuel. Elliott assumed the lead. After the pit stops, the seventh caution came out after Garrett Smithley got loose and turned around in turn two.

Zilisch and Love brought the green flag back out. Love got a much better restart with Elliott pushing him. Elliott dove underneath Love and passed him to retake the lead. Allgaier and Zilisch passed Love, who fell to fourth.

The Tricky Triangle

Dean Thompson got loose in turn two and slid into Ryan Ellis. Ellis got turned around and backed into the outside wall. That brought out the eighth caution of the afternoon.

Elliott and Zilisch restarted the race on the front row. Allgaier pushed Elliott down the front stretch and into the lead out of turn one. Zilisch and Allgaier fought for second. Nicholas Sanchez got turned around and hit the inside wall hard. That brought out the ninth caution of the day.

Elliott and Allgaier restarted on the front row. They both got equally good restarts. Love dove to the inside of Allgaier and bulldogged his way by. Allgaier got tight and slid into Elliott. Love took the lead out of turn one. Christian Eckes followed Love and took second. Zilisch watched all the action and found his way into third.

The tenth caution came out when Kyle Sieg got turned around in turn two. He was able to keep it going and on pit road.

The Youngster Gets it Done

Love and Eckes restarted the race on the front row. Love got a great restart and took the lead back. Zilisch got by Eckes and began his hunt for the lead. Love did everything he could to break the tow. Zilisch closed the gap and used a run off of three to get by Love to retake the lead. Love did not go away and kept attacking. Eckes caught the back of Love but could not make the pass.

Zilisch would take the white flag and the checkered flag to win the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250! Love, Eckes, Sieg, and Elliott would round out the top five. Elliott finished the race with the fastest lap.

Marvin’s Minute:

Connor Zilisch continues to impress in the Xfinity Series. He has the best team in JRM behind him. Dale Jr probably did not do too much as the crew chief, but watching him get the win in a new role was fun. He deserves all the credit for his team being the class of the field. The series continues its schedule in Atlanta next week!