The streets of Chicago were unforgiving. The Loop 110 delivered chaos, strategy, and a late-race heartbreak, but no one embodied the emotional arc of Sunday’s Xfinity Series thriller quite like Connor Zilisch. Starting deep in the field after a practice crash left him with a 35th-place grid spot, the 18-year-old phenom put on a driving clinic, lashing through traffic, leading laps, and coming within one corner of a storybook finish.

However, what unfolded over 50 laps wasn’t just another street course battle. It was a chess match drenched in brake dust and adrenaline. The streets of Chicago witnessed a last-lap duel between two of the sport’s sharpest road racers. The margin between the first and second? Less than a second. The difference? A nudge in Turn 1 left sparks flying and a Red Bull-liveried Chevy bouncing off the wall. And Connor Zilisch wasn’t too happy about it.

Connor Zilisch’s Chicago heartbreak

Connor Zilisch came into the Loop 110 with high expectations in a season already marked by brilliant qualifying. Though he didn’t claim the pole in Chicago, qualifying 35th after a practice crash, his past poles at COTA, Martinsville, Rockingham, and Mexico City proved his space on both ovals and road courses. What followed in Chicago was nothing short of a showcase of determination, race craft, and raw speed.

From the drop of the green, Connor Zilisch was on a mission. He sliced through the traffic with ease, his no. JR Motorsports 88 Chevrolet sticking to the track like it was on rails. The first major statement came on lap 38. Coming off a restart, he powered around Austin Hill on the outside of turn one, then charged past Sheldon Creed for the lead in turn six. It was a classic Zilisch move: precise, assertive, and fearless.

However, nothing about the final stretch would come easily. After building a lead of over two seconds, the caution flew with just a handful of laps remaining. That set up a duel with his JR Motorsports teammate, Shane Van Gisbergen, a driver who, like Zilisch, knows how to win a street course. On the lap 49 restart, SVG muscled his way past, pushing Zilisch wide into turn one. The contact sent Connor into the wall, scraping the side of the car. It was a bold, aggressive move, but Connor didn’t flinch. By turn 4, he had clawed back to SVG’s tail. However, the steely veteran was simply too good for the kid.

Speaking in a post-race interview, Zilisch owned the moment with a maturity well beyond his years. He said, “I guess I should’ve just not let him get to my bottom. I was clear there, just barely, on the straight, and yeah, just let him get to my inside, and he took advantage of it. So, yeah, I hate it for my 88 group. You know, I should’ve just been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was gonna race me a little cleaner. So yeah, I’ll learn from it and move on.”

Then, as SVG approached with a quick fist bump on the track, a reporter asked Connor if he felt the move in Turn 1 was fair. Zilisch didn’t dodge it, saying, “I mean, basically, I’m not complaining about it. You know, he won the race and I didn’t, so I just gotta be better and not let that stuff happen. So yeah, I’ll learn from it and move on, and look forward to racing him again next week at Sonoma.” 

Ultimately, the checkered flag waved with SVG just 0.83 seconds ahead. Zilisch, battered but undeterred, pulled in second after a heroic run from the back of the field. His emotional cooldown lap was a mix of pride and frustration. He could have won, but one thing he knows for sure is that he’ll never lose like that again.

When asked if he had done anything differently, Zilisch didn’t beat around the bush. He said, “I was clear by a foot just before the braking zone. I would have taken it and not let him get to my left side. I wanted to be on the right side, though, exiting (Turn) 1 to be on the inside for (Turn) 2. So that’s my plan and why I let him get to my left side. But had I known he was just going to not let me stay outside of him out of 1, I would have blocked and not let him get to my inside.”

Despite the frustration, Zilisch left Chicago with his 5th consecutive top-5 finish, more experience battling with the best, and another reminder for the paddock that he’s one of the sharpest young talents in NASCAR. Even with damage on the side, his WeatherTech Chevrolet held strong. And now, with Sonoma up next, Connor wouldn’t be just looking to finish near the front. He’ll be looking to win.

SVG’s eyeing weekend sweep

Shane van Gisbergen once again proved why he’s the undisputed king of the streets, inching closer to a dominant weekend sweep at Chicago. After grabbing the Busch Light Pole Award with a precise 1:30.085 lap on Saturday, SVG carried that momentum into the loop 110. Leading early, surviving mid-race chaos, and emerging victorious after a fierce late-race duel with Connor Zilisch. The win marked his third victory at the Chicago Street course, and he also made NASCAR history in the process.

Despite briefly losing track position due to pit strategy, SVG went on to work methodically, leading 27 laps out of 50, passing cars in tight, unforgiving corners, and stalking the lead as the laps wound down. By lap 42, he was within striking distance of Connor, and a late-race caution did the rest. SVG became the sixth JR Motorsports driver to win a race this season, making it the most different winner for any team in NASCAR history. Post-race, SVG acknowledged the intensity of the battle with Connor Zilisch, saying, “He’s [Connor Zilisch] a great young driver and the first time I’ve really raced him, and I knew that was my opportunity and I took it. It was awesome 1-2 for the team.”

With a weekend sweep now in sight and a return to Sonoma on the calendar next, SVG is in a strong position heading into the second half of the season. His ability to deliver on technical courses matched with calculated race strategy continues to make him one of the most feared drivers in the field, especially when the road gets narrow and the walls come closer. Do you think his Xfinity magic will translate on Sunday for the weekend sweep? Let us know in the comments!