Connor Zilish wins the Xfinity Series pole at Rockingham

ConnorZilisch won the Xfiinity Series pole Saturday at Rockingham Speedway with a lap time of 22.630 seconds.

Unfortunately for Zilisch, he had a flat tire after his qualifying run that will have to be replaced. Since NASCAR considers this an unapproved adjustment, he will have to start at the rear of the field.

“It went flat right off of [Turn] 4,” he said, “frustrating, you know, you qualify on the pole and to start at the back is a little frustrating. But the WeatherTech Chevrolet is as fast as Xfinity Mobile. It was really good in practice yesterday.”

“Hopefully, the track will widen out a little bit, and make my job a little bit easier,” Zilisch continued. “But it could be tough. This place is … nobody knows. Anything can happen.”

Parker Retzllaff qualified second fastest and will start on the front row after a lap time of 22.631, only 1/1000 second slower.

“Definitely the most painful qualifying of my life,” Retzlaff said. “I thought we had it. It’s just painful to qualify second at a place we’re coming back to for the first time in a while. But I feel good, and feel like we have something to look forward to here.”Nicholas Sanchez, Kasey Kahne, and William Sawalich were the top five drivers in Xfinity qualifying.

Brandon Jones, Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, Christian Eckes and Austin Hill completed the top-10. You can tune in to the Xfinity Series

You can tune into the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s Tire Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on the CW network with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Xfinity Series Starting Lineup

Xfinity-at-Rockingham-starting-lineup-download.png

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? Follow every lap, every pit stop, every storyline? We're looking for fellow enthusiasts to share insights, race recaps, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes knowledge with our readers. Click Here to apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Angie Campbell
Angie Campbell
A native of Charlotte, NC, Angela (Angie) was first introduced to racing by her father. An avid fan of NASCAR, she found a way to combine her love of racing with her passion for writing. Angie is also an award-winning member of the National Motorsports Press Association. Follow her on Twitter @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

Rajah Caruth Set for a 10-Race Slate for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport in...

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport announced today that Rajah Caruth will return to the organization for a 10-race schedule during the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet.

50 Laps Added to 2026 NASCAR Cup Race at NWS

North Wilkesboro Speedway officials announced Thursday that 50 additional laps have been added to what is now the Window World 450 NASCAR Cup Series points race on July 19, 2026.

Greenlight International Announces Distribution Figures for HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission...

HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Live Stream Amassed over 100,000 Viewers Online and More than 29,000 minutes watched on the RACER Fast Channel

Good Ranchers Named Title Sponsor of NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race at Phoenix Raceway

Good Ranchers, an American meat company, INDYCAR and Phoenix Raceway announced a new title partnership for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ race scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026.

Best New Zealand Online Casinos