TC Daily Pit Stop: Zilisch Kicks Off NASCAR Cup Debut Weekend with Xfinity Pole at COTA; Saturday's TV Schedule

TC Daily Pit Stop: Saturday, March 1st, 2025

Connor Zilisch Drives to Second Career Xfinity Pole at COTA

Photo Credit: Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

Connor Zilisch is viewed as a favorite to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), so there’s no doubt he should be considered a favorite for Saturday’s Xfinity Series event.

The 18-year-old phenom delivered exactly what the world expected from him during Friday’s on-track activity for the Xfinity Series in Austin, Texas, leading practice and winning the pole for the Focused Health 250.

Posting a lap of 97.262 seconds (88.832mph), Zilisch was able to collect the second pole position of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career against Ross Chastain and William Byron, a pair of NASCAR Cup Series regulars.

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STARTING LINEUP
PRACTICE RESULTS

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Other NASCAR Headlines and Stories:

• Zachary Tinkle Returns To Fast Track Racing For Third Full Time Season

• Battle for NASCAR’s ‘King of the Road’ Heads to COTA

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Saturday’s NASCAR TV Schedule

• 11:00 AM ET: NASCAR Cup Practice (Prime Video)

• 12:30 PM ET: NASCAR Cup Qualifying (Prime Video)

• 2:30 PM ET: NASCAR Xfinity Race (The CW)

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COTA Race Weekend Resources

• Xfinity Results: Practice | Qualifying

• Weekend TV/Streaming Schedule

• Entry Lists: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity

• 2025 Driver/Team Charts: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks

• Updated On SI NASCAR Power Rankings (After Atlanta)

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