Connor Zilisch Wins O’Reilly Thriller at Bristol

Connor Zilisch secured an exhilarating victory in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday. He triumphed in a late-race contest against Kyle Larson and Brent Crews, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

“That was incredible,” Zilisch expressed to The CW with a smile. “The past few weeks in the Cup Series have been challenging, and it feels rewarding to return to the O’Reilly Series and reaffirm my capabilities. Consistently finishing at the back can make you forget your potential.”

Saturday marked Connor Zilisch’s 12th career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, following an impressive ten-win season in 2025. The 19-year-old was promoted to the Cup Series this year, where he is still adapting to the high level of competition.

Crew chief Rodney Childers celebrated his first victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with the No. 1 team on Saturday. He has worked with both Zilisch and Carson Kvapil as they shared the 2026 season. Childers has achieved 40 NASCAR Cup Series wins as a crew chief, primarily with Kevin Harvick for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Kyle Larson dominated the first two stages of the race, appearing nearly unbeatable. However, a late-race pit strategy altered the running order, allowing Zilisch and Crews to challenge the defending Cup Series champion.

“It was a really good race,” Larson commented. “My car performed excellently. I felt the balance improved throughout the run compared to last year. It was similar in many ways, but better from start to finish.”

Had he secured the victory, Brent Crews would have become one of the youngest winners in the history of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. At 18 years and 12 days old, the North Carolina native raced with confidence on Bristol’s high banks, achieving a career-best third-place finish.

“What I did right was running the top line aggressively,” Crews reflected. “What will keep me up tonight is getting a bit loose and hitting the fence a couple of times.”

Justin Allgaier finished fourth, earning the $100,000 prize in the night’s Dash 4 Cash competition. Carson Kvapil completed the top five with a fifth-place finish.

The first caution of the race occurred on Lap 1 when Mason Maggio’s No. 91 Chevrolet spun on the backstretch. Although conditions improved for Maggio, his car erupted in smoke and flames on Lap 195. He quickly exited the vehicle, narrowly escaping the fire in the Bristol garage.

Midway through the race, the No. 42 Young’s Motorsports team had to conduct a driver change. After Logan Bearden reportedly experienced back pain, reserve driver Brad Perez took over and finished in 33rd place. Perez had never raced at Bristol before Saturday night.