The 2024 Mission 200 at The Glen was the 25th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, a 2.454 miles (3.949 km) permanent road course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 82 laps, but was increased to 90 laps due to numerous overtime attempts. In an exciting final stage, Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would survive two overtime restarts while managing fuel mileage, and pulled off an incredible performance to earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win in his first career start. Zilisch was also the most dominant driver of the race, winning the first stage and leading a race-high 45 laps.[9][10] To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 25 of 33 of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | September 14, 2024 | ||
| Official name | 29th Annual Mission 200 at The Glen | ||
| Location | Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.454 mi (3.949 km) | ||
| Distance | 90 laps, 220 mi (354 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 82 laps, 201 mi (323 km) | ||
| Average speed | 85.007 mph (136.806 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Time | 1:11.028 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 45 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | USA | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Steve Letarte, and Jeff Burton (booth, Turns 6-7), Mike Bagley (Esses), and Dillon Welch (Turn 5) | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
With Zilisch's win, he became the seventh driver in Xfinity Series history to win in their series debut, and the first driver across all three NASCAR divisions to win both the pole position and the race in their first start. At 18 years, 1 month, and 23 days old, he is also the second-youngest winner in Xfinity Series history.[9][10]
This was also the last race USA would air and broadcast the series. The CW will take over the TV rights to the entire Xfinity Series schedule as part of the next TV contract which runs from 2025 to 2031.[11]
Report
editBackground
editWatkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Notes
editPractice
editThe first and only practice session was held on Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 AM EST, and would last for 20 minutes.[12] Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.069, and a speed of 122.383 mph (196.956 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1:12.069 | 122.383 |
| 2 | 19 | Ty Gibbs (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1:12.386 | 121.852 |
| 3 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1:12.471 | 121.704 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Saturday, September 14, at 10:30 AM EST.[12] Since Watkins Glen International is a road course, the qualifying system is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have multiple laps to set a time. The fastest 5 drivers from each group will advance to the final round. The fastest driver to set a time in that round will win the pole.[13]
Under a 2021 rule change, the timing line in road course qualifying is "not" the start-finish line. Instead, the timing line for qualifying will be set at the exit of Turn 9. In his first career start, Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would win the pole after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 1:11.028, and a speed of 124.176 mph (199.842 km/h).[14]
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Blaine Perkins, Jade Buford, and Kyle Keller.
Qualifying results
editRace results
editStage 1 Laps: 20
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 20 | Aric Almirola | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 81 | Chandler Smith | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 18 | Sheldon Creed | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | Jesse Love (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 20
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | William Byron (i) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 2 | 19 | Ty Gibbs (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 3 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 50
| Pos.[15] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 45 | Running | 58 |
| 2 | 9 | 18 | Sheldon Creed | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 90 | 0 | Running | 41 |
| 3 | 3 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 5 | Running | 34 |
| 4 | 6 | 81 | Chandler Smith | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 90 | 0 | Running | 40 |
| 5 | 13 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 14 | Running | 32 |
| 6 | 21 | 92 | Ross Chastain (i) | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 7 | 19 | 48 | Parker Kligerman | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 8 | 11 | 2 | Jesse Love (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 33 |
| 9 | 33 | 15 | Joey Logano (i) | AM Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 10 | 26 | 91 | Josh Bilicki | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 27 |
| 11 | 27 | 32 | Austin Green | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 7 | 17 | William Byron (i) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 16 | Running | 0 |
| 13 | 12 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 90 | 0 | Running | 31 |
| 14 | 23 | 31 | Parker Retzlaff | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 35 | 43 | Ryan Ellis | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 32 | 42 | Leland Honeyman (R) | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 18 | 18 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 19 | 17 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 5 | 1 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 90 | 1 | Running | 24 |
| 21 | 15 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 90 | 6 | Running | 26 |
| 22 | 14 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 89 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 23 | 31 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 89 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 37 | 26 | Ed Jones | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 89 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 2 | 19 | Ty Gibbs (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 89 | 3 | Running | 0 |
| 26 | 8 | 20 | Aric Almirola | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 88 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 27 | 34 | 14 | R. C. Enerson | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 85 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 16 | 9 | Brandon Jones | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 84 | 0 | Accident | 9 |
| 29 | 30 | 35 | Thomas Annunziata | Joey Gase Motorsports | Toyota | 84 | 0 | Running | 8 |
| 30 | 25 | 87 | Mike Skeen | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 83 | 0 | Accident | 7 |
| 31 | 28 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 81 | 0 | Oil Leak | 6 |
| 32 | 38 | 11 | Josh Williams | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | Accident | 5 |
| 33 | 10 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | Accident | 7 |
| 34 | 24 | 5 | Anthony Alfredo | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 80 | 0 | Accident | 3 |
| 35 | 20 | 38 | Matt DiBenedetto | RSS Racing | Ford | 75 | 0 | Rear Gear | 2 |
| 36 | 22 | 45 | Alon Day | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 57 | 0 | Brakes | 1 |
| 37 | 36 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 54 | 0 | Axle | 1 |
| 38 | 29 | 36 | Kyle Weatherman | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 15 | 0 | Rear End | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Standings after the race
edit
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References
edit- ^ "2024 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Watkins Glen International". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Entry list" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 13, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Practice Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifying Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Starting lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Race Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Connor Zilisch wins in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Srigley, Joseph (September 14, 2024). "Connor Zilisch Wins at Watkins Glen in NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "The NASCAR Xfinity Series will have an exclusive new home on The CW Network". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. July 28, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Watkins Glen International Race Page". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. December 7, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NASCAR Qualifying Procedures". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (September 14, 2024). "Connor Zilisch Earns Historic Pole in Series Debut at Watkins Glen". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Mission 200 at The Glen - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.