Connor Zilisch added another major accomplishment to his rapidly growing racing resume by scoring his first career ARCA Menards Series win in the General Tire 150 at Dover Motor Speedway. The 17-year-old faced an eventful day at the Monster Mile, having to overcome early struggles and a tangle with defending series champion William Sawalich while battling for the lead.

Zilisch admitted to being intimidated early on at the high-banked concrete oval, but his No. 28 Chevrolet came alive after adjustments during a race break. He restarted on the front row and after making slight contact with Sawalich that sent the No. 18 into the wall, Zilisch was able to drive away in clean air to the checkered flag.

“I can’t even lie, during those first 70 laps I was pretty intimidated,” Zilisch said. “The car was free, but we were sitting under red…and I was like ‘damn, I just need to get on the gas’.”

The Dover victory caps off an incredible stretch for the young phenom that has included wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Era Motorsport’s LMP2 program earlier this year. He also earned his first CARS Tour late model stock win at Hickory in April.

Zilisch credited his Pinnacle Racing Group team and spotter Derek Kneeland for their efforts in getting the car dialed in for the latter stages of the race. Looking ahead, he has upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series opportunities with JR Motorsports and additional Craftsman Truck Series races with Spire Motorsports to tackle as part of the Trackhouse Racing development program.

“Derek Kneeland on the spotter’s stand and Shane Huffman on the pit box did a great job keeping me in it,” Zilisch said. “I’m so thankful for this entire team and everyone at Chevrolet.”

The future continues looking bright for the young rising star as he checks off more milestones at a blistering pace in 2024. Final results are listed below.