The Atlas 150 at Iowa Speedway on Friday night showcased a thrilling and contentious battle between two of ARCA Menards Series’ rising stars, Connor Zilisch and William Sawalich. In a race filled with fender-rubbing action and near-disastrous moments, Zilisch ultimately claimed victory, but not without controversy.

Zilisch, driving the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet, secured his second win in just three ARCA Menards Series starts and his third in five appearances with the East Series. However, the path to Victory Lane was far from smooth, as Sawalich in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota challenged him relentlessly throughout the race.

The intense duel between the two young drivers reached its peak in the closing laps, with Sawalich making aggressive moves that Zilisch considered borderline dangerous. “I honestly don’t know what I could have done different,” Zilisch said post-race. “We were getting into turn one there, and I felt like he just drove up the track and tried wrecking me. He about tried right hooking me down the back straightaway.”

Despite the heated exchanges on the track, Zilisch managed to keep his composure and cross the finish line first, leaving Sawalich to settle for second place. The win solidified Zilisch’s impressive statistics, improving his average East Series finish to 2.0 and his overall ARCA average to 1.33.

Sawalich, for his part, attributed his aggressive driving to both the tight points battle in the East Series and an ill-handling car. “There was definitely a lot of effort,” Sawalich explained. “We had the speed, but just not enough there at the end. Something early on happened with the right front… it stayed consistently tight all throughout the race.”

The race also featured strong performances from other drivers. Gio Ruggiero finished third after rebounding from an early spin, while Mason Mitchell, in his first ARCA Menards Series start since 2018, came home fourth. Andy Jankowiak rounded out the top five.

Friday’s showdown at Iowa Speedway was just the latest chapter in what has become an ongoing rivalry between Sawalich and drivers from Pinnacle Racing Group. Earlier incidents at Dover and previous races at Iowa have only fueled the competitive fire between these young talents.

As the ARCA Menards Series East heads into its final three races of the 2024 season, all eyes will be on Zilisch and Sawalich to see how this rivalry develops. With both drivers showcasing immense talent and determination, fans can expect more wheel-to-wheel action in the races to come.

The next stop for the ARCA Menards Series East will be the Circle City 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 19, while the main ARCA division gears up for the Zinsser SmartCoat 150 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next Friday.