Connor Zilisch wins his first O'Reilly Series race at Bristol, outdueling Kyle Larson who led 230 of 300 laps. Larson's dominator performance still delivered the highest fantasy score of the week.
Zilisch Steals the Show at Thunder Valley
Connor Zilisch did what the veterans couldn't — he outdueled Kyle Larson in the closing laps at Bristol Motor Speedway to win the Suburban Propane 300. Starting 15th, the JR Motorsports rookie methodically worked his way through the field while Larson dominated the middle portion of the race, leading a staggering 230 of 300 laps.
But Bristol rewards the driver who leads the last lap, not the most laps. Zilisch found the bottom groove in the final stage, ran down Larson, and cleared him with 12 laps to go. The #1 Chevrolet pulled away to a comfortable margin, giving Zilisch his first O'Reilly Series win at the Last Great Colosseum.
Race Results
| Pos | Driver | Car | Start | Laps Led | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connor Zilisch | #1 | 15 | 24 | Running |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | #88 | 3 | 230 | Running |
| 3 | Brent Crews | #19 | 17 | 3 | Running |
| 4 | Justin Allgaier | #7 | 7 | 0 | Running |
| 5 | Carson Kvapil | #9 | 8 | 0 | Running |
| 6 | Sheldon Creed | #00 | 2 | 0 | Running |
| 7 | William Sawalich | #18 | 1 | 27 | Running |
| 8 | Corey Day | #17 | 14 | 0 | Running |
| 9 | Parker Retzlaff | #99 | 9 | 0 | Running |
| 10 | Taylor Gray | #54 | 6 | 0 | Running |
Key Takeaways
Larson Dominated But Didn't Win. Leading 230 of 300 laps (76.7%) and finishing P2 is the ultimate Bristol story. Larson's Hendrick-prepared #88 was the class of the field for 90% of the race, but tire wear caught him in the final run. In FantasyJolt scoring with laps led bonuses, Larson was still the highest-scoring driver despite losing — his 23 points from laps led alone (at 0.1 per lap) made him a fantasy goldmine.
Zilisch Is the Real Deal. Starting P15 and winning at Bristol requires patience, racecraft, and raw talent. The JR Motorsports rookie showed all three. His late-race move on Larson wasn't a lucky break — it was a calculated attack on a driver whose tires were fading.
Sawalich's Pole Didn't Pay Off. William Sawalich won the pole and led 27 laps early, but faded to P7. Track position at Bristol means less than tire management over long runs — a lesson the young Toyota driver will file away.
Brent Crews' Breakout. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started 17th and finished 3rd, making the biggest gains of any top-5 finisher. At salary, Crews was one of the best value plays of the week.
Fantasy Scoring Highlights
| Driver | Finish | Laps Led | Base Pts | Led Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Zilisch | 1st | 24 | 40 | 2.4 | 42.4 |
| Kyle Larson | 2nd | 230 | 35 | 23.0 | 58.0 |
| Brent Crews | 3rd | 3 | 34 | 0.3 | 34.3 |
| Justin Allgaier | 4th | 0 | 33 | 0 | 33.0 |
Larson's 58.0 base fantasy points were the highest of the race despite finishing second — those 230 laps led added 23 bonus points. In the A-slot (2x multiplier), that's 116 fantasy points. An absolute monster score.
Place Differential Leaders
| Driver | Start | Finish | Diff | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zilisch | 15 | 1 | +14 | |
| Crews | 17 | 3 | +14 | |
| Corey Day | 14 | 8 | +6 | |
| Retzlaff | 9 | 9 | 0 |
For DraftKings players, Zilisch and Crews were the place-diff heroes — both gaining 14 positions from their starting spots.
What's Next
The O'Reilly Series heads to Kansas Speedway next week for the Kansas Lottery 300, a 1.5-mile intermediate track that rewards a completely different skill set than Bristol's short-track warfare. Larson will look to convert his speed into a win after being denied at Bristol.