Blue Cross NC 250

Oct 4Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course67 Laps

RACE RECAP

Connor Zilisch delivered a commanding performance in the Blue Cross NC 250 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, converting a 1st-place starting position into a trip to victory lane. The No. 88 led 61 laps on the day and scored 72.1 fantasy points. The margin of victory was 1.134.

Austin Green (No. 87) finished second, while Sammy Smith (No. 8) completed the podium in third. The stage battles added another layer of intrigue: Connor Zilisch captured Stage 1 and Jesse Love won Stage 2. The race featured 6 lead changes among 5 drivers. The twists and turns demanded a different skill set, and drivers who could manage their equipment through the technical sections came out on top.

The biggest mover of the race was Jeb Burton (No. 27), who charged from 30th to 6th — a gain of 24 positions that made the No. 27 one of the top fantasy value plays. Austin Green also impressed, climbing from 10th to 2nd.

The race wasn't without drama — 3 drivers failed to finish. From a fantasy perspective, Connor Zilisch led all scorers with 72.1 points, followed by Sammy Smith (50) and Jesse Love (44.4).

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

6/13

Cautions / Laps

DNFs

1,358

Green Flag Passes

1.134

Margin of Victory

72.628

Avg MPH

2:08:05

Race Time

19.4%

Under Caution

7.7

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Connor Zilisch

S2Jesse Love

Lap Leaders

#88Zilisch61laps

#2Love4laps

#9Mosack1laps

#48Sanchez1laps

#21Hill1laps

Caution Breakdown

1L16–172L#25 stalled on trackLD #10

2L22–243LStage 1 ConclusionLD #25

3L28–292L#45 stalled on trackLD #25

4L42–443LStage 2 ConclusionLD #25

5L65–662L#53 incident frontstretchLD #31

6L68–681LOil on the track

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Connor Zilisch won the Blue Cross NC 250 from 1st, leading 61 laps and scoring 72.1 fantasy points — the highest of the field.

02Connor Zilisch won Stage 1 and Jesse Love captured Stage 2, each pocketing 10 bonus fantasy points.

03Jeb Burton was the top mover, climbing 24 positions from 30th to 6th — the kind of place differential that wins fantasy weeks.

043 drivers failed to finish the race, a reminder that reliability is never guaranteed in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

05The race saw 6 cautions for 13 laps and 6 lead changes among 5 drivers at an average speed of 72.628 mph.

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$0/50

Avg Finish

P5.2

Total Points

380.55

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Connor Zilisch	$0	1	61	+11 S1:10 S2:1	144.20 2 × 72.10
B	Sammy Smith	$0	3	0	+16 S1:7 S2:9	87.50 1.75 × 50.00
C	Jesse Love	$0	12	4	+19 S1:9 S2:10	66.60 1.5 × 44.40
D	Justin Allgaier	$0	8	0	+8 S1:8	46.25 1.25 × 37.00
E	Austin Green	$0	2	0	0	35.00 1 × 35.00