Alumni Zilisch Adds New Chapter to Storybook Rookie Season

Four Skip Barber Racing School alumni finished in the top ten in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL while graduate Joey Logano advanced into the Round of 8. Meanwhile, Connor Zilisch earned his tenth win of the season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, sailing into the Round of 8 with ease. Alumni Chris Buescher spearheaded the contingency of Skip Barber graduates on Sunday with a fourth-place finish. That was Buescher’s fifth top-five result of the season and his fourth top-ten on a road course this year. Fellow graduates Michael McDowell (5th), AJ Allmendinger (9th) and Tyler Reddick (10th) rounded out the top-ten. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, graduate Sammy Smith finished third and advanced into the Round of 8 while alumni Jeb Burton crossed the line in sixth. That result was Burton’s best finish since Talladega in the Spring when he came home in second. Christian Eckes added to the accolades with a top-ten finish. The 24-year-old’s rookie season in the Xfinity Series now includes 14 top-ten finishes. Zilisch and Smith will be joined by Brandon Jones in the Round of 8 as Skip Barber alumni left with a shot at the 2025 title. Zilisch also finished the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in fifth on Friday afternoon. Finally, at the SCCA Runoffs in Road America, graduates Andrew Moran finishes third in Formula F, John Goeden was fifth in Prototype, and Ronald Lombardo was fourth in Touring 1.