Zilisch’s Gateway surge seals Xfinity crown as Hamlin takes Cup pole at WWT Raceway

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Zilisch’s Gateway surge seals Xfinity crown as Hamlin takes Cup pole at WWT Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway delivered a consequential NASCAR weekend, headlined by Connor Zilisch’s statement win in the Xfinity Series regular-season finale and Denny Hamlin’s pole-setting pace for the Cup Series Round of 16. Zilisch’s charge not only extended a remarkable streak but also locked the postseason grid, while a heavy crash for Jeb Burton underscored the stakes at the cutoff. On the Cup side, teams face an “execution race” at Gateway, where track position and clean pit work may be decisive as the playoffs intensify into race two of the round ^[1] ^[2] ^[3].

Connor Zilisch controlled Gateway to claim his fourth consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and with it the regular-season championship, a run that also marked his ninth win of the 2025 campaign ^[1] ^[4]. The teenage phenom’s surge at World Wide Technology Raceway capped a commanding regular season, and his latest triumph had immediate playoff consequences: by winning, Zilisch kept William Sawalich from grabbing the final postseason berth ^[5]. With the checkered flag, the Xfinity playoff field snapped into place, setting the stage for an autumn chase that will now run through Zilisch’s momentum ^[6].

The finale brought hard lessons, too. Jeb Burton arrived needing to erase a 31-point deficit to advance, only for a big crash to end his playoff bid and trigger one of the day’s most consequential cautions at Gateway ^[7]. Zilisch’s win simultaneously shut the door on Sawalich, underscoring how a single restart or incident can swing the bubble in the regular-season finale ^[5]. By night’s end, the Xfinity bracket was official, led by the defending series champion Justin Allgaier, who begins his title defense against a hungry field determined to rewrite the script ^[8] ^[6].

On the Cup side, Denny Hamlin delivered in qualifying, winning the pole for the Enjoy Illinois 300 and leading a lineup set for the second race of the Round of 16 at WWT Raceway ^[2] ^[9] ^[10]. Expect a grind: Gateway has been framed as an “execution race,” where track position, tire management and pit-road precision can decide the afternoon ^[3]. With momentum at a premium, form charts of who’s hot and who’s not entering race two add another subplot to an already tight playoff picture ^[11].

As the dust settles, the Xfinity postseason is officially set, and Zilisch enters as the regular-season champion pursuing history on the back of a nine-win campaign and a four-race heater ^[6] ^[4] ^[5]. Sawalich’s near-miss and Burton’s crash are stark reminders of how thin the margins can be when a season’s work comes down to restarts and reaction time ^[5] ^[7]. For the Cup field, Hamlin’s pole underscores that clean execution at Gateway may be the surest path to control—and advancement—as the Round of 16 tightens ^[2] ^[3].