TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile road course)
NOAPS RACE – Mission at The Glen 200 (82 laps / 200.9 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 4:00 p.m. (ET)
- Connor Zilisch will make his third NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Watkins Glen International while going for his third consecutive victory at the New York road course.
- Zilisch made his O’Reilly Series debut in September 2024 with JR Motorsports. In a remarkable accomplishment, Zilisch won the pole, led the most laps (45 of 90) and won in his first-career start in the series. He became the youngest NOAPS winner ever at Watkins Glen (18 years, 1 month and 23 days).
- In 2025 Zilisch backed up his impressive debut at the Glen by once again sweeping the pole position and race win. He also led the most laps (60 of 82), and his average running position was a sizzling 2.13.
- In nine career road-course starts, Zilisch has racked up six wins and eight top-five finishes (average finish is 3.77).
- The No. 1 will carry a striking gold wrap honoring the 150-year legacy of the brand. The design incorporates a globe graphic symbolizing the company’s global reach, reflecting a journey that began in 1876 when Reverend Samuel T. Cooper founded the business with a mission to “Satisfy the Human Need for Comfort.” The commemorative design is part of a yearlong celebration recognizing 150 years of comfort, quality and innovation. The milestone includes the launch of the limited-edition Jockey 1876 Collection.
- Justin Allgaier has earned a best finish of third in 14 NOAPS starts at Watkins Glen, coming both in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
- Overall, Allgaier has amassed a combined four top-fives and eight top-10s at the historic road course in upstate New York.
- In his NOAPS career on road courses, the Illinois native has scored three wins, 18 top-fives and 38 top-10s in 63 starts.
- Two of Allgaier’s three road-course wins in the NOAPS have come behind the wheel of a JRM Chevrolet, coming at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America in 2018.
- Sammy Smith will head to Watkins Glen this Saturday for the second road-course event of the season and his fifth at the 2.45-mile circuit.
- Smith has finished in the top five twice at Watkins Glen in his NOAPS career. He finished third his first trip there in 2022 and most recently in 2025.
- In 20 career starts on road courses, Smith has six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
- Smith competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Watkins Glen in 2025; qualifying third and finishing sixth.
- In 2022, Smith ran an ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen, qualifying on the pole and finishing fifth.
- Shane van Gisbergen will make his third NOAPS start at Watkins Glen this Saturday, piloting the No. 9 Kubota Chevrolet for the second time this season. Van Gisbergen is on a quest for his first NOAPS win at the 2.45-mile road course. This will mark one of three races van Gisbergen will be competing in this weekend.
- Last year at Watkins Glen, van Gisbergen started on the front row for the 82 lap NOAPS race. He led 11 laps, while battling teammate Connor Zilisch. On lap 64, van Gisbergen was involved in an accident while leading the race, unfortunately ending his day.
- In February, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, van Gisbergen captured his fifth O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win, and his second win for JRM. Van Gisbergen started second and led 31 of the 65 laps.
- Van Gisbergen has made four starts with JRM. He has claimed two wins, two pole positions, three top-five finishes, and has led 93 laps.
- Rajah Caruth returns to the No. 88 JRM HendrickCars.com Chevrolet this weekend at Watkins Glen, making his first career start at the road course in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series.
- Caruth has one career NCTS start at Watkins Glen, coming during the 2025 season.
- In two career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series road-course starts, Caruth has earned a best finish of 19th, coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval last season.
- Caruth currently sits 15th in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series standings, just below the playoff cut line by 14 points to 12th-place Sam Mayer.
Connor Zilisch: “I’m excited to go for the three-peat at Watkins Glen with JR Motorsports. We’ve had a lot of speed everywhere this year with them and I’m looking forward to our second road-course race with the Jockey 150th Anniversary Chevrolet this weekend. It’s going to be fun racing against SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) all weekend and being teammates with him on Saturday in the O’Reilly Series race. I can’t wait to get up to Watkins Glen this weekend.”
Justin Allgaier: “Watkins Glen is definitely one of the faster road courses we go to each year. With both high-speed straightaways and hard braking zones, you really need to be able to have the best of both worlds when it comes to the setup. Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and everyone on this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team has been working really hard and I know that we are going to be really solid when we hit the track on Saturday. If we just hit our marks and keep all four tires on the track all day, I know that we are going to come away with a great result and keep this momentum going in the right direction.”
Sammy Smith: “I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen this weekend and having a switch-up from ovals to a road course. We haven’t had the best of luck the last few weeks on the ovals so I think a change of pace may help. Ready to get there and see what we can do in our No. 8 Arby’s BBQ Chevrolet.”
Shane van Gisbergen: “I’m looking forward to this weekend and running all three series. I would love to do that on oval tracks to better my race craft, but it’s obviously easier to get sponsorship on road courses. Hopefully if I have good race with teams like JR Motorsports, it will lead to some oval races. Tires will be top of mind this weekend since we’re used to hot temperatures when we race at Watkins Glen, not cold.”
Rajah Caruth: “Watkins Glen is a really technical place and one I’ve been looking forward to. Road courses are all about being smooth and hitting your marks, especially with the heavy braking zones and fast transitions. Our No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevy should have good speed, so it’s just about executing all race long, staying disciplined, and putting ourselves in position at the end. I’m excited for the challenge and think we can have a solid weekend.”
JRM Team Updates:
- JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen International: JR Motorsports has competed at Watkins Glen International a combined 60 times in the NOAPS. In those starts at the 2.45-mile road course, the organization has recorded four wins, 15 top-fives and 34 top-10s. The average finish is 12.2.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Saturday, May 9 from 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. ET.