Austin Hill, Connor Zilisch Steal the Spotlight in NASCAR Talladega Qualifying
Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch delivered two of the biggest surprises in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega, outperforming several of the sport’s biggest stars
In NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch outperformed several established drivers, securing second and third positions on the starting grid. While Chase Briscoe won the pole, Hill and Zilisch's impressive performances were particularly noteworthy given their lack of full-time Cup Series experience.
Hill qualified second with a lap of 185.949 mph, just 0.032 seconds behind Briscoe's pole-winning speed of 186.065 mph. Zilisch followed closely in third with 185.877 mph. The results were particularly striking considering the competition, as Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney all struggled to match their qualifying times.
Hill's reputation as a superspeedway specialist and Zilisch's rapid rise in NASCAR made their performances even more impressive. Despite qualifying well, the unpredictable nature of Talladega Superspeedway means that a front-row start doesn't guarantee success. Both Hill and Zilisch now have an opportunity to demonstrate their speed against Cup Series competition, setting the stage for an exciting race.
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