The 2024 Mission 200 at The Glen was the 25th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, a permanent road course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 82 laps, but was increased to 90 laps due to numerous overtime attempts. In an exciting final stage, Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would survive two overtime restarts while managing fuel mileage, and pulled off an incredible performance to earn his first career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win in his first career start. Zilisch was also the most dominant driver of the race, winning the first stage and leading a race-high 45 laps. To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
With Zilisch's win, he became the seventh driver in O'Reilly Auto Parts Series history to win in their series debut, and the first driver across all three NASCAR divisions to win both the pole position and the race in their first start. At 18 years, 1 month, and 23 days old, he is also the second-youngest winner in O'Reilly Auto Parts Series history.
This was also the last race USA would air and broadcast the series. The CW will take over the TV rights to the entire O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule as part of the next TV contract which runs from 2025 to 2031.
Report
Background
Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake00Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet5Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet07Jade BufordSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet11Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet13Kyle KellerMBM MotorsportsFord14R. C. EnersonSS-Green Light RacingFord15Joey Logano (i)AM RacingFord16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet17William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota20Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet26Ed JonesSam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet28Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord29Blaine PerkinsRSS RacingFord31Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet32Austin GreenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet35Thomas AnnunziataJoey Gase MotorsportsToyota36Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet38Matt DiBenedettoRSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord42Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet43Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet44Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Alon DayAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet48Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet81Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota87Mike SkeenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet88Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet91Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet92Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet97Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Notes
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 AM EST, and would last for 20 minutes. Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:12.069, and a speed of .
Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed188Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.069122.383219Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1:12.386121.852316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1:12.471121.704Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, September 14, at 10:30 AM EST. Since Watkins Glen International is a road course, the qualifying system is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have multiple laps to set a time. The fastest 5 drivers from each group will advance to the final round. The fastest driver to set a time in that round will win the pole.
Under a 2021 rule change, the timing line in road course qualifying is "not" the start-finish line. Instead, the timing line for qualifying will be set at the exit of Turn 9. In his first career start, Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would win the pole after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest time in Round 2, with a lap of 1:11.028, and a speed of .
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Blaine Perkins, Jade Buford, and Kyle Keller.
Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)188Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.364123.5921:11.028124.176219Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1:11.473123.4031:11.171123.927316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1:11.418123.4981:11.404123.52247Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.039124.1571:11.428123.48151Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.517123.3271:11.574123.229681Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:11.732122.9581:11.659123.083717William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1:11.630123.1331:11.711122.994820Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:11.714122.9891:11.847122.761918Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:11.762122.9061:12.046122.4221021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:11.736122.9511:12.198122.164Eliminated in Round 1112Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1:11.782122.872——1298Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord1:11.806122.831——1397Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet1:11.847122.761——1439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1:11.847122.761——1500Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord1:11.979122.536——169Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.079122.366——178Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.130122.279——1851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1:12.160122.228——1948Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet1:12.201122.159——2038Matt DiBenedettoRSS RacingFord1:12.325121.950——2192Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet1:12.360121.891——2245Alon DayAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1:12.568121.541——2331Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:12.578121.524——245Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.581121.519——2587Mike SkeenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:12.656121.394——2691Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet1:12.684121.347——2732Austin GreenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:12.717121.292——2827Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1:12.736121.260——2936Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet1:12.763121.215——3035Thomas AnnunziataJoey Gase MotorsportsToyota1:12.879121.023——3144Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1:13.028120.776——3242Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet1:13.177120.530——3315Joey Logano (i)AM RacingFord1:13.183120.520——Qualified by owner's points3414R. C. EnersonSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:13.238120.429——3543Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1:13.374120.206——3628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1:13.434120.108——3726Ed JonesSam Hunt RacingToyota————3811Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet————Failed to qualify3929Blaine PerkinsRSS RacingFord1:13.344120.255——4007Jade BufordSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:13.392120.177——4113Kyle KellerMBM MotorsportsFord1:14.291118.722——Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts188Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet1027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9320Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8481Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7518Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6600Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord572Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4898Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord3939Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord21051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts117William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet0219Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0388Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet841Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet757Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet6600Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord5798Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord4821Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3939Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord21051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 50 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1188Connor ZilischJR MotorsportsChevrolet9045Running582918Sheldon CreedJoe Gibbs RacingToyota900Running413316A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet905Running344681Chandler SmithJoe Gibbs RacingToyota900Running4051397Shane van Gisbergen (R)Kaulig RacingChevrolet9014Running3262192Ross Chastain (i)DGM RacingChevrolet900Running071948Parker KligermanBig Machine RacingChevrolet900Running308112Jesse Love (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet900Running3393315Joey Logano (i)AM RacingFord900Running0102691Josh BilickiDGM RacingChevrolet900Running27112732Austin GreenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet900Running2612717William Byron (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet9016Running0131298Riley HerbstStewart–Haas RacingFord900Running31142331Parker RetzlaffJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet900Running23153543Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet900Running22163242Leland Honeyman (R)Young's MotorsportsChevrolet900Running211747Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet900Running35181851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet900Running2119178Sammy SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet900Running182051Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet901Running24211500Cole CusterStewart–Haas RacingFord906Running26221439Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord890Running19233144Brennan PooleAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet890Running14243726Ed JonesSam Hunt RacingToyota890Running1325219Ty Gibbs (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota893Running026820Aric AlmirolaJoe Gibbs RacingToyota880Running19273414R. C. EnersonSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet850Running1028169Brandon JonesJR MotorsportsChevrolet840Accident9293035Thomas AnnunziataJoey Gase MotorsportsToyota840Running8302587Mike SkeenJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet830Accident7312827Jeb BurtonJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet810Oil Leak6323811Josh WilliamsKaulig RacingChevrolet800Accident5331021Austin HillRichard Childress RacingChevrolet800Accident734245Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet800Accident3352038Matt DiBenedettoRSS RacingFord750Rear Gear2362245Alon DayAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet570Brakes1373628Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord540Axle1382936Kyle WeathermanDGM RacingChevrolet150Rear End1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings