Drama erupted mid-race at Watkins Glen when Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen tangled in a tense on-track moment. The race teetered on the edge as the duo clashed between turns 6 and 7. Yet, it was ultimately Zilisch who took it away as the Kiwi racer faltered. But whose fault was it? Well, let’s look at what exactly unfolded so you can judge for yourselves…

On Turn 6, Zilisch and SVG were battling for the lead during the Mission 200 At The Glen when the latter tried blocking his teammate aggressively. Zilisch, not one to sit quiet, also began trying to find a way around the Kiwi driver, when the two clashed with just 18 laps to go. The 19-year-old had reportedly moved to the outside on the run down into Turn 6, where he blew a corner going extremely wide. However, as he tried getting back, he was met with a lack of room with van Gisbergen already in the inside lane, leaving just enough room. The young racer’s left front corner ultimately clipped SVG’s right rear, sending him straight to the SAFER barrier entering Turn 7.

Thankfully, while the No. 9 Kubota Chevrolet suffered extensive damage beyond repair and went airborne, the New Zealand native was unharmed. Immediately after, Zilisch’s voice was heard over the radio. “I don’t know what I could have done differently. He didn’t leave me any room to rejoin. “He spun off my nose … I think he thought I was clear,” the driver said. Later, SVG also addressed the same.

During an appearance on The Dale Jr Download podcast aired August 12, the namesake host/JR Motorsports’ owner asked his driver, “What is your feeling about how that all played out?” To this, the 36-year-old responded, “Firstly, sorry to junk one of your beautiful race cars,” before adding, “I had more time to reflect and…it’s where the racing is different here. Like every other racing series in the world, if someone goes off the track, it’s their problem. They have to get back on safely. Whereas here, it’s on both you to let the racing continue and give racing room.”

“The other thing was, he was catching me. He was way faster. And I sort of thought to myself, ‘I’ll try and hold him off for three or four laps and maybe his tires will heat up following me, and then it’ll equal out’…When he went around the outside, he went in way too deep, and I knew I hadn’t and cleared him. But I gave him just one car width to get back on the track and I was going to pinch him narrow into seven. And I think he thought as well, I was going to shade all the way back to the left. It was just a misjudgment or racing incident really, but catastrophic result,” the former Supercars racer continued.

“I was defending pretty hard, and I went back to the middle of the road. So then I’d know I’d pinch him and I’d get a good run on the front straight, and I was going to clear him again. And yeah, he just misjudged coming back on. But yeah, so it was both our faults really,” he further added. Jr, however, had a person to blame.

“Connor coming back on the track and clipping him was avoidable. [SVG]’s shading left to make the entrance for Turn 7 and Connor’s options into Turn 7 (limited). He’s doing that and he had been doing this for many laps, to try to make it hard for Connor to get around. And he’s doing it again. And Connor didn’t cut him a break. Connor could have lifted. Connor could have got back behind. There’s 15 laps in the race to go. This is like a last lap, last corner move. And there were so many laps left in the race. And we would have been gifted more laps of these two guys trying to battle,” he said.

Looking ahead, Zilisch continues to lead the Xfinity standings with three regular-season races remaining despite a broken collarbone. He remains firmly in a playoff position. For SVG, his full-time Cup campaign brandishes momentum, anchored by a recent multi-year extension with Trackhouse and a growing legacy as a road-course ace.

SVG looking to make the most of his rookie success in NASCAR

On the Cup side of things, Shane van Gisbergen seized another iconic road-course win at Watkins Glen this weekend. This extended his dominance to four wins this season. Despite the victory, he remains determined to translate that road-course prowess into success on NASCAR’s ovals. The Kiwi recently revealed the personal sacrifices behind his Cup Series commitment, and foreshadowed what lies ahead as he chases his first oval victory.

Van Gisbergen explained that a full-time role at Trackhouse enables him to craft setups that fit his style. This would be unlike last year, when he bounced between teams. He said, “I’m all involved in the setup, trying to learn every week… this year, I’m with the team full time.” That involvement has translated into performance, helping him to refine his vehicle week by week, and fueling his competitive drive.

SVG admitted the win felt especially meaningful after personal and professional setbacks. He added, “I changed my life to come and do this… To come and make true of what everyone believed in me, and to execute myself and get everything right? It’s why I go racing.” While road-course wins flood his resume, ovals remain the next frontier. SVG admitted, “It’s obviously something to dream about winning on an oval…”

SVG’s full-season NASCAR commitment reflects more than ambition. It’s a life-changing choice born of belief, sacrifice, and purpose. Road-course success brought early wins. And now, the challenge shifts to oval triumphs. As he continues molding his Cup career, he carries not just a team’s expectations, but deeply personal motivations powering each turn.