2025 Nu Way 200
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 26 of 33 of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | September 6, 2025 | ||
| Official name | 1st Annual Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog | ||
| Location | World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) | ||
| Distance | 160 laps, 200 mi (321 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 160 laps, 200 mi (321 km) | ||
| Average speed | 90.543 mph (145.715 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Time | 32.935 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 121 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 88 | Connor Zilisch | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | The CW | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Parker Kligerman, and Jamie McMurray | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
The 2025 Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog was the 26th stock car race of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series, the final race of the regular season, and the 1st iteration of the event after a fifteen-year absence of Xfinity racing at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race was held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 160 laps to complete.
Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would continue his unstoppable season, winning the first stage and led a race-high 121 laps to earn his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his ninth of the season, and his fourth consecutive win. He became the highest winning rookie driver in series history, and also became the third driver in series history to win four straight Xfinity Series races, alongside Sam Ard and Noah Gragson.[9] To fill out the podium, William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Christian Eckes, driving for Kaulig Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Following the race, Zilisch claimed the regular season championship.[10] The 2025 playoff field was set; the 12 drivers that qualified were Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, Nick Sanchez, Carson Kvapil, Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, Harrison Burton, and Austin Hill.[11]
Report
Background
World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a 1.25-mile (2 kilometer) oval that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NTT IndyCar Series, a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) infield road course used by the SCCA, Porsche Club of America, and various car clubs, and a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts the annual NHRA Midwest Nationals event. It previously hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
The first and only practice was held on Friday, September 5, at 4:05 PM CST, and would last for 50 minutes.[12] Sam Mayer, driving for Haas Factory Team, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 33.375, and a speed of 134.831 mph (216.989 km/h).[13]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 33.375 | 134.831 |
| 2 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 33.485 | 134.389 |
| 3 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 33.520 | 134.248 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, September 6, at 2:00 PM CST. Since World Wide Technology Raceway is a 1.25 miles (2.01 km) oval, the qualifying system used is a single-car, one-lap system with only one round. Drivers will be on track by themselves and will have one lap to post a qualifying time, and whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole.[12]
Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would score his fourth consecutive pole for the race, with a lap of 32.935, and a speed of 136.633 mph (219.889 km/h).[14]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Qualifying results
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 35
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 19 | Aric Almirola | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 18 | William Sawalich (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 54 | Taylor Gray (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | Christian Eckes (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 35
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 19 | Aric Almirola | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 18 | William Sawalich (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 16 | Christian Eckes (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 90
| Fin[15] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 121 | Running | 59 |
| 2 | 3 | 18 | William Sawalich (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 160 | 7 | Running | 50 |
| 3 | 10 | 16 | Christian Eckes (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 38 |
| 4 | 12 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 160 | 0 | Running | 37 |
| 5 | 18 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 41 |
| 6 | 7 | 19 | Aric Almirola | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 160 | 2 | Running | 49 |
| 7 | 17 | 11 | Daniel Hemric (i) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 8 | 26 | 4 | Parker Retzlaff | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 29 |
| 9 | 16 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | Daniel Dye (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 27 |
| 11 | 23 | 99 | Matt DiBenedetto | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 9 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 34 |
| 13 | 21 | 42 | Anthony Alfredo | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 14 | 27 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 31 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 30 | 26 | Dean Thompson (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 160 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 5 | 54 | Taylor Gray (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 160 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 18 | 32 | 71 | Ryan Ellis | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 19 | 36 | 45 | Lavar Scott | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 29 | 70 | Thomas Annunziata | Cope Family Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 37 | 91 | Matt Mills (i) | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 22 | 6 | 25 | Harrison Burton | AM Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 25 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 20 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 2 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 20 |
| 26 | 38 | 53 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 13 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 14 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 28 | Running | 26 |
| 29 | 34 | 07 | Nick Leitz | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 160 | 2 | Running | 8 |
| 30 | 15 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 158 | 0 | Running | 7 |
| 31 | 35 | 35 | Glen Reen | Joey Gase Motorsports | Toyota | 158 | 0 | Running | 6 |
| 32 | 33 | 14 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 158 | 0 | Running | 5 |
| 33 | 22 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 157 | 0 | Running | 4 |
| 34 | 24 | 76 | Kole Raz | AM Racing | Ford | 145 | 0 | Running | 3 |
| 35 | 4 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 134 | 0 | Accident | 8 |
| 36 | 19 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 109 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| 37 | 8 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38 | 0 | Engine | 1 |
| 38 | 28 | 32 | Jordan Anderson | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 33 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Standings after the race
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References
- ^ "2025 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series WWT Raceway Race Page". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "Entry list" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "Practice Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "Qualifying Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "Starting lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "Race Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ "Connor Zilisch scores fourth straight victory, wins Xfinity Series regular season championship". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ Spencer, Reid (September 6, 2025). "Connor Zilisch pours it on at Gateway, lands fourth consecutive Xfinity Series win, regular-season title". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Wire Service. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs field is set". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ a b "NASCAR Xfinity Series 2025 Practice and Qualifying Procedures". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ Christie, Toby (September 5, 2025). "Sam Mayer Tops NASCAR Xfinity Practice on Haas Factory Team's Big Day". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ Christie, Toby (September 6, 2025). "Connor Zilisch Rockets to Gateway Pole for Seventh Pole of Rookie Xfinity Season". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Nu Way 200 - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.