Zilisch Loses Chicagoland Lead After Fuel-Pressure Failure

The mechanical failure under caution cost him the lead, leaving him to salvage a 10th as he prepares to shift full attention to his Cup rookie season.

Overview

Zilisch started from the pole after qualifying was rained out and led every lap to win stage one, showing the fastest pace early in the race.
His No. 1 car lost fuel pressure under the stage-one caution and stalled on track, which dropped him from the lead to 27th when pit road opened.
He fought back through the field into the top 10 but suffered a flat tire on lap 133 and spun on lap 156, each incident further derailing his comeback.
Despite the sequence of mechanical trouble and on-track incidents, Zilisch recovered to finish 10th at Chicagoland Speedway.
The result fits a 2026 pattern of clear speed but mixed outcomes for Zilisch, who has two O’Reilly Series wins and will now concentrate on the rest of his Cup Series schedule.