Connor Zilisch suffers ninth DNF of the season at New Hampshire

NASCAR rookie Connor Zilisch experienced his ninth DNF of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after an incident involving Riley Herbst. While battling Michael McDowell, Herbst spun into the Turn 3 wall, leaving his car in a dangerous position on the track.

Despite warnings from his spotter, Stefan Parsons, to stay low, Zilisch locked his front tires and pushed higher, clipping Herbst’s stationary Toyota before slamming into the outside wall. The impact resulted in a loss of oil pressure, ending Zilisch's race.

Zilisch, who drives the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, expressed significant frustration over the error on team radio. His 2026 debut season has been marked by high attrition, with seven DNFs in his last thirteen races and a total of 5,278 laps completed, the lowest among full-time drivers.