Connor Zilisch fractures collarbone after he was involved in a freak accident during his celebrations post the NASCAR Xfinity race win in Watkins Glen.
Connor Zilisch was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a broken collarbone after falling from his car in Victory Lane, just after his win in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International.
Zilisch’s injuries will force him to miss Sunday’s Cup Series race, the Go Bowling at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Trackhouse Racing announced Saturday night that it would withdraw Zilisch’s No. 87 Chevrolet entry, wishing their driver a speedy recovery.
Zilisch led 60 of the 82 laps in the Mission 200, registering his sixth win of the Xfinity Series season. His celebration was abbreviated as he emerged from his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet when he suddenly fell to the ground below.
Medical personnel at the track placed the 19-year-old driver on a backboard, and he was loaded into an ambulance for transport to the care center at the track. The CW broadcast reported that Zilisch was alert and speaking with the safety crew.
NASCAR Communications officials later announced that Zilisch was awake and alert, but that he would be transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. JR Motorsports posted later Saturday evening that Zilisch had been released.
Zilisch posted to social media Saturday night about the nature of his injuries, indicating that his collarbone was broken and sharing his appreciation for the rapid response of safety personnel. “Thank you everybody for reaching out today,” he wrote.
“I’m out of the hospital and getting better already. Thankfully, CT scans for my head are clear, I just have a broken collarbone. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.
Zilisch was slated to make his fourth career Cup Series start in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, the site of his first Xfinity Series victory last September. Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series in both wins and points in his rookie year. His victory at The Glen broke a tie atop the standings with JRM teammate Justin Allgaier, the defending series champion.
Zilisch missed a race earlier this year after suffering a lower back injury in a final-lap crash at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The injury forced him out of the Xfinity Series’ event at Texas Motor Speedway, where Cup Series regular Kyle Larson subbed in and drove his No. 88 Chevrolet to victory.
Here’s video: https://x.com/TVJacksonWang/status/1954321820657852457
https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1954326118259130609
https://x.com/NASCAR_Xfinity/status/1954318662069809404
[The story is as per press release]
