WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Sporting a smile with his left elbow in a black sling draped around his neck, NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch was back Sunday at Watkins Glen International and recounting his scary fall in victory lane at the road course.
After winning Saturday’s race in the second-tier Xfinity Series, Zilisch took a nasty tumble while attempting a celebratory perch on his JGR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet in celebration. Zilisch, 19, was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken collarbone.
Trackhouse Racing withdrew the part-time No. 87 Chevy that he was scheduled to drive in the top-tier Cup Series race Sunday at the same venue.
“First of all, I’m doing OK,” Zilisch said during the USA broadcast of the Cup Series race. “Very grateful to be able to walk away from that, and I guess I didn’t walk away, but I’m very grateful to be walking today and to just be all right. Thank you to all the medics who took care of me, and everybody who reached out and wished me well. I do appreciate it a lot.”
After his series-high sixth victory, season points leader Zilisch realized he was in trouble immediately after the chaos began in victory lane, which typically is a frenzied scene of winning team members cheering and tossing beverages as their driver exits the car.