Connor Zilisch comments on his recovery and the timeline for a return
Connor Zilisch drove to the NASCAR Xfinity Series win on Saturday at Watkins Glen International. But, his day was far from over.
As he stood on top of the car in victory lane, the race winner slipped on the window net. He foot went inside the car as his body fell.
He fell head first and was knocked unconscious. The safety team arrived in a hurry.
Connor Zilisch falls unconscious after NASCAR win (Video)
The race winner was put on a stretcher and carried to the ambulance. He was first transported to the infield care center before a trip to the local hospital.
Hours later, Zilisch was released from the hospital with a broken collarbone. However, he noted all other scans were cleared.
Today, Zilisch was qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series event. Trackhouse Racing elected to withdraw the entry from the event.
The 19-year-old driver still returned to the track on Sunday. He was seen wearing a sling as he talked about the incident…
Related: 16-car NASCAR crash brings out the red flag at Watkins Glen (Video)
Connor Zilisch comments
“First of all, I’m doing okay,” Connor Zilisch told USA Sports Network.
“Very grateful to be able to walk away from that. I guess I didn’t walk away but very grateful to be walking today.”
“Thank you to all the medics who took care of me. Everybody who reached out. I do appreciate it a lot.”
“I was climbing out of the car, obviously, the window net was on the door. As soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped and the last thing I remember was being halfway down and falling.”
“Glad it wasn’t any worse and a collarbone is the extent of the injuries. Hate I couldn’t make it to the race today and give myself to get a good results for Trackhouse.”
“We’re still working with all the doctors to figure out what’s going to be the next steps. I’ve got a little motivation from Shane [van Gisbergen], my teammate. He had a plate put in and raced the week after. So, I don’t know if I’ll be that quick but hopefully my young bones will heal fast and I’ll get in it as soon as possible.”
Zilisch is the current NASCAR Xfinity Series point leader with 6 race wins in 2025. He’s won four of the last five races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
To help his efforts in a return to the car, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is heading into an off-weekend. The next event is August 22 at Daytona International Speedway.
Connor Zilisch falls unconscious after NASCAR win (Video)
