Promising Young Driver Cleared for Daytona Comeback After Collarbone Break
After taking the checkered flag at Watkins Glen, 19-year-old Jr Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch took a tumble in victory lane. Zilisch, who just won his sixth NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his rookie campaign, climbed out of his No. 88 Registix Chevrolet to celebrate his win but fell and broke his collarbone in a freak accident. Now, 13 days after the incident, Zilisch will get back behind the wheel at Daytona for the Wawa 250. Parker Kligerman will be on standby as a replacement driver should Zilisch need to stop racing at any point.
The broadcast on The CW caught it as it happened and went to commercial after the incident. When he initially stepped out of the car, his foot slipped a little on the window net, and he caught himself. The second time it happened, he wasn’t so lucky. Zilisch’s foot got caught inside the car after the slip, and he landed on his head and collarbone. In a moment, his day of triumph turned to one of uncertainty. Zilisch lay motionless as medical workers tended to him, and he left Watking Glen on a stretcher in an ambulance.
It was confirmed that Zilisch broke his collarbone in the fall, but had no traces of a concussion or any sort of head injury. Zilisch was set to run the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday in the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Red Bull Chevrolet, but the fall forced Zilisch and the team to withdraw the entry from the event entirely. He made an appearance for an interview with NBC Sports early in the race and was in good spirits despite the circumstances. Trackhouse went on to get all three of its cars that were in the race a top-10 finish, highlighted by Shane Van Gisbergen’s fourth road course win of the season.
On Tuesday, August 12th, Zilisch had surgery to repair his collarbone. He had a plate and two screws inserted to help with the healing process. Typically, healing from a broken collarbone ranges from six to 12 weeks for a healthy 19-year-old. Zilisch, however, was adamant about getting back behind the wheel before then. With an off week in between Watkins Glen and the next race at Daytona, Zilisch had a small window of opportunity.
On the morning of August 21st, Zilisch made a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was cleared for Daytona and would not miss a race. JR Motorsports later confirmed the news on X. It is not uncommon for drivers to return early from injury, or drive injured altogether. His teammate, Van Gisbergen, spoke about his own experience with a collarbone injury. In 2021, Van Gisbergen broke his collarbone and had damage to his shoulder as well. Like Zilisch, he too had an off weekend and was able to race the next. He expected Zilisch to return, and now he will.
Zilisch currently sits atop the Xfinity Series regular season point standings, with a seven-point lead over teammate and 2024 Series Champion Justin Allgaier. He also leads the playoff leaderboard with 36 playoff points, 30 of which are from his wins, highlighted by his Pocono win with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as his crew chief. With three races to go before the postseason, Zilisch will look to end it on a high note as he gets set to get back behind the wheel at Daytona. The Wawa 250 from Daytona International Speedway will take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on The CW.
