Connor Zilisch Faces Daytona After Collarbone Fracture
JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch will seek to compete at Daytona International Speedway this Friday, despite having suffered a broken collarbone less than two weeks ago.
Zilisch, points leader in the Xfinity Series, confirmed on Thursday that he has been cleared to compete. He will participate in qualifying and plans to complete the 100 laps of the race at Daytona.
To ensure his participation, Parker Kligerman will be available as a substitute in Daytona.
The 19-year-old young driver, who is projected to compete in the Cup next year with Trackhouse Racing, underwent surgery last week to stabilize the fracture with a plate. The injury occurred at Watkins Glen on August 9, when his foot got caught in the net of his window, causing a fall that impacted his head against the concrete.
With three races remaining in the regular season, Zilisch leads the points standings with a seven-point lead over Justin Allgaier. He will earn points simply by starting the race, even if Kligerman replaces him in the car.
Zilisch has shown a remarkable ability to recover this season. After missing one race at Texas Motor Speedway due to a back injury sustained in an accident at Talladega Superspeedway, Zilisch has achieved 11 consecutive top-five finishes and five wins since his return.
