Connor Zilisch Recounts His Accident at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen, N.Y. – Connor Zilisch, with his left arm in a sling, returned to Watkins Glen International to recount his spectacular crash in the victory lane. After winning Saturday’s Xfinity race at the circuit, Zilisch suffered a fall while celebrating in his No. 88 Chevrolet. The 19-year-old driver was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured clavicle. Trackhouse Racing withdrew the No. 87 Chevrolet that he was scheduled to drive in Sunday’s Cup race at Watkins Glen.After his sixth win of the season, Zilisch realized he was in trouble immediately after the chaos began in victory lane, a typically frenetic place with team members celebrating and throwing drinks as the driver exits the car. “Yes, I was getting out of the car and obviously the window net was on the door, and as soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped,” she explained. “And the last thing I remember was being halfway down and falling, so I’m glad it wasn’t worse, and that the collarbone is the extent of the injuries, but I hate that I couldn’t compete today.” The question now is whether Zilisch will be ready to race in the next Xfinity race on August 22 at Daytona International Speedway.“First of all, I’m okay,” Zilisch said during the Cup race broadcast. “Very grateful to be able to get out of that, and I guess I didn’t walk out, but I’m very grateful to be walking today and to be okay. Thanks to all the doctors who took care of me and everyone who reached out and wished me the best. I appreciate it very much.”
Connor Zilisch
He has already proven to be a fast healer this season. After a one-race absence at Texas Motor Speedway due to a back injury from a crash at Talladega Superspeedway, Zilisch had achieved 11 consecutive top-five finishes and five wins since his return. He pointed out that his Trackhouse teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, “got an implant once and raced the following weekend. So I don’t know if I’ll be that fast, but I hope my young bones heal quickly, and I can get back to racing as soon as possible.”“We are still working with all the doctors to figure out what the next steps will be,” Zilisch said.
Connor Zilisch
