“I’d Still Be In the Hospital”: Denny Hamlin Compares Age to Youth After Connor Zilisch’s Watkins Glen Victory Lane Spill

Denny Hamlin now stands among the oldest active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series following the retirements of Kevin Harvick in 2023 and Martin Truex Jr. last season. While he continues to win with greater consistency than many of his peers, he openly acknowledges that age is catching up to him. At 44, he knows the physical demands of racing weigh heavier, and any injury now would keep him sidelined far longer than it once might have.

He pointed to Connor Zilisch’s recent broken collarbone, suffered in a victory lane mishap at Watkins Glen. The next day, Zilisch was already at the Cup race, wearing a neck strap secured to his hands to aid recovery. Hamlin, however, admitted that if the same injury occurred to him, he would likely still be laid up in the hospital.

On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin recalled his reaction to the fall, saying, “I watched it and I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I’m genuinely concerned. First thing I thought, and I told Jordan this, I say, ‘Oh man, that’s a collarbone-breaker right there.’ You fall just right there. And sure enough, he broke that.”

He added, “But I thought he snapped his leg. I thought he had a concussion. It was just violent. I’d still be in the hospital. I mean to be young again, holy c**p. There’s no way. I don’t think I’m ever going to stand on top of my car again.”

For now, Zilisch’s recovery rests in the doctors’ hands. With the Xfinity Series idle this weekend, he has a two-week window before heading to Daytona, a stretch that could prove decisive for his championship ambitions. Meanwhile, Hamlin will head to Richmond this weekend to try and win his fifth race of the season.

Hamlin relieved by Zilisch’s dad’s joke

After Connor Zilisch regained consciousness and his father, Jim Zilisch, learned he was in the clear, the elder Zilisch found room for a bit of humor at his son’s expense. Jim first reassured fans on Facebook that the 19-year-old was out of danger, then took to X with a tongue-in-cheek jab: “Silver lining. Pooping himself is no longer his most embarrassing moment.”

That post, however, eased Hamlin’s mind, as he had been concerned about Zilisch’s condition. “It gave me a little sense of like, ‘Okay, he’s going to be fine.’ If his dad’s joking around on social media, it gave me at least a breath of like, ‘All right, I think he’s going to be okay,'” Hamlin said.

While Zilisch is eager to return, the timing is critical. Earlier this season, he missed the Texas Motor Speedway race after a crash at Talladega Superspeedway left him with a back injury. If he cannot recover in time for Daytona, it would mark the second race he has been forced to sit out this year.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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