“That Could’ve Ended Horribly”: Connor Zilisch’s Near Miss With Camera Operator Ignites NASCAR Fan Backlash

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch (88) celebrates after winning the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Connor Zilisch triumphed at Gateway on Saturday to clinch his ninth victory of the 2025 Xfinity Series as well as seal the regular-season championship. However, he almost had a mishap while celebrating the win. The close call reminded everyone of the incident at Watkins Glen, where he broke his collarbone while celebrating a race win at Watkins Glen in August.

As the 19-year-old JR Motorsports driver performed a donut and burnouts, he came dangerously close to one of the cameramen positioned trackside. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the process. The near-disaster showed how risky on-track celebrations can be.

The NASCAR community expressed its shock on social media after the incident. The cameraman received the bulk of the criticism.

One fan wrote, “Under no circumstances should a damn TV camera guy be on a HOT race track. It’s absurd.”

Another added, “It’s a hot track. There is no reason the camera guy or the interviewer couldn’t have been behind the wall. This start/finish interview is played out and stupid.”

One fan gave a sensible take about how winner interviews need to go back to Victory Lane from the frontstretch. They wrote, “We officially need to get rid of the camera guy on the frontstretch. God, that could’ve ended HORRIBLY. Take winner interviews BACK TO VICTORY LANE WHERE THEY BELONG.”

Zilisch is giving the world a lot to talk about with what he does in races. With incidents such as these, fans are getting more fuel. And with talent brimming and performance to show, there is no engine hotter than his right now.

Zilisch’s thoughts on regular-season success

Kyle Busch currently holds the record for the most wins in an Xfinity Series season. He won 13 races in 2010. There are eight more races left in the ongoing season. With the way Zilisch is currently racing, he may eclipse that mark.

“Yeah, I’m not chasing records, but I show up to the track every week and want to win. So yeah, I hope I get to 13, but it’s not like my season’s going to be a disaster if I don’t get there. I don’t really look at those things,” the No. 88 Chevy pilot said.

As cool as it is to break records and top statistics, Zilisch’s focus is more on showing up to the track every weekend and reaching Victory Lane. Now 59 points above the playoff elimination line, he has the best seat in the house heading into the postseason.

Post Edited By: Leslie Xavier
Connor Zilisch JR Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series World Wide Technology Raceway

About the author

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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