Connor Zilisch’s Dad Finds “Silver Lining” After Son’s Watkins Glen Victory Lane Fall, NASCAR Fans Join In

Connor Zilisch’s sixth win of the season at Watkins Glen came with an unexpected twist when his post-race celebration turned into a dreadful fall that left him unconscious. But now that he’s been declared out of danger, his father, Jim Zilisch, is finding room for a little humor at his son’s expense.

As per the video shared by Speedway Digest on X, when Zilisch climbed out of his car, with his right foot on the roof and his left on the window frame, he slipped. His feet got stuck in the netting which threw him off balance and sent his head crashing toward the pavement. The impact left him motionless before safety crews placed him on a backboard and into an ambulance.

The CW broadcast reported he was speaking with medical personnel, while NBC Sports’ Dustin Long noted he sat up in the ambulance while going to the infield care center. NASCAR later confirmed he was awake and alert but transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Updates revealed he had suffered a broken collarbone in the fall.

Jim Zilisch first reassured fans on Facebook that his 19-year-old son was out of danger. And then, in true fatherly fashion, he took to X to deliver a playful jab: “Silver lining. Pooping himself is no longer his most embarrassing moment.”

Fans also chimed in, lauding senior Zilisch for raising a strong child and how only a dad can make fun of his son like that after making sure he is out of any potential danger. While one fan commented, “Something only a dad could say. Or Jill Biden,” another joined Jim Zilisch to make fun of younger Zilisch, saying, “I would’ve pooped myself after that fall…”

A third one said, “Strong Dads raise Strong Kids…I love that about racing families. Fearless and tough as nails in the worst moments in life!!” One more came to the comments section of the post to write, “@jzilisch1 at least he gets a trophy with it… it be more embarrassing if the injury didn’t come with Hardware.”

Before the mishap, Zilisch had dominated the Mission 200, leading 60 of 82 laps after rebounding from 15th after Stage 1 to win Stage 2, successfully defending his Watkins Glen crown on the 2.45-mile road course where he claimed his first Xfinity Series win last year.

Update on Zilisch’s Watkins Glen Cup entry

Zilisch was scheduled to wheel the No. 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in Sunday’s Cup Series event at Watkins Glen International, but the team has now withdrawn the entry, as per their latest post on X, where the team also wished a speedy recovery for Zilisch.

Hence, only their full-time drivers, Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, and Daniel Suarez, will be seen tackling the road course. With a broken collarbone, his plans for the next race remain up in the air as well. The Xfinity Series is idle until August 22, when it returns at Daytona International Speedway.

Earlier this season, Zilisch also missed the Texas Motor Speedway race after a Talladega Superspeedway crash left him with a back injury. So, if he can’t recover from his injury this time, the Daytona race would be the second time he will miss a race this season.