Despite Trackhouse Racing withdrawing the No. 87 entry from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, Connor Zilisch still made his way to the track, his right arm strapped from the collarbone owing to the injury he suffered in Saturday’s accident. Though he never climbed into the car, Trackhouse owner Justin Marks said Zilisch likely came to reassure fans he was alright.
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Following Shane van Gisbergen’s fourth straight road course win, Marks told reporters during the post-race press conference, “I think it was important for him (to show up). I think that he doesn’t want to be away. He wants to be at the racetrack. His whole life is about being a race car driver.
“For a guy like Connor, even if he’s not in the race car today and he’s not feeling that well, he feels like there’s always an opportunity to learn something. So, he sat in the bus with me today, and we were watching timing and scoring together.
“I think he just wanted to show the fans and show the sport that he was upright and he was okay and he’s committed and he really wants to get back as fast as he can. I’m glad that he came today and showed that he’s a part of this company.”
Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series standings for JR Motorsports, with a planned but unannounced move to the Cup Series in 2026 for Trackhouse Racing. He was supposed to start 25th in Sunday’s Cup race at The Glen in a fourth Trackhouse entry, but will instead focus on recovery after being released from the hospital.
The injury came moments after his sixth Xfinity win of the season, when his victory lane celebration went awry. Climbing out with one foot on the driver’s window sill and the other on the roof, he slipped on the wet surface, his foot catching the window net, and fell hard to the pavement.
Zilisch said on Sunday after the Cup race, “I was climbing out of the car, and obviously the window net was on the door, and as soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped, and the last thing I remember was being halfway down and falling.
“So, glad it wasn’t any worse and that the collarbone is the extent of the injuries, but hate I couldn’t make it to the race today and give myself a shot to go get a good result for Trackhouse.”
Zilisch asserted that his team is consulting with doctors to determine the next steps. However, this time he’d carry some pressure of recovering in two weeks before returning to his Xfinity ride at Daytona, otherwise it will mark the second time in 2025 he will be sidelined after missing time earlier in the year with a back injury from Talladega.
However, drawing motivation from teammate van Gisbergen’s grit, racing the weekend after having a plate put in, Zilisch admitted he may not return that quickly but hopes his 19-year-old bones heal fast enough to get him back in the seat as soon as possible.
