JR Motorsports has confirmed that its NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch is ready to race at this weekend’s Wawa 250 at the Daytona International Speedway. However, Trackhouse Racing, the team that fields Zilisch in a Cup Series car, admitted that his condition is still being monitored on a day-to-day basis, and there is no hurry to put him back in the car until he is completely fit to race.
After winning the Xfinity race at Watkins Glen, Zilisch climbed on top of his car to celebrate the milestone. However, he immediately fell head first and broke his collarbone. He underwent surgery to expedite the healing process so he could get back to racing as soon as possible.
The 19-year-old driver leads the Xfinity Series championship, and the upcoming race weekend could add to his chances of winning the championship. JRM confirmed that Zilisch will be driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend.
Zilisch was to race in the Cup Series with Trackhouse the day after his fall, but the injury led to his absence. Now, Trackhouse owner Justin Marks has opened up on Zilisch’s racing return, suggesting that a decision will be taken depending on the extent of his recovery. Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as quoted by NASCAR, he said:
“It’s a balance. It’s a balance between a 19-year-old kid who just wants to be in the race car and can’t stand not being in the race car and is capable of driving the race car right now. And the other side of that is we need to make a smart decision. What we can’t do is rush him back into the car, especially a place like Daytona, get in a wreck and then be worse off than we were before.
“So it’s kind of a day-by-day deal right now. This will be a big week to see how his rehab goes and his comfort level and all that stuff. And it could end up being a game-time decision. I know that we all want him back in the race car. He wants to be back in the race car. JRM wants him to be back in the race car. But we’ve got to make smart decisions, so I would just say, stay tuned on that one.”
Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series championship by seven points over Justin Allgaier. The race at Watkins Glen was Zilisch’s sixth race win of the season.
Related: NASCAR’s Connor Zilisch Gets Trolled by His Father After ‘Embarrassing’ Fall
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