WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WETM) – The NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at Watkins Glen International concluded with a frightening event.
Following his second-straight Xfinity Series victory at WGI, 19-year-old standout Connor Zilisch suffered a hard fall while emerging from his car in victory lane.
The conclusion to Saturday’s thrilling race ended in deafening silence, when emergency crews rushed onto the scene to assist the day’s champion. Zilisch was placed on a backboard and transported to the track’s medical center, and then to a local hospital.
Zilisch posted the following statement on “X,” revealing that he suffered a broken collarbone:
“Thank you everybody for reaching out today. I’m out of the hospital and getting better already. Thankfully, CT scans for my head are clear, I just have a broken collarbone. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”
Zilisch was also slated to compete in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen race for Team Trackhouse in the number 87 Red Bull Chevrolet, but the team has since announced his withdrawal.
Post-race incidents aside, Zilisch earned his sixth victory of the season, battling back through a wild race to the finish.
Things remained relatively calm through the opening stages, as Justin Allgaier and Zilisch claimed the green and white checkered flags.
In the final stage, intensity ramped up after a turn 6 crash by Sheldon Creed bunched up the field. Shane van Gisbergen stormed out to the lead on the restart, before wrecking off of the 88 car’s bumper with 18 to go.
On the following restart, Austin Hill nudged the rear of Zilisch’s car, sending him into the runoff area in turn 1, and back into sixth place. Moments later, a caution flag would fly for debris.
Action would wind down to the final eight laps, seeing Cup Series driver Michael McDowell slip from the lead into second place, before Hill turned the 11 car into the turn 6 “short shoot,” causing a 16-car pileup and a red flag stoppage.
Once cars began rolling after the delay, the caution was then extended due to Nick Sanchez crashing into a tire barrier.
When the race resumed, Zilisch restarted in the lead and cruised away from the field to take the victory for the second straight year.
The Xfinity Series will take a week off before returning for the Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola in Daytona, Florida.
You can catch that race Friday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW.
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