Connor Zilisch Breaks Collarbone in Victory Lane Fall After Sixth Win of Season

NASCAR’s rising star Connor Zilisch suffers a setback after slipping off his car during celebrations at Watkins Glen — but says he’s grateful it wasn’t worse.

Connor Zilisch, one of NASCAR’s breakout talents this season, suffered a broken collarbone on Saturday after a hard fall during post-race celebrations at Watkins Glen International.

The 19-year-old had just clinched his sixth win of the 2025 Xfinity Series season when he climbed onto the roof of his No. 88 car in Victory Lane. As water sprayed around him, Zilisch’s left foot caught in the window netting, causing him to slip and tumble onto the asphalt.

“I’m out of the hospital and getting better already,” Zilisch posted on X. “Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”

He was taken to the infield care center and then transported to a local hospital. CT scans showed no head injury, and Zilisch later joked about the incident, calling himself “a dummy” but expressing gratitude for the support and quick medical response.

Zilisch was scheduled to race in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Watkins Glen, but Trackhouse Racing withdrew the No. 87 entry following the injury. His next Xfinity Series start is set for August 22 at Daytona International Speedway, though his recovery timeline remains uncertain.

This isn’t Zilisch’s first injury this season. He missed a race in May after a crash at Talladega Superspeedway left him with a back injury. Since returning, he’s posted 11 consecutive top-five finishes, including wins at Pocono, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, and now Watkins Glen.

Currently, Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series standings, sitting seven points ahead of Justin Allgaier, with 12 top-five finishes and 14 top-10s this season.

Despite the setback, Zilisch remains optimistic.

“The collarbone is probably the best injury I could have had from what happened,” he told NBC Sports. “Grateful that my head’s OK, my legs are OK… definitely scary, but I’m walking around today”.