In what was a very physical race, 19-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch won again in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen on Saturday. Zilisch won at The Glen last year in his debut. With the win, he picked up his seventh career win and the sixth of the season.
Disaster struck post-race however, as Zilisch slipped and fell from the top of his car while celebrating in victory lane. He was subsequently placed on a backboard, loaded into an ambulance and taken to a medical center.
It has now been revealed that Zilisch is thankfully awake and alert, courtesy of a statement sent out by NASCAR. He’ll receive further evaluation at a local hospital.
“As stated in the media center by NASCAR, Connor Zilisch is awake and alert and being transported to a local hospital for further evaluations,” JR Motorsports tweeted shortly thereafter.
The fall was terrifying to watch. Zilisch was standing on his car as he normally does after a win. He was notably shaky as he stood up, and when he came down, his foot was caught in his seat, causing him to fall.
So quickly, things went from happy celebrations to worry and concern. Connor Zilisch is the hottest young driver in the sport. No one wants to see this happen to any driver, especially after a big win.
Obviously, the main concern is his head and neck. You immediately think about a concussion in these situations. However, we also saw Zilisch’s leg and ankle twist as he fell. This was a rough fall, and there could be multiple issues.
Saturday’s race was highlighted by Zilisch’s massive hit of teammate Shane van Gisbergen late in the race. As Zilisch began to beat down the bumper of SVG for the lead, Austin Hill re-entered the picture and put immense pressure on Zilisch. This increased his desire to pass Gisbergen, which would end up cutting SVG’s day short.
Zilisch has six wins this season. This was his fourth win in five races. Just a few weeks ago, Zilisch was in the middle of a three-race win streak. Following today’s win, he’s in a much more dire position. Everyone in the NASCAR community is thinking about the 19-year-old as he continues to be evaluated.
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this report.
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