Connor Zilisch captured his second straight Watkins Glen Xfinity Series victory Saturday in a wild, crash-filled Mission 200, but his celebration ended with a frightening twist.
After climbing from his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to celebrate, the 19-year-old slipped and fell to the ground. He was treated by medical personnel and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. NASCAR confirmed he was awake and alert. Zilisch later posted on social media that CT scans came back clean, but he has a broken collarbone.
The race saw fierce competition between Zilisch and teammate Shane van Gisbergen, with the pair battling up front until contact with 18 laps to go dropped van Gisbergen from contention. Austin Hill briefly took the lead after a restart, but another caution reset the field. Zilisch charged from fifth with eight laps remaining to reclaim the top spot. Moments later, a collision between Hill and Michael McDowell sparked a massive pileup that halted the race for 45 minutes. McDowell escaped injury despite heavy damage in his first Xfinity start in nine years.
Zilisch finished 2.326 seconds ahead of Sam Mayer, with Sammy Smith, Hill, Carson Kvapil, and Justin Allgaier in the top six. Austin Green, Christian Eckes, Brandon Jones, and Harrison Burton rounded out the Top 10.
With three races before the playoffs, Zilisch leads Allgaier by seven points, while Burton holds the final transfer spot by 30 points. The series returns August 22 at Daytona.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].