Driver Connor Zilisch’s head-first tumble from the roof of his car in Victory Lane last weekend resulted in a broken collarbone but no changes in the customary celebrations, NASCAR said.
There will be more attention on the window net, which apparently tangled with Zilisch’s left foot as he climbed out of his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet after winning the Mission 200 at The Glen Xfinity Series race on Saturday night.
Zilisch, 19, had one foot on the hood and one on the ledge of the window and was posing for photographs when he lost his balance and fell hard to the ground. The rookie was taken off the track on a backboard and to the hospital via ambulance.
“I think that was part of the problem, that the window net was flapping on the outside,” NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde said during the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast released on Wednesday.
“I think Connor even said that may have been a problem, and one of our safety guys actually mentioned the same thing. So, we may do just sort of a check to make sure that if that’s inside the car, it’s one less thing you can slip on.”
Zilisch did not race on Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International Speedway.
“First of all, I’m doing OK,” Zilisch said during the USA broadcast of the race. “Very grateful to be able to walk away from that. I guess I didn’t walk away, but I’m very grateful to be walking today and to just be all right. Thank you to all the medics who took care of me, and everybody who reached out and wished me well. I do appreciate it a lot.”
Zilisch said he knew he was in trouble just before the fall.
“Yeah, I was climbing out of the car and obviously the window net was on the door, and as soon as they started spraying water, my foot slipped,” Zilisch said. “The last thing I remember was being halfway down and falling, so I’m glad it wasn’t any worse, and that the collarbone is the extent of the injuries, but hate I couldn’t make it to the race today.”
Forde said on the podcast that NASCAR has not “put in any policies or best practices or anything like that,” with regard to drivers climbing onto the doorsill while celebrating.
Zilisch said he had surgery on his collarbone on Tuesday. The Xfinity Series points leader has not announced his status for the Aug. 22 race at Daytona International Speedway. He already used a playoff waiver for sitting out the May 2 event at Texas Motor Speedway because of a back injury.
Forde said Zilisch must request another waiver to remain eligible for the series championship if he misses Daytona or other races.
“He has to miss a race first, so we’re probably a good two weeks away from even receiving a waiver request from Connor,” Forde said. “We’ll get with the doctors and find out where he is.”
Forde said that if Zilisch was medically cleared to race but chose to miss races while healing before the playoffs, NASCAR would consider it.
Driver Alex Bowman, for example, missed a race in 2022 at Martinsville Speedway after being cleared during recovery from a concussion.
“It’s a case-by-case basis,” Forde said.
–Field Level Media
