Zilisch triumphed in Saturday’s thrilling NASCAR Xfinity race at Watkins Glen; however, he was taken to the hospital following a startling incident where he fell from the car after the race.
Nineteen-year-old Connor Zilisch was excited to commemorate yet another remarkable victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The emerging talent secured his sixth win of the season at Watkins Glen with a dramatic conclusion.
Zilisch was ascending from the vehicle in Victory Lane to commemorate the significant victory, but unexpectedly, he lost his footing and fell from the car. At that moment, Zilisch had removed his helmet and struck the ground, prompting The CW broadcast to abruptly switch to a commercial break. Upon their return, Zilisch was seen being carried away on a stretcher, while the car was being removed from Victory Lane.
According to The CW, Zilisch was conversing with medical personnel following the incident. He was subsequently placed into an ambulance and transported to the infield care center for additional assessment. Zilisch was later taken to a nearby hospital, yet he remains conscious and alert.
Race Recap:
Regarding the race itself, Zilisch commenced from pole position; however, the first caution was issued merely five laps into the event. Ryan Sieg lost control while entering Turn 6, resulting in a collision with Josh Bilicki, which caused both vehicles to spin. Bilicki became ensnared in the gravel, necessitating a yellow flag.
A comparable incident occurred later in the stage involving Thomas Annunziata and Anthony Alfredo, yet both managed to keep their vehicles on the track, thus avoiding an additional yellow flag.
Zilisch and SVG were among those who opted to pit prior to the conclusion of the stage in an effort to enhance their track position. This maneuver allowed Justin Allgaier to secure the stage victory over Taylor Gray.
At the beginning of the second stage, Zilisch reclaimed the lead while SVG dropped to fifth place. The competition intensified across the field, and Annunziata encountered difficulties once more as he collided with the wall at Turn 7.
Zilisch ultimately secured victory in the second stage, with van Gisbergen finishing in second place.
Stage 3:
As the concluding phase commenced, all attention was directed towards the opening of the pit window for the last time. SVG opted to pit ahead of Zilisch, entering the pits with 31 laps remaining.
In a stroke of good luck for SVG, a collision involving Sheldon Creed resulted in a yellow flag, enabling him to gain an advantage over Zilisch.
Following the subsequent restart, SVG was positioned in third place while Zilisch resumed in ninth. SVG swiftly seized the lead as Zilisch maneuvered through the pack. It was not long before the two teammates found themselves engaged in a fierce contest for victory.
However, with 18 laps remaining, Zilisch collided with SVG while attempting to return to the racing surface, causing the No. 9 to crash hard into the outer wall.
Following this incident, the race became extremely chaotic, as Austin Hill aggressively took the lead during the restart. Zilisch eventually regained the lead, but the most significant incident of the race was imminent as Hill collided with Michael McDowell while contending for second place.
McDowell suffered a severe crash, and more than a dozen cars were caught up in the resulting turmoil. The race was halted with a red flag due to the track being obstructed and the guardrail sustaining damage.
Once the race resumed, Zilisch successfully defended against both Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith to secure the victory.
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