NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Connor Zilisch Hospitalized After Falling Off His Car In Victory Lane At Watkins Glen

Scary scene in victory lane.

If you’re a NASCAR fan, you know that Connor Zilisch is one of the most talented up-and-coming drivers in the sport. The 19-year old driver of the #88 car for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports scored his first career Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen last year in his first career start, and he’s already racked up six wins so far in 2025 as he sits atop the points standings.

It’s widely assumed that Zilisch will be moving up to the Cup Series next year to take over the #99 car for Trackhouse Racing, especially with the announcement earlier this year that Daniel Suarez would not return to the car in 2026. But today, the Xfinity Series was back at Watkins Glen, and Zilisch once again found himself in Victory Lane after a dominating performance at the road course.

But unfortunately the celebration was short lived for the rookie phenom. As Zilisch climbed on top of of his car in Victory Lane, he lost his footing and took a hard fall off the car, with his leg seeming to get caught in the drivers side window on the way down.

Medical crews quickly rushed in to assist Zilisch, who was loaded onto a backboard before being taken out of victory lane in an ambulance to the infield care center.

Luckily, it’s reported that Zilisch was sitting up in the ambulance, which is good news.

But the incident is scary because Zilisch suffered a back injury earlier this season after a hard crash during the Xfinity Series race at Talladega, forcing him to sit out the next race.

Before signing off, the CW provided an update and confirmed that Zilisch was speaking to medical personnel in victory lane.

And just a few minutes ago, Zilisch left the speedway in an ambulance:

JR Motorsports also provided an update on their driver, announcing that he was awake and alert and being transferred to a local hospital:

You really hate to see a freak incident like that, and gotta hope that Zilisch is ok and able to compete for a championship once the playoffs start in a few weeks. It would be a massive shame if something like this sidelined him during a season when he looks to be well on his way to winning his first Xfinity Series championship, but obviously the only thing that matters right now is that he’s alright and not badly injured.

Hopefully we get good news from the infield care center soon and Zilisch is back in the car next week at Daytona.

Update:

Connor’s father, Jim Zilisch, provided an update a few minutes ago, saying that his son is “back to himself” and “not in any danger,” but being taken to the hospital for further evaluation.