Connor Zilisch sports a smile and elbow sling at Watkins Glen a day after his nasty fall
After winning Saturday's Xfinity race at the road course, Zilisch took a nasty tumble while attempting a celebratory perch on his No. 88 Chevrolet in celebration. Zilisch, 19, was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken collarbone. Trackhouse Racing withdrew the No. 87 Chevy that he was scheduled to drive in the Cup race Sunday at Watkins Glen.
'First of all, I'm doing OK,' Zilisch said during the USA broadcast of the Cup race. 'Very grateful to be able to walk away from that, and 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.'
After his series-high sixth victory, Zilisch realized he was in trouble immediately after the chaos began in victory lane, which typically is a frenzied scene of winning team members cheering and tossing beverages as their driver exits the car.
'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,' he said. 'And 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.'
The question now turns to whether Zilisch will be ready in time to race in the next Xfinity race on Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway.
'We're still working out with all the doctors to figure out what's going to be the next steps,' Zilisch said.
He already has shown to be a quick healer this season. After a one-race absence at Texas Motor Speedway because of a back injury from a crash at Talladega Superspeedway, Zilisch had posted 11 consecutive top-five finishes and five wins since his return.
He noted that Trackhouse teammate Shane van Gisbergen 'had a place put in once and raced the weekend after. So I don't know if I'll be that quick, but hopefully my young bones will heal fast, and I'll be able to get back in it as soon as possible.'
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Raphinha and Yamal score as Barcelona starts La Liga title defense beating 9-man Mallorca
MADRID (AP) — Barcelona began the defense of its La Liga title with a comfortable 3-0 win at Mallorca, scoring early and taking advantage of two first-half red cards for the host on Saturday. HT Image Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who led Barcelona's prolific attack last season, needed only seven minutes to impress again. Yamal's curling cross found Raphinha by the far post and the Brazil forward headed in from close range. Ferran Torres' shot from outside the area in the 23rd was a goal that drew complaints by Mallorca because one of its players was on the ground after being hit by the ball in the head in the buildup. Some Mallorca players stopped playing after their teammate went down, but the referee allowed play to continue. Mallorca immediately complained after Ferran scored. The host went a man down 10 minutes later when Manu Morlanes was sent off for a second yellow card for fouling Yamal on the run. His first yellow was for protesting Barcelona's second goal. The second red card in the 39th came from Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi hitting the head of Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García with his left foot while reaching up for a high ball. The referee changed the card from yellow to red after a video review. Yamal made it 3-0 in second half stoppage time by hitting the top corner. Barcelona, which won the league last season after scoring 102 goals, was without veteran striker Robert Lewandowski because of an injury. Newly signed forward Marcus Rashford went in as a substitute in the 69th. García didn't have to work much in his Barcelona debut after being signed in the offseason in a transfer from city rival Espanyol. Regular starting goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is out after undergoing lower back surgery, and García started ahead of Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña, who replaced Ter Stegen last season. Later Saturday, Valencia hosted Real Sociedad and promoted Levante visited Alaves. On Friday, Rayo Vallecano won at Girona 3-1 and Villarreal defeated promoted Oviedo 2-0. Atletico Madrid is at Espanyol on Sunday, while Real Madrid hosts Osasuna on Tuesday. ___ AP soccer:
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
The image boost of Indian cricket
If Indian cricket was a listed company its last quarter results would be nothing short of spectacular. Huge spike in profit, massive image boost, shareholders jumping with joy. The England series produced 25 days of top quality, compelling cricket. Box Office stuff, better entertainment than perhaps anything Bollywood can provide – gripping, uplifting, skilful. India captain Shubman Gill. (AP) So, what are the takeaways from the series? From a cricket perspective, 2-2 was a victory because India started on the back foot and were not rated high. Pundits warned this was 90-overs-a-day red-ball cricket, a challenge for players after two months of IPL. Batters had to make mental adjustments when wearing whites instead of coloured clothing – dial in patience and delete intent. Also, technical adjustment was needed to handle English conditions. Players were required to respect the ball, pitch, cricket itself. The question that was repeatedly asked was can players reset their game? These pre-England concerns were valid as this was a team that was missing everyone, a family suddenly without its trusted elders. No Rohit-Kohli. No Ashwin-Shami. Which meant inexperienced openers, untested new ball bowlers, fresh Nos.3 and 4. Adding to overall uncertainty, another question mark: Shubman Gill, the new Test captain. Post England, the team is settled, sorted and stable. Young players have aced the test of Test cricket, India have found a confident captain and a team that can soak in pressure and find a way out of tough situations. More than on-field gains, it's significant that the needle has shifted for Indian cricket in many ways. It's like rebranding a product, giving it a new look and an attractive identity that is more appealing to fans, the principal stakeholders. After the exodus of seniors, Indian cricket has discovered new heroes, a new set of superstars. Virat and Rohit replaced, pushed into history, the current affairs baton handed to Gill, Rahul, Rishabh, Jaiswal and Sundar. Clearly, the team has moved on and nobody, at no time, felt the absence of yesterday's top guns. In the hypothetical Indian cricket's corporate world, if players were put through a performance appraisal, Gill and his boys would merit a BE (Beyond Expectation) rating and rewarded with a fat bonus. Besides change of personnel, with a new leadership group coming in, the team now has a new culture, a different operating system, and the dressing room appears free and liberated. Young players are not burdened by excessive respect for seniority, not intimidated or inhibited by the presence of various heavyweight 'bhaiyas'. Bumrah, Jadeja and Rahul are members of the senior citizen club but the youngsters, like smart students, know they can solve their problems on their own, without running around asking for help. This is the team of Gill, who himself is too young to be called Shubman bhaiya. After England, the greatest change is that the rebranded India team has gained respect. Winning abroad and making runs overseas separates the good from the ordinary and India have earned that respect, gained a certain aura. Each time they walk out to play in the future, opponents will know they have a battle on their hands. One noticeable aspect of the team in England was its composure. Before the Lord's game, Rishabh Pant fronted a press conference and explained India's position on frequent ball changes in clear terms. After Lord's, Gill was supremely polite but firm on the Crawley-Duckett matter. Made his point in a measured way, with calm dignity, without a trace of anger. KL Rahul is an absolute star as Indian cricket's articulate, suave senior statesman. The Indian team's reputation upgrade is great but real change depends on consistent success. Teams have to win regularly and players have to perform at their peak level and continue to create magic. It's too much to ask Gill to score four hundreds from five games, or expect Siraj to repeat what he did at the Oval. Still, the bar has been raised and new standards set. But that's in the distance. Cricket is a large entertainment platform with a rich variety of products to keep one engaged. New programmes are 'dropped' to hold our attention and cricket lovers are blessed they can catch the best live action just by flicking channels. No Test cricket for now, but Duleep Trophy is around the corner.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Glenn Maxwell stars in Australia's series-clinching victory over South Africa with brilliant catch, unbeaten 62
Glenn Maxwell not only collected a game-changing catch to dismiss the red-hot Dewald Brevis at Cazaly's Stadium, he also got Australia over the line in their chase of the 173-run target set by South Africa with an unbeaten 62 off just 36 deliveries. Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell raises his bat in celebration after completing his half-century in the third T20I against South Africa in Cairns. AP Veteran all-rounder Glenn Maxwell higlighted his ability to stand tall and deliver for Australia in crunch games, starring in his team's thrilling two-wicket victory over South Africa in Cairns on Saturday with his brilliance on the field as well as with the bat. Maxwell's first moment of brilliance was when he pulled off a stunning catch at the edge of the wide long on boundary to dismiss the in-form Dewald Brevis, shortly after he brought up his half-century in just 22 deliveries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Brevis had starred in South Africa's victory in the previous game with a record 125 not out, and was in the middle of another game-changing knock when it was cut short by the 'Big Show', who remains one of the better fielders in the world at 36 years of age. South Africa could manage 172/7 in the end after being put in to bat by Australia, with Brevis' dismissal likely resulting in them falling at least 15-20 runs short. Maxwell's unbeaten 62 guides Australia home Maxwell would later smash an unbeaten 62 off just 36 deliveries to steer his team to a thrilling series-clinching victory with a ball to spare. The Aussies were off to a superb start with a 66-run opening stand between skipper Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, the former also scoring a half-century (54). The Proteas, however, produced an impressive fightback to reduce Australia to 122/6 in the 14th over. All-rounder Corbin Bosch later made things all the more interesting by striking twice in as many deliveries in the 19th over, signing off with excellent figures of 3/26. Maxwell, however, maintained his composure and got his team over the line with a couple of fours and a brace, refusing a couple of singles along the way. GLENN MAXWELL WINS IT ON THE SECOND LAST BALL!#AUSvSA — (@cricketcomau) August 16, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Australia's victory helped them take the three-match series 2-1, with the hosts having won the series opener in Darwin by 17 runs before the Proteas bounced back with a 53-run thrashing just two days later at the same venue. Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns will also host the first of three ODIs between the two nations that takes place on Tuesday, with Australia and South Africa then shifting base to Mackay for the remaining games of the three-match series.
