Connor Zilisch Sidelined with Lower Back Injury After Talladega Crash
Zilisch, 18, was leading on the final lap of Saturday's Ag-Pro 300 when a bump-draft went wrong and hooked his No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro hard left. Zilisch could not stop in time and slammed into the inside wall with a tremendous impact that forced NASCAR to throw the caution, despite him being the only car involved. Zilisch would be credited with a 27th place finish.
WeatherTech Chevrolet driver Connor Zilisch walks pit road alongside his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro.Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Zilisch would undergo further evaluations during the week. JR Motorsports then announced that Zilisch sustained a lower back injury and would be declared day to day. With his victory at Circuit of the Americas earlier this year, Zilisch is already locked into the 2025 Playoffs. Because of that, the team decided to choose the safe route and opt him not to race in this weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway, the Andy's Frozen Custard 300.
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'Kyle Larson will sub for Connor Zilisch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as Zilisch continues to recover from a lower back injury sustained last weekend at Talladega,' JR Motorsports said in a published statement on Apr. 30.
The following day, NASCAR granted Zilisch a waiver for his injury to remain qualified for the Xfinity Playoffs later this year.
On Friday, Zilisch met with media to further discuss his situation.
'I feel okay,' Zilisch told Bob Pockrass with Fox Sports. 'A lot of what I'm doing is not up to me. I listen to all the doctors around me and the people around me who have a lot more not only racing experience but also life experience. I've got a lot ahead of me and to rush back in something after a crash like that would be silly, so we're just taking our time with the recovery process. Taking it one day at a time, and I'm feeling better every day.
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'Thankful for everyone who's been there for me and been willing to give me unbiased answers throughout the process.'
His mature answer was followed quickly by a prompt that caught him off guard. When asked about the extent and specifics of his injuries, Zilisch decided to 'plead the fifth.'
'I don't know what I'm allowed to say,' stated Zilisch when asked about the extent of his injuries. 'I cleared all my x-rays at the track, and there was nothing obvious. Everything is very minor, I'll say that. I don't know what to say about what the extent of my injuries are, but I'll probably just plead the fifth and not get myself in trouble. Everything is—there's no crazy big injury that is going to hold me for months. It's going to be day by day.'
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Zilisch sits sixth in the regular season championship standings heading into Texas, 150 points behind championship leader, defending series champion and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. Zilisch could drop as far as 16th in the overall standings.
Related: NASCAR TV and Streaming Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway
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