Latest news with #Ag-Pro300
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Connor Zilisch Sidelined with Lower Back Injury After Talladega Crash
Connor Zilisch will be out of the car at the start of Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway due to a lower back injury suffered from his crash last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. 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 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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement '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.' Advertisement 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
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sends Encouraging Message To Connor Zilisch Amid Back Injury
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shared an encouraging message to Connor Zilisch after JR Motorsports confirmed that he will sit out of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Zilisch has been suffering with a back injury since a wreck with Jesse Love at Talledega last weekend. "It sucks to see Connor have to sit out but I'm thankful he is being smart and patient with this injury," Earnhardt wrote. "He'll be back in the seat and back at the front of the field soon enough." It sucks to see Connor have to sit out but I'm thankful he is being smart and patient with this injury. He'll be back in the seat and back at the front of the field soon enough. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 30, 2025 Kyle Larson is set to replace Zilisch in the NASCAR Xfinity Andy's Frozen Custard 300, which JR Motorsports confirmed in a statement: "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." Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks onstage as SiriusXM and Dirty Mo Media broadcast from Daytona Speedway for the 2025 Daytona 500 on February 13, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks onstage as SiriusXM and Dirty Mo Media broadcast from Daytona Speedway for the 2025 Daytona 500 on February 13, 2025 in Daytona Beach, SiriusXM While speaking to the media following the race at Talladega, Zilisch had commented that he was "grateful to be up and walking." "Yeah, I'm okay," he said. "That's one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything feels okay afterwards. So, very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. "Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. We were in the right spot, just, yeah, I haven't really watched it close enough to know what happened. But yeah, grateful to be up and walking. "Yeah, that's great," Zilisch added. "Jesse's probably my best friend in the world, and I'm grateful to have someone like him who can come and stand in front of me, and you know, give me a hug after that." NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway results
Newsweek
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Connor Zilisch Shares Injury Update A Day After Nasty Talladega Wreck With Jesse Love
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Connor Zilisch has shared a further update following a violent wreck at Talladega yesterday. The JR Motorsports driver looked to be heading straight for Victory Lane during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway yesterday. However, after a tap from Jesse Love on the final lap of the race sent him into a spin and into the barriers, his hopes of securing win slipped away. Zilish was checked by the infield medical center following the race. He explained to the media at the time that he was "glad to be walking": "Yeah, I'm okay. "That's one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything feels okay afterwards. So, very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama."Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. We were in the right spot, just, yeah, I haven't really watched it close enough to know what happened. But yeah, grateful to be up and walking." Today, he has shared a further update on his recovery while also reflecting on the lost victory. He posted to social media: "Sore today but more than anything just upset that I couldn't close that one out for my team. If we keep putting ourselves in position to win races, it will come. Thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure I was okay." Sore today but more than anything just upset that I couldn't close that one out for my team. If we keep putting ourselves in position to win races, it will come. Thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure I was okay❤️ — Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) April 27, 2025 Love gave an quick comment to the media following the race in order to go and check on Zilisch. "I just got really good pushes there at the end," Love explained. "I was able to lift enough off of [Turn] 2 to get big pushes. I kind of thought we made our bed and were not in a good spot to win, and then I was able to get Austin [Hill] connected to me and he was able to give me some good pushes down the backstretch for a few laps. It was definitely tough how that ended. I hope my friend is okay. "I'm not going to comment on what I thought happened there yet. I just want to go check on him and make sure he's alright. Looked like a really hard hit, and he really hasn't taken many hard hits yet." NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway results
Gulf Today
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Austin Hills gets historic Talladega win after late caution
Richard Childress Racing's Austin Hill prevailed in a three-wide photo finish in the Ag-Pro 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Saturday afternoon, edging ahead of Jeb Burton and his RCR teammate Jesse Love at the time the field was frozen with an electronic timestamp because of a caution on the back straightaway in the final lap. The caution flag and checkered flag flew simultaneously after Love's No. 2 Chevrolet made contact with the rear of then-race leader JR Motorsports rookie Connor Zilisch just after the white flag came out signaling one lap to go. Zilisch's No. 88 Chevy spun down into the track apron hitting the wall hard leaving Hill, Burton and Love to sort out the trophy. It marks the ninth superspeedway victory for Hill, making the 30-year-old Georgia-native the NASCAR Xfinity Series all-time winningest driver on drafting style tracks such as Talladega, Daytona and Atlanta -- breaking a tie with a pair of NASCAR Hall of Famers, Tony Stewart and the late Dale Earnhardt. "Man, we really had to work for that one," said Hill, who now has a series-best three victories this year and 13 in his career. "It just seemed like our car was really good. Everyone at RCR and RCR engines are bad to the bone, like always. We had to work. I thought the 2 (Love) was really good and when we got the push from the 2 going into (turn) one, he got inside of me and I thought that was a bad mistake and I should have covered it. So I thought we were done. But I just locked in and kept pushing the heck out of the 2-car. Austin Hill celebrates after winning the race. AFP "I knew it was either me or the 27 (Burton)," he said of the photo finish. "Man, to win them -- any way you win them is always great -- and finally to conquer Talladega, that's something I've really wanted to do for a long time. "We've won at all these other superspeedways and to finally get it done at all the different superspeedways we go to, it just shows the 21 team can win at any of them and we're really good at this style of racing." It was especially tough outcome for Burton, who has two previous wins in this 2.66-mile high-banked Talladega track -- NASCAR's largest -- and still felt after the race that his No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet was leading the field at the time of caution (though video did confirm Hill's win). "I felt like we did everything we could today, so just frustrated," said an emotional Burton, "Every angle I see, we won the race. "Just appreciate my guys," he continued. "We do a lot with a little team. We don't have a lot of chances to win, you know. That's what's frustrating." The defending race winner Love, who finished third, led a race-best 50 of the 113 laps on the day but conceded the last lap was a typical superspeedway all-out rush to the checkered flag. "I'm pretty sure I wrecked my best friend, I'm going to owe him an apology," Love told the Motor Racing Network of contact with Zilisch, who was checked out in the infield care center and released post-race. "I just got really good pushes there at the end and I was able to lift enough off of (turn) two to get really good pushes. I kind of thought we'd made our bed and were not in position to win, but I was able to get Austin (Hill) connected to me and he was able to give me a push down the backstretch and get rolling again." Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, JR Motorsports' Justin Allgaier, finished fourth followed by Viking Motorsports' Matt DiBenedetto. Anthony Alfredo, Blaine Perkins, Harrison Burton, Sheldon Creed and rookie Daniel Dye rounded out the top 10. Zilisch, who led nine laps, was credited with 27th place. Of note, Katherine Legge became the fourth woman in history to lead a NASCAR Xfinity Series race -- and the second at Talladega. The sports car and IndyCar veteran led lap 75 in the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Motorsport Chevrolet, equaling Danica Patrick's one-lap out front at Talladega in 2012. Legge looked to be turning in a solid Talladega debut -- her second NASCAR Xfinity Series start this season -- and was running 15th on lap 100 when she was collected in an accident triggered by NASCAR veteran Aric Almirola, who later apologized, saying miscommunication with his spotter led to the high-speed miscue. Allgaier's runner-up showing was enough for him to maintain a 79-point advantage over Hill atop the standings. The NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to mile-and-a-half Texas Motor Speedway for next Saturday's Andy's Frozen Custard 300 (2 p.m. ET, The CW Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Haas Factory Team driver Sam Mayer is the defending race winner. Reuters
Newsweek
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Jeb Burton Furious After Losing Talladega Win: "We're Gonna Protest!"
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Jeb Burton finished second at Talladega this Saturday as the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver fell short in a photo finish against Jesse Love and confirmed winner Austin Hill. Speaking emotionally after the race, Burton confirmed that his Jordan Anderson Racing team will be protesting. The Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway came to an end after caution flags flew due to Connor Zilisch crashing on the final lap after contact with Jesse Love. Hitting the inside wall of the backstretch, the race ended with a photo finish and a video review was used to identify the winner. NASCAR officials confirmed soon after that Austin Hill was ahead at the race end, with his No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet beating out Burton and Love, who finished second and third respectively. The margin was 0.001 seconds, reflecting the mere inches between the noses of the cars as the race came to an end. Speaking with CW Sports following the race, Burton was struggling to understand the decision. Jeb Burton, driver of the #27 Golden Corral Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. Jeb Burton, driver of the #27 Golden Corral Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama."Every angle I keep seeing, we win the race. Just frustrated with that, maybe they can give us a different angle here. I don't know what's so complicated, we're gonna protest, do whatever the hell we can do because I think we won this race," Burton said. Pointing to the screen while continuing to talk to the media, he said: "Right there, you can see my nose is in front of the No. 21. I don't know what we're looking at. "We don't have a lot of chances to win, you know?" Burton continued as he fought through tears. "That's what's frustrating." The driver confirmed his team will be taking this further: "We're going to protest, if you can protest. Because I think we won this race." A win at Talladega for the small team he drives for would be substantial. A win here for Burton would have made this his third in 185 Xfinity Series starts. With another win under his belt, Hill said the following: "It just seemed like our car was really good. Everyone at RCR and RCR engines are bad to the bone, like always. We had to work. I thought the 2 (Love) was really good and when we got the push from the 2 going into [turn] one, he got inside of me and I thought that was a bad mistake and I should have covered it. So I thought we were done. But I just locked in and kept pushing the heck out of the 2-car. "I knew it was either me or the 27 [Burton]. Man, to win them — any way you win them is always great — and finally to conquer Talladega, that's something I've really wanted to do for a long time. We've won at all these other superspeedways and to finally get it done at all the different superspeedways we go to, it just shows the 21 team can win at any of them and we're really good at this style of racing."
