A NASCAR driver, who had just clutched his sixth race of the season, took a nasty fall while celebrating in the victory lane, suffering a broken collarbone.
Connor Zilisch is dominating the competition in the Xfinity Series this year in his Chevrolet. The 19-year-old has secured six wins, double anyone else in the season. He’s also landed 12 top 5s. Zilisch grabbed his most recent victory on Saturday at New York‘s Watkins Glen International race track.
During the celebrations, the driver climbed onto the top of his vehicle, but hit the ground hard when he tried to get down. Speedway Digest shared footage of Zilisch’s fall on X. He climbs out of the car through the window, clutching a can of drink. The driver then stands with one foot on the door and the other on the roof. Zilisch briefly celebrates with his can still in his hand. He then falls off the roof and his foot gets caught in the window gap, forcing him to faceplant into the ground. Officials rush to him within seconds as he stays on the floor.
Emergency Services Took The NASCAR Driver To The Hospital
The NASCAR X account tweeted about the incident, explaining that authorities transported Zilisch to a local hospital. They described him as “awake and alert.” The driver posted about the fall himself the following day. “Thank you everybody for reaching out today. I’m out of the hospital and getting better already. Thankfully, CT scans for my head are clear, I just have a broken collarbone,” he said. “Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”
Per CBS News, Trackhouse Racing withdrew the Chevrolet Zilisch that was scheduled to drive on Sunday. His next Xfinity race is later this month on August 22 in Daytona.
Last month, another motor event made headlines, albeit for a different reason. A monster truck lost its wheel during a show in Bremerton, Washington. The wheel was spinning so fast when it detached that it bounced across the stadium and over one of the protective walls around the arena. Fortunately, nobody was hit by the wheel, but it made its way into the car park, totaling one vehicle and damaging others.