Connor Zilisch’s horror injury forces NASCAR to announce major change for drivers

After Connor Zilisch’s serious injury during victory lane celebrations at the Watkins Glen Xfinity Series race, there may be changes to how celebrations are conducted after a win. Kelly Crandall reported on X the possibility of teams banning drivers from climbing on top of cars.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series points leader, Connor Zilisch, is sidelined after falling and breaking his collarbone while celebrating his sixth victory at Watkins Glen in the 2025 season. As he climbed over the roof of his No. 88 car in Victory Lane, his left foot got tangled in the window netting, causing him to slip and fall onto the concrete awkwardly manner.

Immediately, he was taken to the medical facility on the track, and then he was flown to a hospital for further assessment. Scans of the head and neck revealed no injuries. He had a fracture in his collarbone that required surgery, and a plate with screws was used to stabilize the bone and promote healing.

According to Mike Forde on Hauler Talk, NASCAR has not established any formal policies or best practices that prohibit such celebrations. However, some individual teams may choose to advise or prohibit their drivers from climbing on cars after winning for safety reasons. He said:

“We have not put in any policies or best practices or anything like that.”

Kelly Crandall

@KellyCrandall

NASCAR has not told drivers they can’t celebrate on the car in victory lane after the Connor Zilisch injury. Perhaps individual teams will advise their drivers but not NASCAR. Mike Forde on Hauler Talk, “We have not put in any policies or best practices or anything like that.”

The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series has been remarkable for No. 88 driver Connor Zilisch, who has shown great versatility with JR Motorsports. He already boasts an impressive record with 21 starts, six race wins, and five pole positions, highlighting his qualifying speed and race-winning ability.

Zilisch has been a consistent front-runner all season, earning four top fives and six top tens. Most notably, he has led 487 laps so far and holds a strong lead in the points standings, making him the championship front-runner in 2025.

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Connor Zilisch breaks silence on whether he intentionally wrecked Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen

Connor Zilisch recently addressed the incident involving his collision with teammate Shane van Gisbergen during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. Zilisch firmly denied intentionally wrecking van Gisbergen, explaining that he was doing everything possible to pass cleanly without contact.

He shared:

"Yeah, I did not. I did not do that on purpose like, if I wanted to wreck him, I would have. I had ten laps before, like I was doing literally everything in my power to try and pass him without touching him. And like I told Josh, I said "if I wrecked a guy, tell me like, don't lie to me."

The collision occurred while Zilisch was attempting to overtake van Gisbergen on the track near the end of the race, resulting in van Gisbergen hitting the outside wall and being taken out of contention. Despite the accident, Zilisch went on to win the race.