Shane van Gisbergen draws parallels between his mountain bike accident injury and Connor Zilisch’s broken collarbone

Connor Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen
Connor Zilisch(L) and Shane Van Gisbergen(R). Sources: Getty and Imagn

Shane van Gisbergen discussed Connor Zilisch's recovery from a broken collarbone and recalled his own comeback from a similar injury back in 2021. The road course ace revealed how he was up and running in just two weeks' time, noting that Zilisch will probably end up the same way.

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Zilisch suffered an unfortunate end to an otherwise triumphant day at Watkins Glen. A nasty fall during victory lane celebrations left him with a broken collarbone and his immediate future uncertain. However, his teammate Van Gisbergen had a hopeful take on the situation.

The 36-year-old reflected on his mountain bike crash in 2021, where he had surgery for a broken collarbone and returned to action in just two weeks. Notably, he'd won all three Supercars races on his comeback at Sandown SuperSprint.

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Two weeks later, he took the checkered flag on a GT race and claimed the Bathurst Triple Crown on the same weekend. Speaking to the media after Sunday's(August 10) win at The Glen, SVG had this to say about Zilisch's injury.

"So I broke my collarbone, 2021, left side....I did a bit more damage to my shoulder and then also I had a fake ligament put in but I raced, had a weekend off and then I raced the next week so pretty much what he's going to go through."
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"But yeah, it's obviously going to be in pain. My biggest problem was the belts, tightening of the belts. I could really feel the plate my through the skin and it was a horrible feeling. But yeah. I raced the next week and did pretty well. So yeah, for sure, with some good doctors and some good drugs, he'll get through the race," he added.
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Going by Shane Van Gisbergen's prediction, Zilisch could very well sit out the Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway but be back for the regular season finale at Portland International Raceway. On his part, Connor Zilisch shared an update on X and eased concerns about the extent of his injury.


Shane Van Gisbergen sees redemption in Watkins Glen victory

Shane Van Gisbergen pulled off yet another road course masterclass with a win margin of 11 seconds. With four straight wins at road courses, the Trackhouse Racing driver ties in with Denny Hamlin as the winningest driver this season.

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Apart from the win, the 36-year-old found relief in avenging last year's loss at the same track, as per his X post.

“Well that made up for last year! Amazing day thank you to @WeatherTech and the @TeamTrackhouse 88 crew. Real special to have Dad and Ronald here too. Awesome.”
Shane Van Gisbergen revels in Watkins Glen triumph. Source: @x/shanevg97
Shane Van Gisbergen revels in Watkins Glen triumph. Source: @x/shanevg97

Chris Buescher, last year's winner at The Glen, came in third on Sunday, while Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell crossed him on the final lap to secure the runner-up position.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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