"Why not put Allgaier in the 87?": Fans react to Trackhouse Racing withdrawing Connor Zilisch from Watkins Glen Cup Series race without replacement

Syndication: The Des Moines Register - Source: Imagn
Connor Zilisch - Syndication: The Des Moines Register - Source: Imagn

Following Connor Zilisch's injury at Watkins Glen, Trackhouse Racing has decided to withdraw the No.87 Red Bull Chevy from Sunday's Cup race. The decision has left a sour taste among fans, as many rallied for replacement drivers from the Xfinity Series.

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Zilisch secured a second consecutive win at The Glen, but his triumph was marred by a painful fall during victory lane celebrations that left him with a broken collarbone. The 19-year-old was subsequently ruled out from his Trackhouse outing for Sunday, as per the team's statement via X:

"Trackhouse Racing has elected to withdraw the No.87 Red Bull Chevrolet from tomorrow's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkings Glen international. We wish Connor a speedy recovery."
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Fans didn't take the news well and called for a deserving replacement instead, as one fan noted,

"Why not put Allgaier in the 87?"

Another fan echoed the sentiment and said,

"Glad to see CZ ok but this is a total disservice to all the people who prepped this car for weeks. That doesn’t even count the sponsorship investment their partners made."
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Here are some more reactions from fans:

"I dont understand it at all. I get it was CZ's ride and all, but the car is there, the team is there... why cant you put someone else in the car. Hell @jesselovejr1 would make a great fill in!," an X user said.
"I am sure there is good reason for this decision but in my opinion you send your hauler all the way up north pay the hauler driver, probably still going to pay the crew guys. Y not put someone else in the car," another fan commented.
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"To those asking:Red Bull won’t allow a non-Red Bull driver in the car. That said, prayers for Connor. That was a nasty fall," a fan penned.
"Red Bull absolutely sucks," a fan added.

Connor Zilisch's highly anticipated duel with Shane Van Gisbergen ended with a race-ending wreck for the latter. The result marks Zilisch's sixth trophy of the season, giving him a seven-point lead over Justin Allgaier in the driver's standings.

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Connor Zilisch shares update after nasty fall at The Glen

Connor Zilisch took to X and addressed the extent of his injury at Watkins Glen. The young prodigy shared that he's already on the mend and fortunately, didn't endure any head trauma.

“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. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse,”
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Connor Zilisch's X post on his Watkins Glen injury
Connor Zilisch's X post on his Watkins Glen injury

JR Motorsports hasn't confirmed Zilisch's availability for the upcoming Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee
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