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NASCAR Driver Is Missing Texas Weekend Due To Injury

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 5:04 PM ET

A notable change has been made to this Saturday's field for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Connor Zilisch won't be driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports due to a back injury he suffered last Saturday at Talladega. His car went nose first into the wall, resulting in a pretty scary scene for everyone in attendance.

During a post-race interview, Zilisch told the media that he was "OK." However, he won't be able to compete this Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. His spot will be replaced by one of the top drivers in the Cup Series.

"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 statement this Wednesday.

There's no question Larson will add another layer of intrigue to this Saturday's race.

While on Kevin Harvick's podcast earlier this month, Larson said he likes to embarrass the competition in the Xfinity Series.

"In Xfinity, I do get motivated, and this is going to come across like very cocky, but I want to embarrass them, honestly," Larson said. "I want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit because they just don't let Cup guys run anymore, and the kids they probably think they're in a good spot, and they don't know where the bar is really at, so I like to go run those Xfinity races and get 10-second leads to let them realize that they've got a lot of room to improve, and I think that's only better for our sport."

Larson will have a chance to do just that on Saturday. He won his last start in the Xfinity Series, coming in first place at Bristol.

As for Zilisch, it's unclear if he'll be ready to go for the BetMGM 300 on May 24.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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