XFINITY: Zilisch Cleared to Race Two Weeks After Breaking Collarbone

Zilisch was in the process of celebrating his sixth victory of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign at Watkins Glen, two weeks ago, when his foot got caught in the door of his No. 88 Chevrolet, causing him to fall hard to the ground.

Immediately following the incident, track safety crews rushed to Zilisch's aid, where he was eventually stretchered to the infield care center. After basic evaluations were complete, the Mooresville, North Carolina-native was transported to a local hospital.

At the hospital, it was confirmed that Zilisch had suffered a broken left collarbone. However, the positive news from the visit was that all CT scans came back clear, meaning the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet had not suffered a head injury of any kind.

With an off-weekend on the docket for the NASCAR Xfinity Series following the race at Watkins Glen International, Zilisch was able to undergo successful surgery, where they inserted a plate and screws in order to make the healing process faster.

Parker Kligerman, a competitor the last two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and a superspeedway winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be on standby for Zilisch at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

"Not everyday you get a call from Dale Jr. asking if you can lend a hand for his race team," Kligerman said in a Tweet. "Honored to help out and thanks to The CW for letting me do this. Most of all, I'm happy for Connor Zilisch to have such a speedy recovery. The kid is incredible."

Kligerman typically serves as an analyst for The CW Sports' broadcasts of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, alongside Adam Alexander and Jamie McMurray.

Now, with only three events remaining in the regular-season, Zilisch is getting back to the racetrack, in hopes of keeping his regular-season championship hopes alive -- a battle that he is locked in with JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer.

Heading to Daytona on Friday, Zilisch has a seven-point advantage on Justin Allgaier, and a 24-point gap on third-place driver Sam Mayer. By starting this weekend's event, Zilisch will earn points for the contest, no matter who finishes the event in the No. 88 Chevrolet.