NASCAR phenom Connor Zilisch confirms major medical update

It is now official - exciting NASCAR phenom Connor Zilisch WILL return to race action this weekend in Daytona.

The 19-year-old sensation has been absolutely terrific so far in 2025 - claiming six victories in an incredible Xfinity Series rookie season. The most recent of those came at Watkins Glen earlier this month, and it also gave him sole possession of first place in the overall season standings.

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But disaster struck down the talented teen just minutes later as he fell heavily to the pavement as he tried to climb out of his car window and onto its roof on victory lane.

The motionless Zilisch was rushed immediately to the onsite medical center and from there transferred to a local hospital, where it was confirmed he had fractured his collarbone. A few days later he would undergo surgery for the injury.

Trackhouse Racing said in the aftermath of the freak incident that it would not rush Zilisch back into action - citing his value as a long-term asset for the team. But earlier this week reports began to circulate that he would be back behind the wheel in Florida this weekend.

Today (Thursday) we got confirmation, right from the horse’s mouth, as ‘Godzilisch’ (who is also a Red Bull athlete) took to social media to confirm his latest health update - namely the official medical clearance to race once again.

He shared a screenshot of the message with the good news, and added: “Cya tomorrow Daytona. Thank you to my doctors, surgeons, and everyone who has supported me through this ordeal.”

Zilish will be in the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in Friday’s Xfinity Series race (7.30pm ET) and he still heads the standings by seven points going in, despite missing Richmond last weekend.

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