Connor Zilisch has been cleared to compete in Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway, the driver confirmed via social media on Thursday.
Cya tomorrow @DAYTONA?thank you to my doctors, surgeons, and everyone who has supported me through this ordeal? pic.twitter.com/cyextJahiU
— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) August 21, 2025
The 19-year-old driver will attempt to compete in Friday’s Wawa 250 at the 2.5-mile superspeedway after suffering a broken collarbone in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International two weeks ago.
Zilisch was celebrating his sixth win of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign when his foot got caught in the door of his No. 88 Registix Chevrolet and sent the Mooresville, North Carolina-native falling to the ground.
In the aftermath of the incident, the rookie driver was stretchered to the infield care center at Watkins Glen, and eventually, was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation — where CT scans came back clear of any head injuries.
With an off-weekend on deck for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Zilisch was able to undergo successful surgery on his broken collarbone on August 12, where he had a plate and screws inserted to speed up the healing process.
Now, Zilisch will get behind the wheel of the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet for Friday’s qualifying session, before attempting to compete in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday evening.
Parker Kligerman, a long-time competitor in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be on standby for Saturday’s event at Daytona International Speedway. Kligerman also serves as an analyst for the series’ coverage on The CW.
By starting Saturday’s event at “The World Center of Racing”, Zilisch will be awarded points towards the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season championship, regardless of whether he finishes the race or not. The rookie phenom is currently locked in a battle for the regular-season title with teammate Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer.
Zilisch currently leads the point standings by seven markers over Allgaier, after collecting a series-leading six wins, 12 top-five finishes, and 14 top-10s. The 19-year-old’s streak of 11 straight top-fives is tied for the third-longest in the history of the second-tier series.
The Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola is scheduled to take place on Friday, August 22, at 7:30 pm ET on The CW, Motor Racing Network (MRN), and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
