NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Connor Zilisch looked like a seasoned veteran on the racetrack during Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, taking the fight to Richard Childress Racing teammates Jesse Love and Austin Hill in the closing laps.
The 18-year-old driver, making just his fourth start on a superspeedway in NASCAR’s top-three series, had just taken over the lead from his teammate Justin Allgaier in an incredible six-lap sequence, and was a half-lap away from taking the victory, until a last-lap move went awry.
Jesse Love, last Spring’s winner at Talladega, ducked to the inside on the backstretch to try and move around Zilisch, and ultimately, that turned the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet around towards the inside SAFER Barrier.
A long, high-speed slide towards the inside wall resulted in some major damage to the JR Motorsports entry, with the entire front-end of the racecar being torn off from the impact.
After the massive impact, which ended up drawing a caution that ultimately ended the race, Zilisch could be heard on the radio complaining of back pain, saying: “Ow, ow, ow, my back… ohhh,” according to a report from Brett Winningham, who was listening to the radio after the incident.
Luckily, with the help of the AMR Safety Team, Zilisch was able to climb from his battered vehicle and walk to the ambulance. Several minutes after the crash took place, the Mooresville, North Carolina-native was checked and released from the infield care center.
“Yeah, I’m okay. That was one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything is okay afterwards,” said Zilisch. “Very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports racecars, our WeatherTech Chevrolet was fast, and we were in the right spot, but yeah, grateful to be up and walking.”
Zilisch says that Love, who triggered the incident with contact with the rear bumper of the No. 88 Chevrolet on the final lap, came to the infield care center to check on him. “Jesse [Love is] probably my best friend in the world,” he said. “Grateful to have someone like him who can come and stand in front of me and give me a hug after that.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contender would be scored with a DNF and a 27th-place finish at Talladega, while Love, on the other side of that incident, would be scored third.
One Response
Super speed way pack racing is the most boring until the end!!! And, you know the leader is going to get wrecked on the last lap!!!