JR Motorsports told NASCAR.com‘s Zach Sturniolo Monday that Connor Zilisch is currently slated to compete in Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks later told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Zilisch could be a “game-time decision” for Daytona.
While Zilisch drives for JRM in Xfinity, he’s a developmental driver for Trackhouse. Marks said that Zilisch wants to get back in the race car, as does JRM. Right now, the final decision is undecided.
“It’s a balance,” Marks said. “It’s a balance between a 19-year-old kid who just wants to be in the race car and can’t stand not being in the race car and is capable of driving the race car right now. And the other side of that is we need to make a smart decision. What we can’t do is rush him back into the car, especially a place like Daytona, get in a wreck and then be worse off than we were before.
“So, it’s kind of a day-by-day deal right now. This will be a big week to see how his rehab goes and his comfort level and all that stuff. And it could end up being a game-time decision. I know that we all want him back in the race car. He wants to be back in the race car. JRM wants him to be back in the race car. But we’ve got to make smart decisions, so I would just say, stay tuned on that one.”
Connor Zilisch recovering from surgery
Zilisch, 19, is recovering from surgery to repair his broken collarbone. He sustained the injury following the Aug. 9 race at Watkins Glen International after falling off the top of his car while celebrating in Victory Lane. Zilisch appeared to get his left foot stuck in the window net upon climbing out of his car, leading to the fall.
Fortunately for Zilisch, he had an entire week off before Daytona. He’s already missed one race this season due to a back injury, and you know he doesn’t want to miss another. Zilisch is the Xfinity Series points leader after his victory at Watkins Glen, his sixth of the season. He holds a seven-point advantage over teammate Justin Allgaier in the race for the regular season championship.
