Connor Zilisch Shares First Message As JR Motorsports Confirms Texas Absence
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Connor Zilisch will miss the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway after sustaining a back injury during a wreck at Talladega Superspeedway.
As the JR Motorsports driver set his sights on the finish line in Talladega, he got caught up in a wreck with Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love. Love clipped the rear of Zilisch's No.88 Chevrolet, causing the 18-year-old to spin and collide head-on into the barriers.
After being cleared by the infield medical center, Zilisch was expected to be racing this weekend in Texas. However, JR Motorsports has now confirmed that he will miss this weekend's racing due to an ongoing back injury sustained from the crash. Kyle Larson will take his place. The team shared:
"Kyle Larson will sub for Connor Zilisch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as Zilisch continues to recover from a lower back injury sustained last weekend at Talladega."
Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black's Tire at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, 2025 in...
Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black's Tire at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, 2025 in Rockingham, North Carolina. (Photo by) MoreAddressing the news on social media, Zilisch explained:
"Thank you to @KyleLarsonRacin for stepping up for me this weekend and everyone who has helped me through this process. Doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible."
Thank you to @KyleLarsonRacin for stepping up for me this weekend and everyone who has helped me through this process. Doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible❤️ https://t.co/BMbM6DFeqj — Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) April 30, 2025
As per the message from the driver, it is not clear when he will make his racing return at this stage.
Love commented on the crash following the race. He explained, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:
"I just got really good pushes there at the end.
"I was able to lift enough off of [Turn] 2 to get big pushes. I kind of thought we made our bed and were not in a good spot to win, and then I was able to get Austin [Hill] connected to me and he was able to give me some good pushes down the backstretch for a few laps. It was definitely tough how that ended. I hope my friend is okay.
"I'm not going to comment on what I thought happened there yet. I just want to go check on him and make sure he's alright. Looked like a really hard hit, and he really hasn't taken many hard hits yet."
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy's Frozen Custard 300 is set to take place at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday May 3 at 2 p.m. ET.
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