CONCORD, N.C. — Connor Zilisch returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday (May 24) for the first time since his hard hit at Talladega on the final lap on April 26, when contact from Jesse Love sent him sliding headfirst into the inside retaining wall.
Zilisch was out of the car the following week at Texas Motor Speedway after results showed a back injury from the impact.
Two weeks later, he returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway, appearing to not miss a beat, starting and finishing in second to winner William Byron. Before the race, the North Carolina native passionately said over the radio that he wanted to win this race. After everything he had been through, was the hunger fueled by that or the Memorial Day weekend?
“I just grew up in Charlotte,” he said post-race. “I always drove past this place as a kid, so it’s a place I want to win at. I wish I could have done that today, but still, it was a really good day, and we have tomorrow. Just didn’t have enough on the last restart, it was cool to come away with stage points, but you always want more.”
Even having a fast car, it was not without its issues.
“We had a tire rub, which didn’t help us, and a motor that was stumbling all day long,” Zilisch explained. “It sounded like it was the limiter going down the straightaway and was cutting out under caution. I’m not sure if it was affecting me much but was more of a pain in the butt.”
Zilisch’s first weekend back is not just racing in Xfinity but also doing a double of his own. He’s making his second career NASCAR Cup Series start in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday.
The grueling endurance of the Coke 600 wears out the most seasoned Cup veterans. Coming back as a driver making his second start after a three-week recovery from a back injury is not an easy task, but Zilisch “felt really good.
“Sometimes it’s good to get a few weeks off and reset, but I’m really proud of this group,” he said. “I’m excited for tomorrow; it’s going to be a long day, and I’m going to learn a lot.”
Zilisch will begin the Coke 600 in 33rd behind the wheel of the No. 87 Red Bull Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime.
