Zilisch To Miss Texas With Back Injury, Larson To Sub

Connor Zilisch (Nigel Kinrade/NKP photo)

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Connor Zilisch, the leading Sunoco rookie-of-the-year contender in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will not compete in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

JR Motorsports announced the news Wednesday, noting that Zilisch is recovering from an unspecified lower-back injury sustained in a last-lap crash at Talladega (Ala) Superspeedway last Saturday.

NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson, already a winner in Xfinity Series competition earlier this year with Hendrick Motorsports, will sub for Zilisch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet.

The incident in question came on the backstretch as Zilisch was fighting for the win at Talladega, when he moved down a lane to cover a run by Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love.

Love made contact with the rear of Zilisch’s car, sending Zilisch skidding left across the paved runoff area and nose-first into the inside SAFER Barrier.

The impact was hard enough to lift the rear wheels of the No. 88 off the ground before the car sat back down on all four tires and eventually came to rest.

Before he was tended to by the AMR Safety Team and climbed out of the race car, Zilisch came over the radio and complained of back pain at first, noting, “Ow, ow, ow, my back… ohhh,” to his team.

He was later evaluated and released from the infield care center and, at the time, told television and reporters that he was “OK” after the incident.

“That was one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything is okay afterwards,” said Zilisch at the time. “Very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was fast, and we were in the right spot … but yeah, grateful to be up and walking.”

Zilisch posted a short statement of his own to social media after the news broke Wednesday that he’d be sitting out for the Texas race weekend.

“Thank you to Kyle Larson for stepping up for me this weekend and everyone who has helped me through this process,” wrote Zilisch. “[I’m] doing everything I can to be back as soon as possible.”

The good news for Zilisch is that the Xfinity Series has two weeks off following Texas before returning to competition on Saturday, May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Even with NASCAR’s adjusted playoff eligibility guidelines and postseason point rules, which were put in place because of Kyle Larson’s ‘Double Duty’ attempt last year to race both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, Zilisch won’t have to worry about losing his current playoff point total.

The 18-year-old should receive a medical waiver from NASCAR officials due to the injury, which allows him to both maintain his playoff eligibility – after winning at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in March – and any playoff points he’s already earned or will earn prior to the postseason beginning.

On the strength of one win, three poles, and three top 10s so far this season, Zilisch ranks sixth in the regular season standings. He has seven playoff points to his credit thus far, five from his race win at COTA and two more from stage wins.

Texas won’t be the first time Larson has run for JR Motorsports, nor the first time he’s been behind the wheel of the No. 88 in the Xfinity Series.

The Elk Grove, Calif., driver previously wheeled the entry at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l in 2022, and went to victory lane that day for his 13th of 16 career Xfinity Series wins.

Broadcast coverage of Larson’s JR Motorsports return at Texas in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 will air Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), live on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.