Connor Zilisch gives update on back injury ahead of Texas Xfinity Series race

While he won’t be racing this weekend at Texas, Connor Zilisch is still in attendance to cheer on his JR Motorsports team. Zilisch has Kyle Larson replacing him in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race after the 18-year-old suffered a back injury.

Connor Zilisch is one of the most promising young drivers in NASCAR. These kinds of back injuries can be tricky to handle. We saw Erik Jones suffer a compression fracture in his back last season.

We don’t know the extent of Zilisch’s injury, but he gave an update to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. Outside the JRM hauler, Zilisch gave what seems like a positive update.

“Yeah, I feel okay. You know, it’s a lot of what I’m doing is not up to me, I listen to all the doctors around me and the people around me that have a lot more, not only racing experience, but life experience,” Zilisch explained. “I’ve got a lot ahead of me, and to rush back into something after a crash like that would be silly.

“So, yeah, we’re just taking our time with the recovery process, taking it one day at a time, and you know, I’m feeling better every day. Thankful for everyone who’s been there for me and been willing to give me unbiased answers throughout the process.”

No, Connor Zilisch didn’t say what his injury was. He did say his X-rays were clean and his injury was minor.

“I don’t know what I’m allowed to say,” Zilisch continued. “I cleared all my X-rays at the track, and there was nothing obvious. Everything is very minor, I’ll say that. But, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say to the extent of what my injuries are, but I’ll probably just plead the fifth and not get myself in trouble. Everything is, there is no crazy big injury that is going to hold me for months. It’s going to be day by day.”

NASCAR issued a playoff waiver for Connor Zilisch amid the injury. He will not have to lose his playoff points for the rest of the season. However, he will take a hit in the drivers points, but it isn’t all bad.

With Kyle Larson filling in for Zilisch, the No. 88 team won’t have issues in the owners points. They have one of the best drivers to ever drive a stock car competing for them this weekend. So, now we wait and see if this one week absence goes from one to two weeks or even possibly more than that.