Connor Zilisch reacts to Trackhouse firing shots over Shane van Gisbergen car exit at Watkins Glen

The champagne was popping in Victory Lane after Shane van Gisbergen‘s dominant win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. After Connor Zilisch‘s fall exiting his car after his win in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, van Gisbergen was a little more careful climbing out of his No. 88 Chevrolet.

Trackhouse Racing had some fun with it on social media: “CAREFULLY CLIMBING OUT IN VICTORY LANE,” the team wrote on X.

It didn’t take long for Zilisch to respond. Zilisch, van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse Racing teammate, answered back with the following GIF.

pic.twitter.com/hgpKMEOxRv

— Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) August 10, 2025

Zilisch was supposed to be racing alongside van Gisbergen in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen. But after his win on Saturday, Zilisch slipped and fell off the top of his car while celebrating in Victory Lane. Zilisch, who fell awkwardly on the ground, was transported to a nearby hospital. Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone, forcing Trackhouse to withdraw the No. 87 car from the race.

He returned to Watkins Glen less than 24 hours removed from sustaining the injury. Zilisch, wearing a sling on his left arm, spent time chatting with drivers and crew members. The same way Zilisch had the upper hand on the field Saturday, it was much of the same for van Gisbergen Sunday.

Connor Zilisch was in attendance for Shane van Gisbergen’s big victory at Watkins Glen

He beat Christopher Bell to the start-finish line by 11.116 seconds to take his fourth checkered flag of the season. Van Gisbergen set a new Cup record for most victories in a rookie season, breaking a tie with Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. He led 38 laps, and his 11-second win over Bell makes him the first driver in the Era of Electronic Timing and Scoring to have multiple wins in a season with a margin of victory of 10 plus seconds, per Seth Eggert of Race Face Digital.

Sometime in the future, you can bet we’ll see Zilisch and van Gisbergen back on the racetrack together. Right now, there’s no timetable for Zilisch’s return, he told Marty Snider of TNT Sports.

“We’re still working out with all the doctors to figure out what’s gonna be the next steps,” Zilisch said. “But I’ve got a little motivation from Shane [van Gisbergen], my teammate, he had a plate put in and raced the weekend after. So, I don’t know if I’ll be that quick but hopefully my young bones will heal fast, and I’ll be able to get back in it as soon as possible.”