Less than two weeks after a frightening incident in which he broke his collarbone after slipping and falling off his car celebrating a win, rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch announced he has been medically cleared to return to racing following collarbone surgery last week. JR Motorsports reported that Zilisch will drive his No. 88 Chevrolet in Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, with Parker Kligerman on standby as a relief driver if necessary.

After achieving his sixth win of the season at Watkins Glen and taking the Xfinity Series points lead, Zilisch fell while celebrating in Victory Lane, briefly losing consciousness. He was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken collarbone.

Zilisch underwent surgery on August 12, which included inserting a plate and screws to aid in healing, allowing him to return to racing shortly thereafter. Thanks to a break in the Xfinity Series schedule, Zilisch will not miss any races due to this injury.

“Cya tomorrow @DAYTONA🥳thank you to my doctors, surgeons, and everyone who has supported me through this ordeal🙏** pic.twitter.com/cyextJahiU” — Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) August 21, 2025

If Zilisch starts but must withdraw due to discomfort, Kligerman will replace him, but Zilisch will still receive credit for the race.

Zilisch currently leads the Xfinity Series standings by seven points over teammate Justin Allgaier and aims for the regular season championship with three races remaining before the playoffs begin.