Connor Zilisch trolled over fall with Cameo from WWE hardcore legend Mick Foley

19-year-old racing phenom Connor Zilisch clinched his sixth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory last Saturday with a second consecutive win at Watkins Glen, where he won in his debut last year. Disaster struck post-race in victory lane however, as Zilisch slipped and fell from the top of his car while celebrating. He was subsequently placed on a backboard, […]

© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | © Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

19-year-old racing phenom Connor Zilisch clinched his sixth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory last Saturday with a second consecutive win at Watkins Glen, where he won in his debut last year.

Disaster struck post-race in victory lane however, as Zilisch slipped and fell from the top of his car while celebrating. He was subsequently placed on a backboard, loaded into an ambulance and taken to a medical center.

It was later revealed that Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone, leading to his subsequent removal from the next day’s NASCAR race at Watkins Glen. While he recovers from his injuries, a fan purchased a Cameo from WWE legend Mick Foley (who knows a thing or two about taking some rough falls) to cheer Zilisch up a bit.

“A member of your NASCAR family reached out to me,” Foley said. “As someone who has been banged up himself, thrown off the top of the (Hell in a) Cell, that maybe I could give you a pep-talk and some bump-taking advice. I can’t really tell you how to take a bump from a car, but I can tell you that you’ll be back behind the wheel as soon as you possibly can because you drivers are tough. That’s right. Now I say this as someone who has done some pretty impressive things as far as toughness guys.”

“I am wishing you the very best. I know you work hard and this is a very unfortunate injury for someone who puts it all on the line and gets injured in such an odd way, but I know you’ll be back and better than ever.”

Zilisch responded to the Cameo in the comments. “This is pretty epic thanks,” he said.

If anyone were to be qualified to give advice on getting back up after brutal falls, it would be Foley. From being thrown off the top of Hell in a Cell at the 1998 King of the Ring event to being speared through a flaming table by Edge at WrestleMania 22, Foley has seen and done it all.

More on Zilisch’s fall/win at Watkins Glen last Saturday

“Thank you everybody for reaching out today,” Zilisch said last week. “I’m out of the hospital and getting better already. Thankfully, CT scans for my head are clear, I just have a broken collarbone. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”

The fall was terrifying to watch. Zilisch was standing on his car as he normally does after a win, but he was noticeably shaky as he stood up. When he came down, his foot got caught in his seat, causing him to fall in an awkward position. 

Last Saturday’s race was highlighted by Zilisch’s massive hit of teammate Shane van Gisbergen late in the race. As Zilisch began to beat down the bumper of SVG for the lead, Austin Hill re-entered the picture and put immense pressure on Zilisch. This increased his desire to pass Gisbergen, which would end up cutting SVG’s day short.

Zilisch has six wins this season. That was his fourth win in five races. Just a few weeks ago, Zilisch was in the middle of a three-race win streak. Following last Sunday’s win, he’s in a much more dire position. Everyone in the NASCAR community (along with the hardcore legend himself) is thinking of the 19-year-old as he now deals with this unfortunate situation.

Category: General Sports