Connor Zilisch's accident in Bristol destroys his championship hopes

Connor Zilisch's hunt for the ARCA Menards Series championship took a turn at Bristol Motor Speedway when a collision with a lapped car significantly damaged his title chances.

The 18-year-old racer, who had started the race from pole position, was involved in an unavoidable accident with Logan Misucara, who spun and rejoined the track. Due to the impact of this accident, Zilisch must now rely heavily on a serious crash from his rival William Sawalich if he wants to keep his championship ambitions alive.

Speaking to the media after the race, Zilish commented, as quoted by Yardbarker.com:

“I'm fine. Only the 9 and the 22 have joined forces.”

“9 hit the fence at the top of the track and I don't know if she didn't brake or what, but she came down the track right in front of me and ended our day.”

Although Zilisch was visibly frustrated by the turn of events, he acknowledged the efforts of his team Pinnacle Racing Group and Silver Hare Racing, adding:

“I hate to end a season like this and lose a championship like this. It's frustrating. But we've had a hell of a year with our Pinnacle Racing Group team and everyone at Silver Hare Racing and there's no reason to be down. Just a frustrating way to end.”

The impact of the accident on the championship standings cannot be overstated. With Sawalich leading the ARCA East standings and Landen Lewis also in the race, Zilisch needed a stellar performance to keep up. Now his fate depends largely on whether Sawalich encounters significant adversity in the remaining races.

“Yeah, I'm really proud, there's no reason to get upset. Obviously one race can end a championship and when it's an eight-race championship, any single race can knock you out of contention. So it's a frustrating way to end it, but still a lot to be proud of. I have a Truck race later tonight, so at least I have something to look forward to.”

Despite the setback, Zilisch's focus quickly turned to the upcoming Truck Series race at The Last Great Colosseum, where he will once again start from pole position.

This happened after Zilisch signed with Red Bull Racing.

“This is very special for me,” Zilisch said in a team press release. “It's cool that they surprised me. Having Red Bull on my helmet is not something I take lightly. I hope to make the most of it. It's cool to be part of an elite group of people.”