NASCAR won't change rules around driver celebrations in response to Zilisch's fall

NASCAR has no plans to implement guidelines or rules around driver celebrations after Connor Zilisch broke his collarbone in a fall in victory lane at Watkins Glen.

“Right now, there is no best practices (from NASCAR),” NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde said on the newest episode of Hauler Talk. “We’re not legislating it. We haven’t said that drivers aren’t allowed to do this or that or anything else.”

Zilisch fell from the driver’s side door after winning Saturday’s race. The JR Motorsports slipped while his right foot was on the roof and his left was still on the driver’s door, where the window net was hanging from. As he fell, Zilisch’s left leg got caught in the window net.

Forde shot down the notion that the sanctioning body was going to begin instructing drivers how they could celebrate during Wednesday’s edition of Hauler Talk, the official NASCAR podcast. Zilisch had even mentioned earlier this week on the Door Bumper Clear podcast that an unnamed driver had revealed they were told by an executive from their team that standing on the car was no longer allowed. 

But if that’s the case it would seemingly be coming from the race teams. Forde acknowledged that in checking with series officials, no driver has been told they can’t stand on the door.

“However, I think there is one thing that we noticed was the window net,” Forde said. “We’re not going to have a NASCAR official make sure this happens, but we do have NASCAR employees in victory lane… and just make sure the window net is on the inside of the car. I think that was part of the problem, was that the window net was flapping on the outside. I think even Connor may have said that was a problem. One of our safety guys said the same thing. We were having dinner after the race, and he said he noticed that as maybe that being one of the issues.

“So, nothing as far as policy goes. (Just) make sure the window net is inside the car, and it’s one less thing you can slip on. But as of right this second, we have not put into any policies or best practices or anything like that.”

It is unknown whether Zilisch will be sidelined from any upcoming Xfinity Series events, nor if he choose to start an event and use a relief driver. The series is off until Friday, August 22 at Daytona International Speedway and there are three races left in the regular season. Zilisch underwent surgery on his collarbone on Tuesday.