Less than one year removed from a frightening fall in victory lane, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks had a bit of fun at Connor Zilisch's expense. He brought a safety cushion over to the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
Videos by FanBuzz
The moment occurred after Zilisch won for the third consecutive time at Watkins Glen International, the track where he made his O'Reilly Auto Parts Series debut in 2024. As Zilisch climbed from the roof hatch of the winning Chevrolet, Marks ran up and held the cushion in the air.
Zilisch took the teasing in stride. He gave Marks a high-five and then slid safely down the front of the winning car so that he could conduct his post-race interviews.
SAFETY FIRST THIS TIME IN VICTORY LANE‼️ https://t.co/JxpqT22TWg pic.twitter.com/zgNHL01p3q
— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) May 9, 2026
"It really means a lot to get out of the car safely and get onto the ground without trying to kill myself," Zilisch said with a laugh while talking to CW Sports' Kim Coon. He later told media members that Marks had taken the couch cushion out of his RV.
The reference to "trying to kill" himself throws it back to last season's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at the New York road course. Zilisch won after a late battle with Sam Mayer and then he pulled into victory lane.
He then started to stand on the window sill of the No. 88 Chevrolet, but he caught his foot in the window net and fell hard onto the ground. The CW cameras showed him lying motionless on the ground before quickly cutting away.
The young driver first went to the infield care center before taking a trip to a local hospital for further evaluation. He ultimately underwent surgery on his broken collarbone and missed his planned start in the Cup Series race.
This year, he made it through the race, and he scored the win. He also made it through the celebration unscathed.
"I didn't know what to do," Zilisch said about his victory lane celebration. "I was debating whether I wanted to climb out of the roof, get out of the window, and just maybe throw the ground a bird.
"I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but yeah, I felt good to be back in that victory lane. We're now two to one against each other. I think I've got the upper hand."
