NASCAR driver breaks collarbone celebrating win

NASCAR Xfinity points leader Connor Zilisch has broken his collarbone after falling from his car while celebrating a win.

Zilisch, 19, had won his sixth race of the season in NASCAR's second tier at Watkins Glen and was climbing onto the roof of his car to celebrate.

He appeared to slip on the window net of his Chevrolet and fell onto the concrete in Victory Lane, and was taken to the circuit's care centre where he was described as "awake and alert".

The American was then transported to hospital for further evaluation, and he posted on X that scans on his head and neck had come back clear but he had broken his collarbone.

Zilisch is widely considered to be a future star of the sport and is expected to secure a full-time drive in NASCAR's top tier, the Cup Series, in 2026.

He has dominated in his rookie year in Xfinity, and won at Watkins Glen after emerging unscathed from a dramatic 16-car crash in the closing stages.

Zilisch was forced to miss a race earlier in the season after injuring his back in a crash at Talladega in June but bounced back in style and his win on Saturday with his fifth victory in eight races.

No timeline has been put on his return by Zilisch or his JR Motorsports team, which is run by former driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, but the Xfinity Series championship play-offs begin at Portland on 31 August.

He was set to make his fourth top-tier Cup start of the season on Sunday at Watkins Glen but will miss that race as a result of the fall.