Watkins Glen International, the iconic 2.45-mile road course in upstate New York, is no stranger to high-stakes racing and heart-stopping moments. From Jeff Gordon’s four straight wins in the late ‘90s to Shane van Gisbergen’s recent road-course dominance, The Glen’s twisty layout has delivered thrills and spills for decades.

But on August 9, the NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 turned chaotic in a way that left fans holding their breath. A 16-car pileup on lap 74, triggered by a fierce battle between Michael McDowell and Austin Hill, brought the race to a screeching halt for 45 minutes as crews cleared wreckage and repaired barriers. The carnage was wild, with a tire flying, cars slamming walls, and drivers scrambling to avoid disaster.

The chaos kicked off exiting Turn 5, when Hill, pushing hard for second, swung wide and clipped McDowell’s Chevrolet. The contact sent McDowell’s car careening into the guardrail with such force that it bounced back across the track, slamming the opposite barrier. A tire broke free, landing on William Sawalich’s hood, while other drivers caught in the melee couldn’t avoid the wreckage. Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt, with all drivers checked and released from the infield care center. But the incident exposed a glaring issue at The Glen, one that Xfinity Series driver Ryan Ellis didn’t hesitate to call out just hours after walking away from a terrifying crash.

Ryan Ellis details wild airborne crash after carousel radio dead zone

Ellis, who was swept up in the pileup, pointed to a dangerous flaw in the track’s communication setup that may have amplified the chaos. His warning, shared on social media, has sparked buzz among fans and drivers alike, raising questions about safety at one of NASCAR’s trickiest venues. Ellis didn’t hold back when describing the insanity of the Mission 200 pileup: “Just for context, I am pretty sure there is a dead spot radio wise in the carousel. The group of cars I was around didn’t hear anything until the last min, 39 drove under the 91 and sent him airborne, and then I basically took the 91 straight into the windshield, since he was already 4 feet in the air. Insane impact.”

Ellis’s No. 71 Chevrolet collided with teammate Josh Bilicki’s car, which was launched into his windshield after William Sawalich’s No. 91 went airborne in the chaos sparked by Hill and McDowell. The damage was brutal, with Ellis’s windshield and front end trashed, though the hood and bumper took less of a beating. Every driver walked away, but Ellis’s account of the crash paints a vivid picture of how fast things went sideways.

His warning about the radio dead spot in the carousel, a tricky, high-speed section of the track, raises a red flag. Ellis noted that his group of cars got no heads-up about the unfolding wreck until it was too late, suggesting spotters couldn’t relay critical info in time. The carousel’s tight exit into turn six, where Hill clipped McDowell, is already a hotspot for aggressive moves, and a communication blackout could have turned a bad situation worse. Ellis’s post on X has fans and insiders talking, with many calling for NASCAR to investigate radio coverage at The Glen to prevent future pileups. His escape from the “insane impact” was lucky, but his callout could push for changes to keep drivers safer next time.

The pileup’s aftermath saw Hill take the blame, admitting he misjudged his move on McDowell. “I know the grass was coming up. We ran out of real estate,” he said, wishing he’d lifted off the throttle. McDowell, frustrated but unhurt, felt Hill’s move was reckless: “He was never going to get alongside me there.” The incident, which also involved Ryan Sieg, Taylor Gray, and others, halted the race for barrier repairs, underscoring the crash’s intensity. Ellis’s warning adds a new angle, suggesting the track’s setup may have played a role in the chaos, and it’s got NASCAR’s attention as they prep for future races.

Zilisch’s Victory Lane scare adds to wild day

The Mission 200’s drama didn’t end on the track. Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom, snagged his sixth Xfinity win of 2025, outrunning the field in a thrilling finish. But his victory lane celebration took a terrifying turn. As Zilisch stood atop his No. 88 Chevrolet, his left foot slipped on the window net, sending him tumbling head-first onto the concrete. He lay motionless, sparking immediate concern. Medical personnel rushed in, placing him on a backboard and into an ambulance.

NASCAR later confirmed Zilisch was awake and alert, but a hospital visit revealed a broken collarbone, forcing Trackhouse Racing to withdraw his entry from the next day’s Cup Series race. Zilisch’s fall was a gut-wrenching cap to a day already packed with close calls. The teen star, who’d just outdueled veterans for JR Motorsports’ 100th Xfinity win, went from elation to injury in seconds. His left leg caught in the car as he fell, a freak accident that highlighted how even victory lane can turn dangerous.

Fans on X lit up with support, relieved to hear his CT scans were clear, but the injury’s a blow for a driver who’s been a breakout star. The incident, paired with Ellis’s radio warning, made August 9 a day of hard lessons for NASCAR at The Glen, with safety concerns now front and center.