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It’s been a week of contrasting emotions for Connor Zilisch. Days after losing the NASCAR Xfinity Series title heartbreakingly to Jesse Love at Phoenix Raceway, the 19-year-old rising star received a major boost. He will take part in Cadillac’s upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship test at Daytona International Speedway.Zilisch’s title hopes ended just 24 laps short on Saturday when Love overtook him for the race lead and went on to clinch the championship. Despite finishing third in the finale, Zilisch’s record-setting debut season - which included 10 wins, eight poles, and 23 top-10s - earned him Rookie of the Year honors. But the defeat carried an unexpected cost as it made him ineligible for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Bahrain Rookie Test, where he was set for a Hypercar run.Speaking on the red carpet during NASCAR’s annual awards ceremony, Zilisch explained that he missed out on the opportunity due to FIA licensing rules tied to championship results.“I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to do a test in Daytona in two weeks or so,” Zilisch told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “So yeah, I’ll still get to drive it, but it would have been cool to go over there [to Bahrain]. You have to have an FIA A license to run a Hypercar in WEC - whether it’s a test or what - and I needed to win the championship to have enough points. I didn’t win championship, so no Bahrain.”Instead, the 19-year-old will now turn his attention to Daytona, where he’ll drive the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for Action Express Racing during the IMSA-sanctioned November test. The session runs from November 14-16, with GTP and LMP2 prototypes on track for the first two days.(L-R) Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch. and Ben Keating at Daytona. Source: GettyThe test will mark the debut outing for the 2026-spec Cadillac V-Series.R, featuring a revised aerodynamic package - the result of Cadillac deploying one of its five permitted “joker” upgrades. Connor Zilisch will join the established Cadillac trio of Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti for the test.He won’t be the only fresh face in the program either. Colton Herta will also take part in the test, in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R. It will be his first laps with the car after serving as WTR’s endurance driver for Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans.Connor Zilisch focuses on IMSA after NASCAR heartbreakConnor Zilisch before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix. Source: GettyFor Connor Zilisch, the Daytona test represents his broader racing ambitions. After a dominant but bittersweet rookie year in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, the IMSA call-up offers a chance to reconnect with his road racing and endurance roots.Before driving stock cars, Zilisch made his name in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, where he became a consistent race winner with BSI Racing. He later moved to IMSA, making multiple starts in 2024 and 2025, including standout performances with Era Motorsport, winning back-to-back in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.Earlier this year, he also competed in the GTD Pro class at the Rolex 24, co-driving a Trackhouse by TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. His mix of NASCAR success and endurance racing experience has already positioned him as one of American motorsport’s most versatile drivers.With a NASCAR Cup Series seat at Trackhouse Racing confirmed for 2026, the upcoming Cadillac test at Daytona gives Connor Zilisch one more milestone before the next major chapter of his career begins.
