Despite NASCAR Title Heartbreak, Connor Zilisch Shows He’s Back On Pace in Encouraging GTP Test

Neha Dwivedi | 16/11/2025
Connor Zilisch (7) heads to the starting line for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Xpel 225 at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Austin.

Connor Zilisch wasted no time getting back behind the wheel after the heartbreak of the Xfinity Series finale. The 19-year-old driver, ready for his first full-time NASCAR Cup Series season and a Rolex 24 appearance in January, logged 33 laps in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac during Saturday morning’s IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway. It was his first time in a race car since the crushing loss at Phoenix.

Zilisch is also under consideration to join the team’s lineup as a fourth driver for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener. His adaptability has already turned heads across motorsports, but this outing was another step toward cementing his reputation as a crossover talent.

Originally, Zilisch was to make his debut in the Dallara-chassied LMDh car during the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

But his title slip at Phoenix not only cost him the Xfinity crown but also denied him enough points to secure the FIA A license required for the WEC test. In the span of a week, he lost a championship and a desired seat, two punches that would rattle even the most seasoned drivers.

Still, Zilisch didn’t stick with the disappointment for long. The young star, who captured the Rolex 24 and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in an Era Motorsport LMP2 entry earlier in 2024, believes Daytona is the perfect stage to turn the page, viewing the opportunity as a challenge rather than a consolation.

 

This wouldn’t be his first Daytona dance. Earlier this year, Zilisch competed in the Florida endurance classic with the Trackhouse by TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD Pro. While missing the WEC rookie test stung, he admitted the outpouring of support from the racing community softened the blow.

“It made me feel a little bit better about what happened in Phoenix. Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to, and I didn’t win the championship, which ended up not giving me enough FIA license points to go do the test in Bahrain … but it was nice to see a bunch of people backing me up and giving me some motivation.”

“It’ll all work out, and although it was a little upsetting that I didn’t get to go over there and drive with JOTA, it’s all part of it,” he reflected.

With his Daytona test, he is preparing himself for multiple runs, a NASCAR full-time Cup debut, 24 hours at Daytona, and getting out of his Xfinity loss zone.

Post Edited By: Nidhi
Connor Zilisch Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series Phoenix Raceway Rolex 24 at Daytona Trackhouse Racing

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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