Connor Zilisch hails Cadillac’s IMSA team as Trackhouse star confirms GTP debut at Rolex 24

Connor Zilisch is expected to make his GTP debut with Cadillac Racing at the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona next year. The 19-year-old, who also made his NASCAR Cup debut for 2026 with Trackhouse Racing, called his return to endurance racing for the third time in three years a “cool opportunity” and thanked his team, Cadillac Racing.

Zilisch will drive the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, which he tested in November of this year, and join teammates Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti for the IMSA season opener in mid-January.

“The Rolex 24 is one of my favorite races and I’m excited to be with one of the best teams in the IMSA paddock. I’m very grateful to everyone at GM and Cadillac Racing for their help in making this happen. It’s a really cool opportunity. We had a solid test in November at Daytona. I really enjoyed working with all the guys on Team Whelen and can’t wait to get back out there for the race,” said Connor Zilisch in a press release.

Zilisch won the LMP2 class in his first Rolex 24 start in 2024 at the age of 17. He returned to Daytona in 2025 with a Trackhouse-driven Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD Pro and finished ninth in the class.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend will begin with the Roar Before The Rolex 24 testing sessions from January 16-18, 2026. Teams will conduct timed practice and qualifying sessions during the three days of testing leading up to Rolex 24 Week, scheduled for January 21-25.

NASCAR Cup driver AJ Allmendinger will also compete in the endurance race with Acura Meyer Shank Racing. He will join full-season drivers Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, as well as IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, in the No. 60 GTP-class Acura ARX-06 prototype.

Connor Zilisch reflects on the things he had to learn in the new car

In his statement, via the aforementioned source, Connor Zilisch commented on the Cadillac V-Series.R prototype and explained how it compared to the LMP2 and Corvette GT3 cars.

“It’s kind of a mix between the LMP2 car and the Corvette GT3 that I drove this year. A little heavier than the P2. More power, really cool. Lots of new controls and things I have to learn, and it was a lot of fun to be able to feel it and do a lot of laps,” said Connor Zilisch.

Zilisch had one of the strongest rookie campaigns in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (Xfinity) Series history this year. He has 10 wins with 20 top-5s and 23 top-10s. The 2025 Xfinity Rookie of the Year also won eight poles and led more than 1,000 laps.

Zilisch will now begin the NASCAR Cup Series in February in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.