DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As a dozen reporters surrounded Connor Zilisch outside his team hauler in the garage at Daytona International Speedway Saturday afternoon during a break in IMSA preseason testing, the 19-year-old protégé looked around and admitted that all the media attention still seemed a little new.
Just two weeks after celebrating his 2025 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year award and record 10-win season, Zilisch was back in a race car for the first time. He joined Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger on the Daytona road course this weekend – the two learned the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series GTP sports cars they plan to race in the Rolex Jan. 24 at Daytona, Jan. 24-25.
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When asked, Zilisch admitted that the media reception he received this weekend was quite different from when he showed up in the sports car garage as a young, yet unproven driver three years ago.
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“I remember walking around this paddock and I could walk around when no one knew who I was and it’s so cool now that people appreciate what I do and it makes all the hard work seem worth it,” Zilisch said.
“Those moments for me when I was a kid looking up to people are something I remember often, and I want to be that guy that kids can look up to and want to be like one day.”
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After suffering a heartbreaking championship loss to his best friend Jesse Love two weeks ago in the Xfinity Series season finale at Phoenix, Zilisch said the best thing to do was get back behind the wheel. And sports cars have certainly been an important and positive part of his career – arguably the starting point for his success in NASCAR.
In 2024, at just 17 years old, Zilisch won the Rolex 24 at Daytona LMP2 championship trophy, then responded with another class victory at the very next race, the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring.
That road racing prowess helped attract the attention of NASCAR’s Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks, himself a former IMSA competitor. And after a record-setting season and learning the tricks of the stock car trade for JR Motorsports in what is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Zilisch will compete full-time in the Cup Series in 2026, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet. His Trackhouse teammate and friend, New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen – with whom he co-drove in last year’s Rolex 24 – has used the No. 88 this season in his own Sunoco Rookie of the Year work, but will wear the No. 97 in the future.
Although the initial pain of losing the season title after such an incredible year still hurts, Zilisch said he was ready to move on and that being in a race car preparing for a race as a former winner seemed like the right path to take.
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“The first time I came to Daytona was in the MX5 Cup,” Zilisch said. “And ever since then, I’ve loved it, and just being able to race the 24 hours is something I dreamed of as a kid and that’s why I keep coming back and continuing to do it.
“It’s the third time I’ve done it and it’s the third time I’ve done it with a different car. So, I don’t know if I do it, but if I manage to do it, that would be cool. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to be here today and to have the chance to test the car. It’s a dream of mine to be able to drive in the highest category in IMSA and to do that today was really cool.”
Kaulig Racing driver Allmendinger, who teams with IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and sports car stars Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, finished third during the two-day session behind the wheel of the No. 60 Meyer-Shank Racing Acura prototype. Zilisch’s team, consisting of co-drivers Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti, finished sixth overall in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac among the 10 GTP cars that participated in the test session.
“It’s been good,” said Aitken, Zilisch’s co-driver. “Connor obviously has a lot on his CV already. He’s already won two of the biggest races on the endurance calendar here, so I’m not really concerned about the driving side of things, it’s just more about getting him up to speed on the technical side of these cars. … Honestly, it’s just boring stuff.
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“Today everything went well. He did a few long runs just to do laps and miles and he seems comfortable and happy. He did a good job. But of course he would do it.”
Although Allmendinger won the overall classification in the 50th anniversary edition of the race in 2012, he has not competed in the Rolex 24 since 2021. As has Zilisch, who has never competed at the GTP level before. Allmendinger admitted there was a learning curve with the new prototypes.
“There’s definitely a lot about this car, a lot to learn,” Allmendinger said, adding, “Trying to be as comfortable as possible (this weekend), the biggest thing compared to the (NASCAR) Cup car is the steering is so much heavier, harder to turn the wheel compared to a Cup car.”
#60: Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Agajanian trim, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Colin Braun, AJ Allmendinger
Certainly, NASCAR fans will appreciate having two drivers with legitimate chances to win the Rolex 24 to start the 2026 season. It’s a victory that both Zilisch and Allmendinger cherish. And a racing opportunity that both are eager to seize again.
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“It’s cool to come back here,” Zilisch said. “I always love seeing people. The atmosphere is so different. People from all over the world coming to run this race.
“It’s been really cool to go through all that again and change my mindset. It’s a very different language. Everything’s different when you come and do these races against NASCAR. So just adjusting, it’s been fun, everything’s good. It’s all learning for me and that’s what I enjoy the most.”
