NASCAR's Rising Talent Connor Zilisch Reflects On First GTP Daytona Laps: "It's All Learning for Me"

Connor Zilisch has made quite a name for himself this season in NASCAR. However, the 19-year-old future Cup driver continues to leave an impact in the place where it all began for him: IMSA.

Returning to the Series That Shaped Him

IMSA has long been a successful home for Zilisch. From rising through the ranks in the Mazda MX-5 Cup to winning the LMP2 class at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona with ERA Motorsports, the young prodigy has already built an impressive résumé in sportscar racing. This weekend, he added another milestone—turning his first laps in a GTP car aboard Action Express Racing’s Cadillac V-Series, a new challenge in his fast-moving career.

“It was awesome,” Zilisch said. “Very different, but at the same time similar to things I’ve driven in the past. It’s kind of a mixture between the P2 car and the GT3 that I drove this year. A little heavier than the P2. More power. But really cool. A lot of new controls and things that I have to learn. It was a lot of fun getting to feel it out and run a lot of laps.”

Although he is not yet confirmed for the upcoming Rolex 24, Daytona—and IMSA as a whole—remain deeply meaningful to him. With race wins across multiple IMSA divisions, Zilisch still credits this paddock as foundational.

“Yeah, I loved the first time I came to Daytona,” he said. “I raced here in MX-5 Cup—2021 or 2022, I think—and I’ve loved it ever since. Being able to race in the 24 Hours is something I dreamed of as a kid. That’s why I always come back. It’s my third time doing it, in my third different car. I’m just excited for the opportunity to be here testing the car. It’s been such a dream of mine to drive in the highest class of IMSA.”

Processing the Bahrain Setback

His chance to test with JOTA in Bahrain fell through due to not having the necessary FIA license points. Yet the support he received afterward, along with the Daytona test opportunity, helped ease the sting.

“Yeah, it made me feel a little bit better about what happened in Phoenix,” Zilisch said. “Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to. I didn’t win the [NASCAR Xfinity Series] 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. 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.”

Settling Back Into the IMSA Paddock

Back in IMSA circles, Zilisch said the reception this weekend has been familiar and welcoming, even with a year of NASCAR experience under his belt.

“I think people here still see me as the guy who ran a lot of races in this series last year in the prototype,” he said. “It’s been cool to come back. The atmosphere is so much different—the people from all across the world that come and run this race. It’s definitely a different atmosphere than NASCAR, but it’s really cool to experience it all again. Everything is different when you do these races versus NASCAR, but it’s all learning for me, and that’s what I enjoy most.”

Saturday at Daytona also marked the first time Zilisch had been back in a race car since the NASCAR championship finale at Phoenix.

“Yeah, it’s been two weeks,” he said. “It’s my first time back in a car, and it’s good to be back at the track. It’s what I love doing. Every time I get to drive a car is a great day. Any chance I get, I jump in, and that’s why I’m here.”

Adjusting to the GTP Car

Like A.J. Allmendinger, who also tested the GTP car this weekend, Zilisch noted the adjustment to the heavier steering and complex controls.

“Yeah, it’s just something you’ve got to adjust to,” he said. “It’s definitely heavier steering than a NASCAR. I felt it for about five or six laps, and then I got used to it. The GTP cars have a lot of controls you have to know. It’s a hefty machine, but the team’s gotten me up to speed well. The laps in the simulator helped a lot.”

An Unconventional Path Forward

Zilisch is well aware that his career path—jumping between MX-5 Cup, LMP2, NASCAR, and now GTP—is far from traditional.

“I don’t think anybody’s ever taken the same path as me before, but I like that,” he said. “I appreciate everything I’ve done in the past and the opportunities I’ve gotten. If I could go back and change something, I don’t know if there’s anything I’d want to change. I’ve really enjoyed the path I’ve taken and how hard I’ve had to work for each opportunity.”

He also addressed recent talk from Trackhouse about the possibility of him running “the double”—the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600—in the future.

“If you tell them, maybe tap the brakes a little bit,” he laughed. “It’s very early in those talks. I want to get settled on Sundays before I even think about racing in the Indy 500. But it’s definitely on my bucket list. I’d love to do it one day. Justin is great—he wants to race in everything, MotoGP included. We think very alike. We just love racing.”

The growing media attention surrounding Zilisch hasn’t gone unnoticed either.

“Yeah, it’s been crazy,” he said. “Every week my walk gets longer because I’m stopping to sign autographs. I remember walking around this paddock when nobody knew who I was. Now people appreciate what I do, and it makes all the hard work feel worth it. I want to be that guy that kids can look up to one day.”

Learning From His Cadillac Team-Mates

And even with limited laps, Zilisch is already learning from his more experienced Cadillac teammates.

“I would say the biggest thing for me is the braking,” he said. “Just learning how to maximize the braking. There are so many tools you can use to affect the brake zones. Today was about learning the car and the controls. I’ll take a deeper dive into it later.”