“A dream of mine”: NASCAR star Connor Zilisch shares exciting first impressions of Cadillac GTP test at Daytona

Connor Zilisch took an important step toward his next racing goal on Saturday morning (November 15) at Daytona. During the IMSA-sanctioned test for the 2026-spec Cadillac V-Series.R, he completed a 3.5-hour run and gave his first detailed impressions of the GTP car he hopes to race in January’s Rolex 24.

Zilisch's comments came at the end of the opening session, where he ran 33 laps in mixed traffic. That was part of Cadillac’s two-day test window, with Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti also taking part with the No. 31 Action Express Racing entry, as the team prepares a prototype for 2026.

For Zilisch, the run came only days after he missed the FIA Bahrain Rookie Test because his Xfinity title defeat cost him the points needed for an FIA A license. He spoke to Sportscar365 after stepping out of the Cadillac.

“Being able to race in the 24 Hours is something I’ve dreamed of as a kid. That’s why I always come back and keep doing it,” he said. “It’s my third time doing it in my third different car that I’ve done it in. Actually, I don’t know if I’m doing it, but if I do end up getting to do it and I do well enough today, then that would be cool. “I’m just excited for the opportunity to even be here today and get this chance to test the car. It’s been such a dream of mine to get to drive in the highest class of IMSA. Doing that today has been really cool.”

Action Express director of operations Chris Mitchum backed up that first impression with his own assessment.

“He did great,” Mitchum told Sportscar365. “He got in the car on some older tires. We’re trying to space out when we use the tires, and getting him a long run in some mixed traffic was great. He didn’t take any big bites at the apple but had constant improvement. I’d say the pace he ran was equal to the life of the tires.”

For Cadillac, the test serves as the debut outing for the upgraded V-Series.R ahead of next year’s IMSA WeatherTech Championship. For Connor Zilisch, it offers a chance to reconnect with the discipline that shaped his early career.

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Connor Zilisch gives a verdict on Cadillac's IMSA run: “It’s very different” as he leans on road-racing roots

Era Motorsport's Connor Zilisch (18 LMP2 Oreca 07-Gibson) in the 2024 Rolex 24. Source: Getty

Connor Zilisch’s path to the test runs straight through American endurance racing. Before his rapid rise through NASCAR, he made his name as one of IMSA’s youngest winning prototypes. In 2024, he scored victories in both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring with Era Motorsport in LMP2.

Earlier this year, Zilisch added GTD Pro experience at the Rolex 24, driving a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Trackhouse Racing's TF Sport entry. That variety helped shape his read of the Cadillac after his first laps.

“It was awesome,” Connor Zilisch said, via Racer. “It’s 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 I drove this year. It’s a little heavier than the P2, more power, but really cool. There’s a lot of new controls and things I have to learn. It was a lot of fun getting to feel it out and run a lot of laps.”

Missing the Bahrain test, Zilisch said, was tough, but the support he received from the paddock softened the blow. It also set up Daytona as an unexpectedly fitting first step toward GTP. The track’s simplicity and long runs allowed him to settle in without pressure, and the team’s measured approach gave him time to adjust.

With the test concluding on November 16, Action Express will now review data and finalize its Rolex 24 lineup. If selected, Connor Zilisch will make his third appearance in the Florida endurance classic and his first in IMSA’s top class just weeks before beginning his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career in 2026.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam