The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be racing to get to Daytona before the season-opener, but Connor Zilisch will be the first one to put his foot down on the asphalt in January. He is once again set to race in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona, or the Rolex 24, in January 2026, but with a much better chance of winning this time around.

This will be a huge step up for him, given what happened to his previous international participation in Australia. But why did he not race in Adelaide?

Connor Zilisch to drive the marquee category at Daytona

Zilisch has a strong history in the race. In his first year of participation, he ran the LMP2 for Era Motorsport in 2024, winning the category. He then raced in the GTD Pro category last year, but without success, finishing ninth.

However, there is a strong chance he could be leading the race this time around, not just his category. Zilisch is set to race in the GTP category for Action Express. He was recently announced as the No. 31’s fourth driver. Considering the huge opportunity he has got, he shared a message on social media.

“Finally get to race for an overall win at the Rolex 24! Thank you to @WhelenEng and @Cadillac for letting me do this one,” he wrote.

This is not the first time Connor Zilisch has gone international. He had a chance to race in the Adelaide 500 in the Supercars Series. But there was a major restriction from General Motors. Because he is a Chevrolet driver in NASCAR, the manufacturer apparently didn’t have enough exposure in the Supercars series, and hence, he wasn’t allowed to race in it. Considering that both Chevy and Cadillac operate under the GM umbrella, Zilisch thanked them for “letting” him participate in the Rolex 24, which would be a much better representation of the brand.

But Zilisch’s talent has outgrown him out of the manufacturer shade. His performance in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series almost earned him a championship. But he did get a special gift from his team.

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JR Motorsports sends special gift to Zilisch after dominant season

Connor Zilisch was a pure show of talent in the 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (then called the Xfinity Series). Despite a poor start, he delivered ten victories throughout the season, all while recovering from surgery for a broken collarbone. He maintained a dominating streak, not finishing outside of the top-5 for 18 consecutive races, winning nine of those.

This performance booked him a full-time Cup Series seat with Trackhouse Racing for the 2026 season. As he prepared for his departure from JR Motorsports, the crew visited him before Christmas, sending in thoughts and bringing a memorable gift.

They brought him his car’s door panel, which marked all of his race wins. This was a thoughtful gift with a humorous message, reading “DO NOT STEP.” This was in context to his accident, when he fell from his car, celebrating his Watkins Glen victory, which was the reason his collarbone broke.

Prodigy. That is the word that describes Zilisch. He almost won the championship in 2025, impressive for his full-time debut season. Moreover, he won the Rolex 24 in the LMP Category before that. As he prepares to race the fastest category in 2026, can he cross the chequered flag first?