Connor Zilisch will indeed get the chance to race for overall victory in the 64th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25, after being added to the entry list for Cadillac Whelen (Action Express Racing) in both the race and the preceding Roar Before The 24 test.
Already a Rolex 24 class winner in 2024, when he won in LMP2 as a 17-year-old rookie, Zilisch will drive alongside Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R – which he tested for the first time during the November IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona International Speedway.
Zilisch also turned additional laps around Circuit of the Americas during a private manufacturer test earlier this month, and will get more testing time on January 15-17 during the Roar.
“I’m excited to be with Action Express Racing for the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” Zilisch said. “The Rolex 24 is one of my favorite races and I’m thrilled to be with one of the best teams in the IMSA paddock. I’m very thankful to everyone at GM and Cadillac Racing for their help in making this happen.
“This is such a cool opportunity. We had a solid test in November at Daytona. I really enjoyed working with all the guys on the Whelen team and can’t wait to get back there for the race.”
Set to make his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut in February, behind the wheel of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Zilisch hopes that a successful outing at Daytona could lead to even more chances to drive the V-Series.R in the future.
“Hopefully, we’re going to make the most of it and see if this can lead to more opportunities for me in the Cadillac because it would be super cool for me to be able to race at the highest levels of endurance racing,” he added. “That’s always been a dream of mine.”