Zilisch will make his IMSA GTP debut after his WEC test was canceled.

The defeat of Connor Zilisch by Jesse Love in the final race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship had consequences beyond losing the title. The plans for him to test with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at the World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain were canceled due to a lack of the necessary FIA license points.

Zilisch needed to win the championship to get the 10 points that would bring him to the 14 required for an FIA Grade A license. The second place in Phoenix only earned him 8 points, leaving him without access to the Hypercar test scheduled at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Photo By IMSA

License System with No Possibility of Appeal

"You needed an FIA A license to drive a Hypercar in WEC," Zilisch explained at the NASCAR banquet on Tuesday. "I was supposed to go to Bahrain to do a test, but because of the points system, I needed to win the championship to get the 10 points I was missing, and since I didn't win the championship, I didn't have enough points." The rigidity of the system allows for no exceptions. Zilisch compared his situation to Colton Herta's failed attempts to obtain a Formula 1 super license. "There's no way around it. That's just the way it is. It's like a second blow to the heart after the weekend. I knew it could happen, but it doesn't make it any easier."

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IMSA Offers Immediate Alternative at Daytona

The different license requirements between the FIA and IMSA allow Zilisch to test the Cadillac V-Series.R No. 31 of Whelen at the official November test at Daytona International Speedway. Action Express Racing will include him alongside Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti in the session next week.

"Hopefully we can make the most of this opportunity and see if it can lead to more possibilities for me with Cadillac," Zilisch commented from Mooresville, North Carolina. "It would be great to be able to compete at the highest levels of endurance racing. That has always been my goal."

Career Built from Era Motorsport

Zilisch came to NASCAR from endurance racing, where he built an impressive resume at an early age. At 17, he won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Era Motorsport, followed by wins at Sebring and a podium at Petit Le Mans.

His 2024 season with Era included consecutive wins at Daytona and Sebring, adding podiums at Battle On The Bricks and Motul Petit Le Mans. This year he raced only once in the WeatherTech Championship, driving the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Trackhouse by TF Sport in the GTD Pro class during the 24 Hours of Daytona. The 2024 season in the Xfinity Series included 10 wins, including a streak of seven victories in eight races during the summer that earned him the rookie of the year award. His scheduled promotion to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing in 2026 does not close the door on endurance racing.

Photo By IMSA

First Contact with GTP

Both Zilisch and Colton Herta, who will test the Cadillac No. 40 for Wayne Taylor Racing, will have their first contact with the current V-Series.R. Herta has experience with WTR but not specifically with the GTP specification Cadillac. If the test is successful, Zilisch could appear in a GTP for the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona, taking advantage of the fact that IMSA license requirements are less restrictive than those of the FIA for competing in the premier American endurance category.