Connor Zilisch completes Cadillac 31 lineup for the 24 Hours of Daytona

Connor Zilisch will race in the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona in the Cadillac V-Series.R #31 for Action Express Racing. This will be his third consecutive appearance in the endurance classic, just weeks before he begins his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing.

Zilisch joins Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken, and Frederik Vesti in the GTP prototype. Action Express had revealed those three names the previous week, leaving one seat unconfirmed that is now filled by Zilisch. It will be his first time competing in the top class of IMSA.

Racing in IMSA before his first full Cup Series season is uncommon. Zilisch will be one of only two Cup drivers in the event, alongside AJ Allmendinger. Most Cup rookies avoid additional commitments to focus on adapting to NASCAR's premier series.

Photo By IMSA

Three Years, Three Different Classes

Zilisch has a particular history at Daytona. He won on his absolute debut in 2024, driving an ORECA LMP2 07 for Era Motorsport in the LMP2 class. In 2025, he moved up to GTD Pro with a Corvette Z06 GT3.R from Trackhouse by TF Sport and finished 24th overall. Now he takes another step up.

The GTP class features the fastest and most technologically advanced prototypes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with hybrid systems and cutting-edge aerodynamics. Zilisch tested the Cadillac GTP in November during the official test session at Daytona International Speedway.

"It's a mix between the LMP2 car and the Corvette GT3 I drove this year," explained Zilisch in November. "A bit heavier than the P2, more power, a lot of new controls I have to learn."

The #31 Cadillac finished 15th in the 2025 edition of Daytona with Aitken, Bamber, Vesti, and Felipe Drugovich. Zilisch replaces Drugovich for this race.

In 2025, Zilisch completed his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with historic numbers but no championship. He won 10 races and set the record of 18 consecutive top-five finishes, but lost the title to Jesse Love at Phoenix Raceway. Love passed Zilisch in the final 24 laps of the championship race to take the title.

The regular-season numbers heavily favored Zilisch: 10 wins to Love's two, 1,013 laps led to 297, an average finish of 8.0 to 11.1.

Whelen Cadillac has won multiple championships in IMSA's top class in recent years. "The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of my favorite races and I'm excited to be with one of the best teams in IMSA," stated Zilisch.