Connor Zilisch, the most dominant Xfinity Series driver in many, many years, came two spots back from an incredible opportunity. After missing the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series title by just two places, Connor Zilisch is no longer eligible to test the Cadillac V-Series R race car in Bahrain for the FIA’s World Endurance Championship Rookie test.

The 19-year-old driver from Charlotte, North Carolina, has built an impressive resume built for a veteran driver, but he has done so in only a few short years. With multiple Rolex 24 starts and even becoming a Rolex 24 champion, an 11-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, 12 Hours of Sebring winner, and many more, Connor is one of the biggest prospects in NASCAR in many years. A reward for winning the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship was considered. A rookie test for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at Bahrain on November 9th, however, is no longer on the table for finishing second in the championship.

By missing the title, Connor does not have the necessary Automobile Competition Committee for the United States license points to test Cadillac’s incredible Hypercar. All is not lost for the young NASCAR phenom; the FIA and IMSA do not share the same qualifications.

SFM expects Connor to be on the provisional list for the IMSA Test at Daytona for Action Express Racing in their No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R GTP-Class car. Should Connor impress in this test, we expect him to be in the driver roster for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona behind the wheel of a Cadillac.