The 19-year-old Connor Zilisch is already a class winner in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, winning on debut in LMP2 two years ago. This weekend, he is making his GTP debut with the Whelen Cadillac squad and having a blast s they contend for a podium spot.
But just a few weeks from now, he will embark on his first full-time season as NASCAR Cup driver, taking the wheel of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. The rising star has won in just about everything he’s raced in, securing wins in ARCA, Mazda MX-5 Cup, the CARS Tour, Trans-Am, IMSA, and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Going even further back, he is a former CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy Winner. Zilisch has also proven to be one of the few drivers capable of taking the fight to Shane van Gisbergen on road/street courses.
Zilisch's rapid climb has many calling him a generational talent, and ten wins as a NOAPS rookie in 2025 certainly supports that claim. There was even a stretch where he won seven of eight races he started last summer, and only lost out on the crown due to the one-race championship format that NASCAR has done away with for the upcoming season.
On Saturday, he joined the Peacock Pitbox during the Rolex 24 broadcast, and was asked about where his racing ambitions will lead him. The Red Bull athlete is driving for Cadillac in this weekend's Rolex 24, and the brand is just weeks away from joining the F1 grid. We already saw Colton Herta leave behind a solid IndyCar career to pursue a dream of securing a seat with the team's Formula 1 outfit in the future.
Does Zilisch have F1 ambitions?
That's something I dreamed of as a kid," remarked Zilisch when asked. “If I have a very successful first few years in NASCAR it’s not something I wouldn’t say no to. I love F1 racing but honestly, I love what I’m doing in NASCAR as well. It's so much fun to get to race on the biggest stage in America. I get to do the Daytona 500 in three weeks for the first time. I'm certainly excited and infused in everything I'm doing in the NASCAR world, and it's got my attention at this time with 38 weekends.
You never know, one day, if that opportunity comes about and I feel like I've done all I needed to do this side of the pond, I would definitely think about it."
He made it clear that while he would entertain such an offer, he focus remains on stock car racing as he makes the giant leap into the top level of the sport.
