“Hopefully not the last time I’ll race here”: 18-year-old Connor Zilisch ‘frustrated’ after his mistake cost his team an impressive result at Rolex 24

Connor Zilisch expressed frustration over his performance at the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona. His mistake of spinning out in the last hour resulted in the team finishing in ninth place.

Zilisch, the 18-year-old Trackhouse Racing driver at the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona faced a challenging situation in the final hour of the race. Despite a strong performance at the start, the North Carolina native made a mistake that resulted in a spin. He shared his thoughts in an interview with FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass.

"One mistake can cost you. Had a ton of fun, though. I mean, this was such a cool event with the team and our drivers. It was such a cool driver lineup, and I'm glad that Justin was able to make this happen and make this possible. Yeah, we were running third with an hour to go, and one mistake, we get a drive-through and end our race. So, frustrating, but hopefully it's not the last time I'll be back at this race."

He also talked about his Cup Series debut at the Circuit of Americas that will take place in a couple of months.

"No, I treat every race the same. I prepare for every race the same, no matter what I'm doing in the future or what my expectations are. Yeah, I'm going to keep doing my thing. Yeah, I'm so excited. It's going to be crazy living out a lifelong dream of competing at the highest level."

"To do it at 18 years old is surreal. I'm super thankful to Justin, Trackhouse, and Red Bull for coming back to NASCAR and making it happen. It's full circle for a lot of people, and I'm glad I'm the one behind the wheel," Connor Zilisch said.

The #91 was driven by Zilisch, Scott McLaughlin (the IndyCar star), Shane van Gisbergen, and Ben Keating. The team initially ran competitively in the top five but the unfortunate spin caused the team to fall down a few places. The race portrayed a competitive nature of endurance racing and would be a valuable experience as the drivers prepare for their upcoming season in IndyCar Series (for McLaughlin) and NASCAR (for SVG and Zilisch).

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“Moving in the right direction”: Connor Zilisch shared an update with ‘4 hours to go’ amid the 18-year-old’s Rolex 24 stint

As the race neared its conclusion, Connor Zilisch provided an update on his official X account, noting that the team was in seventh place in the GTD Pro class. He expressed excitement about the endurance racing experience and mentioned his upcoming stint in the car, indicating that the team is "moving in the right direction" with four hours remaining in the race.

“4 hours to go, P7 and moving in the right direction. @smclaughlin93 in the car now and I’ll be in for a triple stint to bring it home. This is where it gets fun,” Connor Zilisch wrote.

Looking ahead, Zilisch is preparing for his rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, starting on February 15 at Daytona International Speedway.