Connor Zilisch has shared his excitement about the upcoming season. The 18-year-old is set to compete again at the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, having won the LMP2 race last year.
The 18-year-old earned victories in the Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 endurance races in 2024, and also won five out of the eight ARCA races that he competed in. He also won on his NASCAR Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen. In 2025, the 18-year-old is set to embark upon his first full-time rookie season in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports. But before his debut season, he will be competing in the Rolex 24 again. The North Carolina native will be driving a Chevrolet Corvette for Trackhouse Racing alongside Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, and Ben Keating in the 24-hour endurance race at Daytona. He is also set to make his debut at the Circuit of the Americas in the Cup Series in 2025.
Zilisch talked about the experience he is set to gain alongside his teammates and how it will translate to his Xfinity Series season.
"New team, new car, new class -- everything is different. I definitely feel like there's a lot for me to learn from all of my teammates, Ben [Keating] included. He's got so much experience in sports cars. I try not to set my expectations too high. In racing, there are so many variables and so many things that can change and happen during a race, especially in [the Rolex 24] ... I take that same mindset into the Xfinity season as well. You only get your rookie season once in NASCAR, and I'm gonna try and make sure to make the most of it," Connor Zilisch told Motorsport.
The North Carolina native will drive the #88 for JR Motorsports. Connor Zilisch started racing in karting at the age of five and gained international recognition by winning the Mini Rok World Championship in Italy. Aged 17, the driver joined Trackhouse Racing as a developmental driver, which led to him being signed by JR Motorsports for the upcoming Xfinity Series.
“There's just nobody bigger or more influential”: Justin Marks hailed Red Bull after new deals for Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch
Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing, recently praised Red Bull's return to NASCAR as a significant milestone for the sport. In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he emphasized the importance of Red Bull's sponsorship of drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch for the upcoming 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, marking the company's first involvement since 2011.
"There's just nobody bigger or more influential than Red Bull, and, you know, they recognize where there's opportunities in all forms of motorsports to tell a really unique story and, you know, find partnerships that, you know, reflect their passion for motorsports, their creativity, their willingness to take risk, and, you know, all of us at TrackHouse are, you know, really thrilled and honored that they saw, you know, those attributes in the partnership with us," he said to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Red Bull will serve as the primary sponsor for Shane van Gisbergen's #88 Chevrolet in five races, including prominent venues like Las Vegas and Daytona. Connor Zilisch will debut in the #87 Chevrolet, with support from RB at the Circuit of the Americas.