Red Bull's latest motorsport protege Connor Zilisch has had a rough few days.
After the NASCAR Xfinity Series title slipped through his fingers to Jesse Love under controversial circumstances, the 19-year-old was also denied the chance to take part in the World Endurance Championship rookie test in a Cadillac V-Series.R - for reasons that raised more than a few eyebrows.
A full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and a likely shot at the Daytona 24 Hours will soften the blow, but it still begs the question: how does a driver of his talent get turned away? And why is seeing him in a Cadillac V-Series.R only delayed, not denied? Here's the story.
A bitter double blow
Footage of Zilisch in tears beside his car last Saturday went viral. Winner of the Xfinity Series regular season - NASCAR's second tier - the American still missed out on the championship thanks to the rule that hands the title to the best-placed of the two remaining contenders at the end of the last race.
Zilisch had racked up 10 wins and 17 podiums, finishing third at Phoenix in a race won by his rival Love, who only managed six podiums and two wins all season. Crushing for someone who dominated the field for months.
And just days later came more disappointment: by finishing second in the Xfinity Series, Zilisch missed out on the WEC rookie test in Bahrain, in the Cadillac V-Series.R. The decision caused a stir across the motorsport world, and for good reason.
The rules and the catch
The WEC sporting regulations stipulate that for the Hypercar category, the composition of the drivers line up is free, on the condition that it does not include a Bronze driver. No problem there: Zilisch is classified Silver by the FIA.
But Appendix L of the FIA's International Sporting Code also states that the International Grade A licence is required for all cars with a weight/power ratio less than or equal to 1kg/hp. That means, single-seaters, prototypes or equivalent categories.
And to obtain the Grade A licence, the driver must have accumulated at least 14 points. The ASN will consider the number of points accumulated in either (a) the three-calendar year period immediately preceding the date of the application, or (b) the two-calendar year period immediately preceding the date of the application in addition to points accumulated in the year of the date of the application, whichever is higher.
And that's where the problem comes in, as Zilisch explained to the press during the NASCAR awards ceremony last weekend. A NASCAR Xfinity title earns 10 points, versus eight for second place. He's therefore two points short of the 14 required.
Recognised by peers as one of the most talented drivers of his generation, it made no difference. And he himself declined to attempt any appeal, knowing it would be a waste of time.
"I did know that. It's just another reason I should have won the championship," said Zilisch.
"I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to do a test in Daytona in two weeks or so or next week. So yeah I'll still get to drive it but it would have been cool to get to go over there, you have to have an FIA A licence to run a hypercar in WEC and whether it's a test or what. I knew I had to win the championship to have enough points to do that. Didn't win the championship so no Bahrain.
"I had flights and everything I was ready to go. I'll be sitting at home now, oh well.
"When I found out i was definitely a little frustrated with it, it's silly...when I lost I was more dejected that I lost the championship. Just another reason to be upset. But whatever, can't control it, can't change it so no reason to get upset about it."
Why it makes no sense
Zilisch's case highlights some glaring absurdities in FIA licensing and driver classification. He's Silver-ranked, meaning he's technically still a rookie or gentleman driver.
The absurdity will be fixed on January 1, when he will move up to Gold. But, as you've understood, the problem is that he does not hold an FIA Grade A licence. That is therefore a dealbreaker for driving a Cadillac V-Series.R in the WEC, but not in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
What's baffling is that every driver in WEC or ELMS already has a Grade A licence, including Bronze amateurs. And from the 2026-27 season, even amateur drivers will be allowed behind the wheel of Hypercars in the Asian Le Mans Series.
What's next for 2026
Next year, Zilisch will contest the full NASCAR Cup season with Trackhouse Racing, but that won't be all. His first laps in a Cadillac LMDh were only delayed a few days, as he is expected at Daytona next week (November 12-14) for the IMSA sanctioned test.
He'll drive the V-Series.R #31 for Action Express Racing, alongside former Williams Formula 1 driver Jack Aitken, Mercedes F1 third driver Fred Vesti, and double Le Mans winner Earl Bamber.
"Hopefully, we're going to make the most of it and see if this can lead to more opportunities for me in the Cadillac because it would be super cool for me to be able to race at the highest levels of endurance racing," said Zilisch. "That’s always been a dream of mine."
The plan is very much to have him compete in the Daytona 24 Hours, acting as Action Express Racing's fourth driver, just like Colton Herta in the Cadillac #40 for Wayne Taylor Racing.
Zilisch is no stranger to endurance racing. In 2024, he contested six IMSA races in LMP2 with ERA Motorsport's Oreca 07, winning both the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours. Earlier this year, he returned to Daytona in a Corvette Z06 GT3.R, sharing the car with Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin, and once again, he impressed.
If confirmed, Zilisch will undoubtedly be one of the main attractions at Daytona 2026.
