At 19, racing prodigy Connor Zilisch is set for his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut with Trackhouse Racing in 2026, but he has not ruled out a potential move to Formula 1. During the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Zilisch expressed enthusiasm for stock car racing while acknowledging his childhood dream of F1, especially with Cadillac's upcoming entry. His comments have sparked discussions about crossovers between the two series.
Connor Zilisch, a 19-year-old driver with an impressive resume across multiple racing disciplines, is preparing for a major step in his career. He won his debut in the LMP2 class at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona two years ago and is now making his GTP debut with the Whelen Cadillac squad during the 2026 edition of the event. Zilisch has secured victories in series including ARCA, Mazda MX-5 Cup, the CARS Tour, Trans-Am, IMSA, and the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS). As a former CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy winner, he earned ten wins in his 2025 NOAPS rookie season, including seven out of eight races in a summer stretch, though one source notes four consecutive victories leading to a second-place finish in the standings for JR Motorsports.
In a recent interview on the Peacock Pitbox broadcast during the Rolex 24, Zilisch was asked about his ambitions amid Cadillac's impending Formula 1 entry. The team, backed by General Motors (GM), will join the F1 grid in 2026 with drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, initially powered by Ferrari engines until GM introduces its own power unit in 2029. Zilisch, a Red Bull athlete driving for Cadillac in endurance racing, responded thoughtfully: "That's something I dreamed of as a kid. 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."
He emphasized his current focus on NASCAR, where he will pilot the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet for 38 weekends, including his first Daytona 500 in three weeks. "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," Zilisch added. GM's CEO of Performance Power Units, Russ O’Blenes, highlighted their commitment: "With this approval from the FIA, we will continue to accelerate our efforts to bring an American-built F1 power unit to the grid."
Zilisch's versatility has labeled him a generational talent, but his openness to F1 raises questions about talent retention in NASCAR amid growing competition from global series.
