Cadillac confirms Zilisch for Daytona test

Cadillac Racing has confirmed that NASCAR racer Connor Zilisch will get his first opportunity to test the Cadillac V-Series.R at next week’s IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona International Speedway.

As reported by RACER yesterday, Zilisch will drive the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, which won the final two races of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans.

“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 race at the highest levels of endurance racing,” Zilisch said. “That’s always been a dream of mine.”

Zilisch narrowly missed out on the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship last weekend at Phoenix – and with it, he lost an opportunity to test the V-Series.R at this weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship Rookie Test in Bahrain due to insufficient ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States) license points, Zilisch will have the opportunity to test the V-Series.R at Daytona instead.

He could also be in line to make his third Rolex 24 At Daytona start in the Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, where he would join Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti – who have already been confirmed for the 2026 season.

Zilisch won’t be the only previous Rolex 24 class winner getting their first opportunity to drive the V-Series.R next week, as Colton Herta is slated to drive the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R.

Herta has already been announced as the No. 40 Cadillac WTR’s endurance driver for Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans, alongside his upcoming FIA Formula 2 Championship campaign with Hitech TGR and duties as the Cadillac Formula 1 team's reserve driver. He will share the No. 40 Cadillac with Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz, while the No. 10 Cadillac will be driven by Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens.

“I am looking forward to unlocking more speed in our car,” Albuquerque said, as WTR prepares for its second year back in the Cadillac fold. “We made huge steps in 2025, and I want to keep searching. I want more. I want my first win back with Cadillac. I want to be fighting for the title.”

The test is set to be the first public outing for the 2026-spec V-Series.R, which features a revised aerodynamic package after the marque utilized one of its five development Evo "jokers." Cadillac used its first joker last year to update the car’s control system electronics package.

The IMSA Sanctioned Test will be held from Nov. 14-16, with GTP and LMP2 prototypes running on the first two days.