Dark clouds loom over Connor Zilisch’s horizon. After a heartbreaking loss in the NASCAR Xfinity Series finale at Phoenix Raceway, the 19-year-old sensation faces yet another setback, one that stretches beyond NASCAR’s borders.
The rising star had firm plans following what many expected to be a title-winning season, with a World Endurance Championship rookie test at Bahrain International Circuit on the horizon. But in a cruel twist, Zilisch has now been ruled ineligible to drive the Cadillac V-Series R in the FIA-sanctioned test.
However, a shortage of ACCUS license points, caused by his second-place Xfinity finish, has derailed his WEC ambitions. Amid the disappointment, a glimmer of hope remains in the form of new support from IndyCar veteran Conor Daly, who slammed the ruling “beyond reason.”
How Did Conor Daly React to Connor Zilisch’s ‘Unfair’ FIA Ruling?
In a shocking turn of events, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series runner-up was reportedly pulled from the test after finishing second in Saturday’s championship race. This decision has sparked a wave of outrage across social media.
“You need an FIA A license to run a Hypercar in WEC,” Zilisch explained to Motorsport.com during the NASCAR banquet on Tuesday. “I was supposed to go to Bahrain to do a test, but because of the points system, you get 10 points to win the Xfinity Series championship and eight for second. I needed ten points to get to the 14 needed, and because I didn’t win the championship, (so) I didn’t have a enough points.”
The Red Bull Racing driver also mentioned that there’s no provision to appeal against the ruling, citing the case of Colton Herta. However, it does sting, with Zilisch terming it a “second shot in the heart” after learning that his name was not on the provisional WEC entry list submitted by Cadillac.
Reflecting on the situation, fellow Chevrolet driver Conor Daly, who pilots the No. 76 Chevrolet for Juncos Hollinger Racing, took to social media to voice his frustration, noting, “There’s not a lot we all agree on in the world… but I feel like most would agree that this is insane right?”
The Charlotte native’s dream WEC opportunity slipped away by the narrowest of margins. His runner-up finish in the NXS finale left him short of the ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States) license points required for the rookie test. The silver lining, however, is that he’ll still get seat time in the Cadillac during the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona.
A championship win would have sealed his eligibility, but when his close friend Jesse Love surged past with 24 laps to go at Phoenix, so too did Zilisch’s hopes.
It was a cruel twist for a driver who’d delivered one of the most dominant rookie campaigns in recent memory, highlighted by eight poles, 23 top 10s, 20 top 5 finishes, and ten wins, including an astonishing mid-season streak of seven victories in eight races.