“He’s just an awesome young kid and so fast, but a lot to learn still at that age,” said Shane van Gisbergen on the rookie sensation, Connor Zilisch. Despite being just 18 years old, the North Carolina native has earned class victories in the Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 endurance events last year. Expectations are at an all-time high from the youngster ahead of his rookie Xfinity Series campaign with JR Motorsports on the horizon. Even though he won the LMP2 class at the prestigious event, this weekend’s Rolex 24 might be an entirely new challenge for the racer.

Despite being a defending winner, Zilisch still feels like a rookie going into the Rolex 24. His teammates, Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, and Ben Keating have a lot of experience, and the teenager is eager to learn a lesson or two ahead of what could be a breakthrough year.

Connor Zilisch leans on SVG for mentorship

Connor Zilisch is one of the most exciting prospects in the motorsports world. The youngster won five out of the eight ARCA races he participated in last year, as well as earned a pole position in his first Truck Series start. However, Zilisch’s most impressive achievement in 2024 was arguably his Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen on his debut. He might be only 18, but the North Carolina native has already achieved more than many drivers manage to do in their entire careers, but the young racer remains hungry for more.

In an interview ahead of the Rolex 24, Connor Zilisch spoke about learning from his more experienced teammates, particularly Shane van Gisbergen. He said, “Shane (van Gisbergen) has obviously done GT cars a lot before and has a good bit of experience. We’ve been leaning on him to kind of ask, ‘Where do you think we are? How do you think we are doing?’ He definitely understands GT racing a bit more than me and Scott (McLaughlin). Ben and Shane definitely have a ton of experience and it’s been a lot of fun learning from those guys and hanging out with them off the track as well.”

However, it seems like Zilisch’s more experienced teammates aren’t being entirely good influences for the young racer. When asked about the lessons he was learning from his colleagues, the 18-year-old laughed and replied, “Majority of good things. I’ve definitely learned some Kiwi slang that I probably didn’t need to know that I know now.” The North Carolina native will be aiming to take advantage of being in the company of more experienced professionals and learn some tricks of the trade ahead of what could be the most important year in his career so far.

Connor Zilisch will be sharing a GTD Pro class No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, a car that will be partly fielded by Justin Marks, a former winner of the Rolex 24 as well. He will also be making a Cup Series appearance for Trackhouse Racing this March at the Circuit of The Americas, where he will be teaming up with Shane van Gisbergen once again. The future looks bright for the young racer, and his new colleagues haven’t failed to recognize his immense talent and potential.

Shane van Gisbergen opens up about having Zilisch as his teammate

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The parallels are uncanny. Just like Connor Zilisch, Shane van Gisbergen also won his debut NASCAR race, although it was in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023. Both drivers are very versatile, being able to adapt to different motorsports disciplines seamlessly and push their cars to the limit to get a result on the track. The 35-year-old is now all set to make his sixth entry into the Rolex 24 and has been on the podium back in 2015 when he finished runner-up in the GTD class.

Having Zilisch as a teammate is an exciting prospect for the veteran racer who offered praise to the youngster, “He’s an awesome young kid and the experience he’s had already and what he’s done is amazing. He’s committing now to NASCAR away from this [sports car] world and it will be really fun to see how he goes. He’s got a massive future ahead. ” van Gisbergen said. “He’s asking Scott and I and Ben a lot of questions, and we’re having a lot of fun, bouncing ideas off each other about the car.”

Connor Zilisch was flattered by the compliments, particularly from a driver he greatly admires. The 18-year-old is eager to make the most out of the opportunity being presented to him, going on to say, “I have a lot to learn from these guys. Definitely going to try to soak it in as much as I can. Be a sponge.” Just like last year, the North Carolina native will hope to hit the ground running at the Rolex 24 and have momentum on his side going into the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports.