Connor Zilisch won’t be on the grid in Adelaide. Image: Supplied
Trackhouse Racing sensation Connor Zilisch has confirmed a mooted GM-orchestrated wildcard for the Supercars Championship races isn’t going ahead.
GM and Adelaide organisers had been keen to get the 19-year-old on the grid alongside the Tickford-run entry for Team Penske Cup Series driver Austin Cindric.
It was unclear exactly how GM planned to incorporate Zlisch into its Supercars program, given Team 18’s spare car is currently headed to the US for wind tunnel testing.
“It won’t happen this year, but hopefully down the road, I want to make something like that happen,” Zilisch told NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck.
“I always enjoy racing against the best in a different country and seeing what they have to offer.”
However, Zilisch’s Xfinity Series rival Jesse Love is headed Down Under, as flagged by Speedcafe earlier this year.
The Richard Childress Racing driver is set to compete in the Super2 Series round at the Adelaide event aboard a fourth entry for Terry Wyhoon’s Image Racing.
Jesse Love. Image: Richard Childress Racing
Image will lease a Brad Jones Racing ZB Commodore for Love, who will run with backing from his US sponsor Whelen Engineering.
Love is among the RCR drivers to have sampled an Image Racing VF Commodore that is based in the United States.
The 20-year-old is eager to improve his road racing skills as he progresses through the NASCAR ranks.
Tickford is meanwhile full steam ahead with its plans to field Cindric aboard its wildcard Mustang in Adelaide.
CEO Simon Brookhouse affirmed last week at Bathurst that the American will likely also attend the penultimate round of the season at Sandown.
“We’re hopeful that he will get here for Sandown for the weekend and then get in the car on the ride day on the Monday,” he said.
“And then we have got a couple of days at Tailem Bend the following week for testing for him leading into Adelaide.”
Cindric’s entry in the Supercars Championship races in Adelaide follows failed attempts to get Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson to the event in 2024 and ’25 respectively.