Dark clouds seem to be looming over Connor Zilisch, given how the last few days have gone for him. Following a heartbreaking championship loss to his best friend in the Xfinity Series, more bad news awaited the 19-year-old sensation, and this time, it came from beyond the NASCAR realm.
Following what everyone expected to be a title-winning campaign, Zilisch had firm plans in place to get behind the wheel of a WEC car for a test in Bahrain. However, given that he wasn’t crowned the Xfinity champ, he has now been deemed ineligible for the role.
And having seen the fate that has befallen his son, Jim Zilisch couldn’t help but point out how “ridiculous” the entire situation was.
What Does Connor Zilisch’s Father Have To Say After the WEC Bahrain Snub?
Everything was in place for Zilisch to participate in the Hypercar testing in Bahrain before it all came tumbling down. Zilisch’s name was removed from the roster for testing shortly after the Championship race last weekend, where the 19-year-old lost the title after dominating the entire season.
Calling it a second shot to the heart in a matter of days, Zilisch could do nothing but see the opportunity slip from his hands as he shifts focus to the Cup Series, where he will be replacing Daniel Suarez in Trackhouse Racing.
While the teenager steered clear of saying anything controversial on the matter, his father’s approach was the complete opposite.
Replying to an ongoing string on X, the senior Zilisch pointed out the ridiculous nature of the call, as he said it was an almost comical situation for his family.
He wrote, “Ridiculous really. It would be comical if it weren’t so maddening.”
The response comes after another X user questioned the call by claiming that the sport should consider restructuring its qualification system. They added that, “If a Rolex 24 winner can’t qualify to test an LMDh car in WEC because he lost one race in the Xfinity series.”
Notably, what went wrong for Zilisch in the first place was the fact that he finished as the runner-up in the Xfinity Series. A driver needs an FIA A License to be eligible to run a Hypercar, and Zilisch was 2 points away from it.
Had he won the championship, the teenager would have earned the required points, thereby clearing him for the all-clear. However, since he finished as the runner-up, he could only earn 8 points on his license, leaving him two points short of the requirement.
Moreover, there is no provision in the sport to appeal against the decision, leaving Zilisch with no option but to get in line and wait for another opportunity.