DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Rolex 24 At Daytona annually attracts a diverse group of drivers from around the world, occasionally creating unique “superteam” lineups.
This year, the best example of that phenomenon can be seen in the cockpit of the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro class which features IndyCar Series frontrunner Scott McLaughlin, fellow New Zealander (and recent NASCAR transplant) Shane van Gisbergen, rising stock car star Connor Zilisch, and versatile sports car pilot Ben Keating.
The common denominator between the four is General Motors.
“Chevy and Eric Warren came to me with the opportunity to do this,” related McLaughlin, referencing the Executive Director of GM Racing. “I was like, ‘For sure I’d love to team up with Shane!’ That’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time, whether here in IMSA or in Australia in a Supercar.”
Trackhouse Racing boss Justin Marks was keen to get on board with the collaboration, paving the way for van Gisbergen’s participation. And Zilisch, despite focusing full-time on the NASCAR Xfinity Series, brings an impressive skill set to the effort, including Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class wins in both the 2024 Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Era Motorsport.
“Connor is another star coming up through the ranks,” observed McLaughlin. “He’s a great kid, just got his head screwed on straight. In some ways, he’s like an 18-year-old kid the way he gets excited and says some things out of the blue that make you wonder what the hell that was all about. But he’s quick in everything he’s gotten into, and he has a super-great feel for the car. I haven’t seen his data, but I’m looking forward to analyzing him and how he goes about his work.
“Having Ben as our Bronze is awesome,” McLaughlin added about Keating, one of America’s top Chevrolet dealers and also a former Rolex 24 class winner (2015, GTD). “I’ve always wanted to drive with Ben, to be honest. He’s a really stout Bronze.”
