Multiple industry and paddock sources have confirmed that while current Super GT team (ABOVE) and past Le Mans runners SARD’s FIA WEC LMP1 ambitions will not come to fruition for 2015, the long-established Japanese outfit is close to confirming a proposed entry for the 2015 FIA WEC in collaboration with another team in LMP2.

The effort would be a single car entry ahead of a potential future LMP1 program, and SARD is currently assessing options with teams, chassis but a single engine option currently understood to be slated. The proposal is believed to be a Judd V8, re-badged for this effort with the Toyota brand, though it is unclear at present whether the proposal has gained the approval from Toyota corporately in Japan. It is certainly not a program that is in any way linked to TMG in Cologne.

With available full season grid slots for the FIA WEC limited to 32, and with many of the available 2015 LMP2 slots already accounted for by existing and already announced additional efforts, there will be pressure from the WEC for as convincing a proposal as possible.

Understood to be among the potential partners are the WEC-bound Morand Racing; the team’s Morgan chassis (BELOW) is already fitted with the Judd V8. Two other existing LMP2 teams said “‘no comment” in response to questioning.