WEC: Shank targets Le Mans entry in 2016

Michael Shank Racing, the pole-winning team for last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona, has reiterated its ambitions to take its Ligier LMP2 coupe to the Le Mans 24 Hours next year.

Team boss Michael Shank, whose squad has switched from a Riley Daytona Prototype for this season, explained that one of the reasons for buying the Ligier-Honda JSP2 for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship was to be able to fulfill an ambition to compete at Le Mans in the future.

"There were various reasons for going with a P2, and one of them is about being able to take the car to Le Mans," said Shank, whose team won the Daytona enduro with a Ford-powered Riley in 2012. "I don't think doing the whole World Endurance Championship is appropriate for us as a team; we want to race in the U.S. and have the chance to go to Le Mans."

"I think we can make it happen for next year; this season is too early for us because we've only just taken delivery of the car – we've only just scratched the surface of what we can do with it."

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Shank, whose Ligier was classified 11th overall and sixth in the Prototype class at the Daytona opener, said that regular driver John Pew was part of the team's Le Mans plans and that he "already had some good partners on board."

The Ohio-based team attempted to expand into IndyCar in 2012 under the MSR Indy banner and purchased a Dallara DW12, but failed to take part in any races before selling the car.

Originally on Autosport.com