IMSA: Lexus aiming for February testing debut

Paul Gentilozzi's F Performance team expects to have its new Lexus RC F turning laps by February. The Michigan-based factory team, which will compete in select IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events in 2016, won't be ready for the season-opening races at Daytona or Sebring, but according to lead driver Scott Pruett, the V8-powered coupe should break cover between those events.

"We're on schedule, Gentilozzi (ABOVE) has the first car, it's taken all apart, and we're preparing for the new season," Pruett told RACER. "We're working very close with Lexus of Japan, working very close with their designers, and on the implementation of new pieces being designed for the car that raced in 2015 in Japan. Japan is also flat-out designing a car for, I believe, 2017, and we're aiming to be out with our car by the end of February."

Development efforts in Europe and Japan with the existing 2015 RC F were thoroughly disappointing, and with the factory, along with California-based Toyota Racing Development and F Performance working together, Pruett believes the revised car will make its IMSA debut in style next year.

"Gentilozzi is flat-out working on the current car to make it competitive, which means not dominant, but not embarrassing, and it will go racing," he said. "Everyone in the United States can't wait to go racing, to activate the promotions, and to show the commitment to motorsports. The RC F will be racing this year, and when it does, we expect to do well."

Plenty of interest has been received from driver who would like to join Pruett in a factory GTD program.

"It's a lot. Right now, I'm directing all those drivers to Gentilozzi, and it's difficult because we don't know when it will race, so drivers who want to join now are having to wait," Pruett said. "He's spoken to a lot of great drivers and we need to put more pieces in place to know what we can offer. Is it six races or eight races? Until we can say, it's hard to ask anyone to commit."