IMSA: VisitFlorida Racing aiming for April decision on 2017 P2 chassis

VisitFlorida Racing Corvette DP team owner Troy Flis expects to make his final decision in April on which 2017 chassis and engine his program will use next season. With the Daytona Prototype formula set to expire at the end of the year as IMSA shifts to its new P2-based Daytona Prototype international (DPi) cars, Flis has been rumored to have an offer to stay within the General Motors family in 2017, but says he isn't ready to pull the trigger on a DPi or a generic WEC-style P2.

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"I haven't made any decision yet," he told RACER. "We're looking to make our decision next month. Realistically, that's the timeline we've got with some things that are happening, but we're still waiting on a couple of things on our end. We don't know the criteria of the rules to give us a better feel for what's feasible for us on the long-term side.

"We're looking to go to Le Mans, and hope to get an invite there, so what can we race there, what's the best powerplant, what kind of ECUs, and all that stuff. There's still some things here to figure out and we wanted to get through Sebring before we get those answers done for our team and our sponsor Visit Florida."

The importance of VisitFlorida Racing's future debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans appears to be a major factor for the chassis/engine package he picks for full-time use in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

"Those are still some of the answers I'm trying to get to the bottom of," he continued. "I believe you're going to want a car that's competitive in North America, because that's the primary championship we'll race in and try to win; but you also want a car that's going to be competitive at Le Mans, and we aren't sure if the [DPi] cars are going to be the best to go there with, so that's what we're spending time trying to figure out. We're talking to all the manufacturers to get a feel which one has the best package."

Using a DPi in IMSA and leasing a WEC P2 for Le Mans is another option for Flis to consider, although he would rather use one car for both applications.

"That's an option as well," he said. "Some of the manufacturers are interested in that and willing to do that. But you'd like to stay with whoever we're going to be with the whole time, because it's best for us and best for our partners."