IMSA: Lexus pushes RC F GT3 debut to 2017

The return of Lexus to North American sportscar competition has been officially moved back to 2017.

Its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program, which was announced in November, has been delayed on multiple occasions as the brand and its Michigan-based F Performance Racing team have tried to turn the 2015 version of the RC F GT3 into a competitive package.

According to the Lexus' motorsports manager, the program's emphasis has been shifted to preparing a new model for a new season.

"It had been our hope to compete in a limited schedule this year, and with the purpose of our developing a new race team and bringing a new vehicle out, we've chosen to now focus on a two-car effort in 2017," Mark Egger told RACER.

"We've gotten deep into our process to see where to put our efforts this year, and after seeing some of the efforts by [Toyota's racing division in Japan] to bring out a 2017 car, we felt it would best represent the brand to go racing with a brand-new car."

Paul Gentilozzi's F Performance team and drivers Scott Pruett and Sage Karam have done select tests with the recalcitrant 2015 RC F GT3 chassis while a new version of the car has been in the works. The lack of pace shown by the 2015 car, which has raced in Europe and Japan, led to the initial delays for the IMSA program, and with the decision to wait until the 2017 model is ready, Egger will also have time to secure drivers for the second GTD entry.

"When we look at where we were with the 2015 car, it became clear our focus needs to be on representing the Lexus brand at the highest level," he said. "When we go racing and do things within the automotive community, we feel it's best to do it right the first time, so that's why we're going racing in 2017.

"We're still in the discussion stages of announcing additional drivers. We do have two drivers right now with Scott Pruett and Sage Karam. The direction we need to go on further drivers, we typically try to announce that during the SEMA time period like we did last year."

Egger also says Lexus is solely focused on GT racing at the moment, and has not considered outfitting one of IMSA's new-for-2017 Daytona Prototype internationals with an engine and bodywork.

"Our focus is squarely on running two new RC F GT3 cars in the GTD class," he added. "We have not had any looks at racing anything else in any other [IMSA] class at this time."