IMSA: PR1/Mathiasen chooses Ligier JS P217

Bobby Oergel and Ray Mathiasen will return to IMSA next season with a brand-new Ligier JS P217 chassis (pictured) as the Californian PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team steps up to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Prototype class.

The PC front-runners expect to take delivery of their chassis in December, and with the help of Onroak, its testing program will begin in November with a factory car outfitted with the same World Endurance Championship-spec bodywork and Gibson V8 engine it will use in 2017.

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"This is everything we were looking for in a chassis partner," Oergel told RACER. "They are going to make sure we get out and start testing soon, just over a month from now, and then we'll get our car and we should be in good shape for the season."

PR1/Mathiasen has become Onroak's first privateer IMSA Prototype customer. Tequila Patron ESM has commissioned the company to create a Nissan-powered Daytona Prototype international version of the JS P217 for use in IMSA, and with the spec JS P217 in the hands of the PC aces, the French constructor will have multiple versions of its product on display.

"It's very important for us to have a private team to show their trust in our new car and we will make sure we give that trust back in how we service them," said Onroak North America president Pierre Nicolet. "Having a WEC-spec P2 running full season in IMSA is also important to us. Having Bobby and Ray choose the Ligier JS P217 is an honor and has us very excited. They are straight shooters, which is nice to work with."

PR1 can look forward to an expanded support package from Onroak and, according to Nicolet, it will be the same for all their IMSA customers and more details will be revealed during the off season.

"Any customer can expect the same level of involvement from Onroak," he said. "We will have testing with PR1, supporting in November before they get their car in December, and we want to bring the same level of customer support to America that we have in Europe.

"We want to make it the standard for teams; we unfortunately lack history with teams in most of the U.S., so it's time we do the same investment in the U.S. that we do in Europe. With the new category for P2s here, it is the right time."