By alley - Nov 10, 2016, 2:05 PM ET

IMSA: Visit Florida Racing confirms Riley chassis

Visit Florida Racing will enter the new Prototype class era with a Gibson-powered Riley Technologies MK XXX when the green flag drops on the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, with primary sponsor Visit Florida returning for a fifth season.

INSIGHT: Healthy progress for IMSA Prototype

RACER

previously reported

Visit Florida Racing was leaning toward a Riley in WEC P2 trim, joining
Starworks Motorsport owner Peter Baron as the

first to opt in with a Riley

in March and an ORECA 07 WEC P2 for JDC/Miller Motorsports and a Ligier P217 for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

"I'm really happy to have these big elements of our program finalized," Visit Florida Racing team owner Troy Flis said. "We did our homework about all the options, and we are very excited to be going this direction. Bill and Bob Riley have an incredible record of success, and the partnership they've established with Multimatic for this project only adds to what they are capable of. Having the Gibson and the WEC bodywork means that we've got a lot of options as this class comes to fruition and starts to develop. This is an exciting time for everyone in IMSA, and we are very happy to be this much closer to the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona."

Ahead of the expected December delivery for the chassis, the team is working on the extensive preparations that moving from DP to LMP2 machinery will require as the team prepares for the next chapter of IMSA history.

"We are happy to have Visit Florida Racing make this commitment," Riley Technologies vice president Bill Riley said. "Troy has done a great job building his team and we hope to be a big part of what they accomplish in the future. Our customers expect us to deliver not only fast and dependable cars, but also a high level of at-track service and support. So it is a big vote of confidence in what we are capable of to have a team like Visit Florida Racing come on board with us."