By alley - Nov 15, 2016, 10:39 AM ET

IMSA: Faster Continental Prototype tire for 2017

New tires from Continental should play in integral role in helping 2017 WEC P2s and P2-based Daytona Prototype internationals to shatter Prototype class records.

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fans have expected to see faster lap times generated through increased power and aero efficiency with the new cars, and with the switch from IMSA's combined P2 and DP class to a single prototype spec, Continental has been able to create a dedicated tire for the category that increases overall performance.

"There's a ton of work that goes into homologating a new tire for a new vehicle and that work started at the beginning of the year, and with the DPi platforms coming out late, it has been a challenge," Continental's Travis Roffler told RACER. "With two different platforms to handle before it wasn't fun or easy to build a tire for a P2 and a DP that generate completely different horsepower and downforce; the DP weighed 400 pounds more than the P2, but now that we have a common platform with these [P2] chassis developers that is really cool, we've been able to concentrate on speed more in the past."

Starting with a revised HPD ARX-04 as a control chassis driven by Ozz Negri, Continental began evaluating fresh compounds and constructions that would suit the lighter P2 platform. The process was then finalized after Negri hailed the new tires a success, and with the recent emergence of 2017 P2s and DPis, more testing has been conducted with the actual models that will use the tire.

Altogether, Continental has been able to deliver its first Prototype tire without any of the necessary compromises found during the P2/DP era.

"We can push the envelope more than we could be before; we had to make a really safe and durable tire for DPs because of the weight and energy they put into the tire," Roffler said. "The [previous] P2s were challenged to utilize them in the same way, and now we've been through many tests and have the news chassis out. We've been out with the Wayne Taylor Racing guys and HPD and we've been really excited so far.

"You take the chains off, basically, especially when you have cars that have removed 400 pounds of weight. And now that we're setup for one vehicle, we've made a faster tire that's capable of quicker times, for sure. From a fan's standpoint, faster is always better, and being able to generate more lateral forces and drive deeper into the corner and exit faster – with improved durability – is the tire we've been able to develop since April."

At least one Prototype will press the 2017 Continentals into service this week during

the two-day IMSA test at Daytona

, and based on the feedback he's received in private testing, Roffler expects to hear more compliments about their new product.

"Culminating with our first on-track group test at Daytona, everybody that's been on the tire in their car, the Wayne Taylor team – Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli, Action Express with Dane Cameron, they've all been pleased in the car with the new tire on," he added before explaining the options teams will have available in 2017.

"We'll just have wet and dry," he continued. "It's a balance with costs to the teams and keeping it as cost effective as we can. Introducing new compounds and constructions is not where we want to go right now, but the wet tire is something new we've been developing."

With another IMSA test at Daytona next month, and a third in January before the Rolex 24 at Daytona season opener, Prototype teams will have plenty of miles logged before the championship gets under way.

"We're looking forward to these next two tests," Roffler said. "It's been an exciting development process and we're happy with the product we're going to put on the track at Daytona [in testing] and then all of next year."