IMSA Honda DPi planning continues

Interesting details behind Honda's upcoming Daytona Prototype international program continue to emerge. The factory effort, which will be run by Team Penske in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, is expected to be unveiled in August.

Although the exact venue could change, it's believed the combined Honda Performance Development and Penske DPi project will break cover during Monterey Speed Week, possibly at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion takes place, or the at the nearby Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The public debut for the Honda DPis, which are believed to be under production at the ORECA factory in France, is said to be slated for late September. Rumors of an end-of-season run at Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta during IMSA's championship closer on Oct. 7 continue to persist.

Along with the HPD DPi program coming next year, the company is also getting closer to making its new Acura NSX GT3 available for purchase. With the factory Michael Shank Racing Acura GT Daytona program scheduled to conclude after the 2017 season, sales of the GTD class-winning supercars have been planned as an immediate replacement to keep the marque on the grid, albeit in the hands of privateers.

The upcoming factory shift from GTD to DPi could provide opportunities for one or more of the MSR Acura drivers to continue with the brand in the Prototype class. Penske's Juan Montoya is known to be part of the driver rotation puzzle, and others – up to eight in total for a two-car effort – could be privately identified beginning in July.