PerformanceTech zeroing in on P2 move

A social media post from the father of PerformanceTech Racing driver Kyle Masson tipped the team's hand on where it expects to compete next season, and according to team owner Brent O'Neill, confirmation of an IMSA Prototype program isn't far away.

"We're working on it, and it's a big jump for everybody," he told RACER. "We're hoping to announce something in the next couple of weeks."

O'Neill is expected to take his championship-winning IMSA PC team to join the ranks of WEC-spec P2 entrants in 2018. Masson, James French, and Pato O'Ward are likely to use a Gibson V8-powered Ligier JS P217 chassis to take on the manufacturer-based Daytona Prototype internationals and other teams using WEC P2s.

"IMSA has definitely made some headway with [Balance of Performance]," O'Neill said of the reduced gap between Prototype formulas. "On Friday, I spent the day with Dallara at their office and it's pretty interesting when you can sit in the room with the guys who built the Cadillac, and they'll even admit that it's got gobs of horsepower. IMSA has gotten the cars closer, and hopefully going into 2018, the P2 cars will have a chance at a win."

In a previous interview with RACER, O'Neill mentioned having a client that offered to buy a Dallara-built Cadillac DPi-V.R for his team. Based on his feedback while meeting with Dallara USA CEO Stefano DePonti, the option to purchase a customer DPi is lacking.

"There isn't any discussion with the DPis," he said. "Dallara would like [General Motors] to make the Cadillac available as a customer car, but Stefano doesn't have much hope in that happening.

"DPi has everyone on the P2 side a little nervous with Penske and Acura and ORECA coming in. How much support are you going to get from ORECA now? From our vantage point, it's difficult, but I think it will be better next year to give P2 teams an improved chance of showing well."