Stalwart IMSA Prototype Challenge class team Performance Tech Motorsports has confirmed that it will be joining the Prototype class for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge season with an ORECA 07 LMP2.
This news follows a Facebook post back in September by Robert Masson (father of driver Kyle Masson), revealing the team’s intentions for 2018.
Team principal Brent O’Neill struck a new deal with French manufacturer ORECA for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after retiring the #38 ORECA FLM09 Prototype Challenge car at the end of the 2017 season after winning the class title.
The team explained that O’Neill had his eyes set on the Prototype class since late 2016 when the final year of the PC class was announced.
“We know everybody going into this. Everyone is expecting to see Dallara or Ligier but we look forward to continuing the relationship we’ve built over the years it was the right choice for us,” O’Neill said. “It’s a big step for everybody but it’s a less steep curve to continue with ORECA because we’ve been working with them all along. ORECA was a part of our success this year.
“They did great through this process. We’ve had fun getting people excited about the new car. This, the car announcement, played out well for both of us. Everyone was asking ORECA who the car was for and our team was excited. But we’re happy to announce with them and excited to get to work.”
ORECA technical director David Floury added:
“We are really glad to partner Performance Tech in moving up to LMP2. The team is strong and has shown it in LMPC and we have developed a very good relationship through the year. ORECA will for sure support as much as possible to help Performance Tech continue to achieve success.
“I think they chose the right car for two main reasons. Firstly, the ORECA 07 is known for quality and has proven its speed and reliability. But besides this, it is a good base for teams that are entering the category for the first year to achieve great results. JDC in the USA or GRAFF in Europe have really demonstrated this in 2017. The second point is that Performance Tech and ORECA have developed a strong and successful relationship through years. This will enable to gain valuable time and speed up the process.”
While there’s no official news on the driver line-up for the team’s 2018 campaign, in the aforementioned Facebook post, Masson suggested that the team will race with Kyle Masson, Patricio O’Ward and James French. Plans may have changed since that though, as O’Ward is currently eyeing a return to Mazda Road to Indy.
The 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins in January with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Photo courtesy of Performance Tech
