IMSA has revealed that the next-gen LMP2 cars, which are set to begin competing in 2028, will debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship a year after the new ruleset debuts, at the 2029 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
This means the new Gibson turbo V6-powered cars, which will be supplied by ORECA and Ligier, will first debut in the ACO’s European Le Mans Series. They will also form part of the grid for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Asian Le Mans Series during year one in 2028.
Stateside, the WeatherTech Championship LMP2 class will continue to use the current ORECA LMP2 07 chassis and Gibson V8 engines through the end of the 2028 season before shifting to the new cars.
“One of our top priorities is to provide IMSA competitors with plenty of runway to plan for the future,” said IMSA President John Doonan.
“This announcement provides clear direction for current and prospective future LMP2 competitors on the timeline for using existing equipment, as well as the opportunity to plan for investment in new cars for the 2029 season.
“The current LMP2 class has become robust in the WeatherTech Championship. We expect to see that continue through the end of the current generation in 2028 and into a strong debut for the new cars coming in 2029.”
This news follows speculation in recent months that IMSA would choose to delay the introduction of the new LMP2 cars in order to give the suppliers more time to prepare for the start of the new era with the new cars, and avoid a 24-hour race (at Daytona) being their first competitive outing.
Regardless, teams invested in the formula are already busy planning ahead for new era, with United Autosports and Duqueine Team so far committing to ORECA and its forthcoming 09 chassis.
Image courtesy of Jack Webster
