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IMSA Hot Hand

Rebellion Racing will join IMSA in 2017. [Photo by Jack Webster]

Rebellion Racing will join IMSA in 2017. [Photo by Jack Webster]

By Jack Webster & Eddie LePine

The DPi ranks for next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues to grow.

The latest entries officially announced are cars from Cadillac, Mazda and Rebellion Racing, all of which will be taking part in the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first round of the 2017 championship.

The Cadillac DPi-V.R. will be represented by three entries from two teams at the Rolex – two cars for Action Express and a single entry for Wayne Taylor Racing, who also announced this week that NASCAR Legend Jeff Gordon will be joining regular drivers the Taylor Brothers and Max Angelelli for the 24 Hours.

Also coming for sure will be the two car Mazda Speedsource team, with their all new RT24-P prototype. And ESM will have their two car Nissan powered Ligier JS P217 on the grid next year as well.

Rebellion Racing also announced this week that they will be joining the IMSA ranks, electing to run the four race Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship with a single car effort, running an Oreca 07 LMP02 for drivers Nick Heidfield, Neel Jani and Sebatsien Buemi. Rebellion Racing has done quite well in the US in the past, having won Petit Le Mans in the old American Le Mans Series twice.

As of this date, it looks like there will be at least 8 new DPi cars on the grid at the Rolex, with the likelihood of even more entries by the time we get to the Roar Before the 24 in January.

IMSA just keeps going from strength to strength for 2017. The creation of the DPi class by IMSA in a direct departure from the FIA and ACO, as we have said previously, looks to be a brilliant move. For as the FIA-WEC series is looking to regroup after the loss of Audi Sport at the end of 2016 and are left with only four cars from two manufacturers in their top prototype class (Porsche and Toyota), IMSA continues to grow and is certainly looking at a number of new entries to come along in addition to the ones already announced.

There are still unanswered questions about who else may be entering the fray with IMSA, and as we have speculated in the past, don’t be surprised to see cars from other manufacturers and legendary teams (like Team Penske and perhaps even Joest) announced in the future.

IMSA looks to have an unbeatable hand for the 2017 season. We can’t wait for the season to start at Daytona.

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