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Dallara named among four constructors for new-for-2017 LMP2

Dallara and a joint venture between Riley Technologies and Multimatic Motorsports have been chosen along with ORECA and Onroak Automotive as the four constructors permitted to build cars for the new-for-2017 LMP2 formula

The two newcomers to the P2 market and incumbents ORECA and Onroak - which builds the cars that carry Ligier and Morgan badges - have won the right to build new-generation cars for the World Endurance Championship, the Tudor United SportsCar Championship and the Le Mans Series in Europe and Asia.

The decision is subject to the ratification of the latest draft of the LMP2 regulations, jointly written by the FIA and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans, at the World Motor Sport Council in Mexico City on Friday.

Constructors known to have missed out on the right to produce cars for the new LMP2 category include Honda Performance Development, BR Engineering, Ginetta Cars and Group CN builder Wolf.

British organisations Gibson Engineering (formerly Zytek) and Strakka Racing, which builds the Japanese Dome S103 design, did not enter the tender process, which closed on June 10.

ACO president Pierre Fillon said: "Our priority is to supply the teams and drivers entered in this category with the best options and solutions to race in endurance on a long-term basis.

"Thanks to the decisions taken jointly by the ACO, IMSA [organiser of the USC] and the FIA we have managed to bring together a high-quality pool of constructors that reinforces the interest in the series and its glowing future prospects."

The decision was made by a selection committee featuring representatives from the three bodies on the basis of a number of criteria, including the experience and reputation of the manufacturer, quality of service to their clientele, the investment devoted to the programme and engineering capacity.

One of the licences was reserved for a North American manufacturer, which has gone to the new partnership between Riley and Multimatic.

Dallara's success in the tender process means it will build a Le Mans-rules prototype for the first time since the car known as the LMP or SP1 that was raced by ORECA with Chrysler, and then Judd power in 2001-02 and also run by the Rollcentre and Doran teams.

A strict timetable will be laid down for the constructors in the final regulations.

They will have to validate their safety structures and monocoques by January next year and pass their crash tests by June and present their cars for inspection in December.

The cars must be homologated and available to customers for use in the Daytona 24 Hours USC opener in January 2017.

It is planned that the next generation of LMP2 will be faster than the existing cars and more cost-effective to run, as well as being safer with the adoption of the 2014 LMP1 safety rules.

The single engine supplier that will provide power for the new P2s in all arenas, with the exception of the USC, will be announced in September.

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