While a single engine manufacturer has yet to formally announce its DPi involvement, teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship are already putting their plans in place for 2017 and beyond.

Starworks Motorsport team principal Peter Baron confirmed to Sportscar365 on Wednesday that he’s placed an order for a new Riley Mk. XXX, with a to-be-determined engine, for next year.

It is the first team to officially confirm plans to compete in the Prototype class next year, which will be comprised of DPi cars, 2017-spec LMP2 cars as well as grandfathered LMP2 machinery.

“Bill [Riley] and I are friends for sure,” Baron told Sportscar365. “The support that he’s given us since we started off with Daytona Prototypes in 2005 and the way he looks after his customers, it’s fantastic.

“He also has a great relationship with Multimatic. They’re using industry leading quality CFD computer and modeling up there [in Canada]. I have complete confidence the car will be good.”

Baron said the contract with Riley and Multimatic was signed two weeks ago but has been in the works for the last six months.

He expects a delivery date around September, with the Florida-based team currently working on options to purchase a second car.

“I’m not too worried about a delivery date at this point because we’re still trying to work with engine manufacturers to get them involved,” Baron said

“We want to get our place in line but still have options for what we’re plugging into the back of the thing.”

Baron said he’s in discussions with two engine manufacturers for 2017 but could fall back on the global-spec Gibson-engined LMP2 package should a deal with an OEM not materialize.