Extreme Speed Motorsport (ESM) is set to announce next month that it will switch back to a full-season of racing in North America in 2017, competing in the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship. It looks likely that the effort will see the team field a Nissan-engined Ligier DPi package.

After the team’s statement in Mexico City two weeks ago that it “hopes to announce plans for its 2017 programme before Petit Le Mans”, the team gave more than a hint that its current FIA WEC programme will come to an end after 2016, team and series sources have confirmed that ESM are close to confirming a two-car 2017 programme.

That will feature new JS 217 Ligier chassis and a revised version of the current Nissan VK V8 engine. The VK engine, raced currently in LMP2 in 4.5 litre, c.450 bhp form, is also utilised in 5.6 litre, 650 bhp form in the Nissan Altima in V8 Supercars in Australia. (Update – Team owner Scott Sharp has now confirmed that the power plant will actually be a version of NISMO’s GT3 spec twin turbo V6 – NOT the same unit utilised in the ill-starred LMP1 GT-R LM)

The programme is not understood to be a factory-backed effort, an approach to NISMO today for comment getting the following response from Nissan’s global motorsport director Mike Carcamo:

“Other than the Australian announcement that was made this week, we have no news on our 2017 plans to announce at this stage.”

The addition of a further pair of DPi spec cars, factory backed or otherwise, will be a substantial boost to the 2017 IMSA roster. The two Nissan engined Ligiers are set to join at least three Cadillac-engined Dallaras and at least two Mazda-engined Riley Multimatics with none of the DPi programmes yet officially announced.

The return to IMSA will see the end of a two-year FIA WEC odyssey for ESM which has, thus far, yielded six podium finishes, including four this season, all for the #31 car that currently sits third in the FIA WEC LMP2 points standings.

It will also mean that the team will be able to mount a defence of their historic 2016 double endurance race win at Daytona and Sebring (above) from the top class of the IMSA Championship in 2017.