More sports cars: DPi reveals forthcoming; Miller Lamborghini back - MotorSportsTalk

Two other quick sports car nuggets to pass along today because we could well get a run on program announcements and more in the coming days:

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Mazda has formally confirmed it will launch its new Daytona Prototype international (DPi) Prototype at next week’s Los Angeles International Auto Show.

Mazda will launch the car Wednesday, November 16, at 12:50 p.m. PT. Those on hand for the announcement will include Masahiro Moro, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports North America, Ken Saward, Sr. Manager of Design, Mazda Design Americas, and Mazda Prototype Drivers Jonathan Bomarito, Tom Long, Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez.

With Mazda partnering with Riley Multimatic as a constructor, the public will get to see the car for the first time.

Although not yet publicly confirmed, GM also could launch its DPi car in L.A. next week too. GM’s car, expected to feature Cadillac branding and a Dallara chassis, would come alongside.

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One car that is confirmed and announced features literally no changes from last year to this year, after major upheaval from 2015 to 2016.

Paul Miller Racing will continue intact from 2016 into 2017 with the full-season lineup of Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow in the team’s No. 48 Lamborghini Huracán GT3, Bryce Miller as third driver for the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, and a fourth driver to come out of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse stable for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Andrea Caldarelli is a possibility for that and will test next week.

Miller’s full-season pairing came together last year in the Lamborghini after a separate lineup in a separate car ran in 2015 (Dion von Moltke, Christopher Haase in an Audi R8 LMS ultra). Sellers grabbed Lamborghini’s first GTD pole and Sellers and Snow its first win at VIR last year in a dominant performance, and the pairing finished third in GTD points.

“There are so many positives to the team continuing in 2017, it’s difficult to pick which one to begin with, but first and foremost I think it is important to thank Mr. Miller for making this all happen for yet another year,” Sellers said. “Madison and I really jelled over the course of the season and I really enjoyed my time with him. It will be great to be back with someone I know so well and build on that continuity.”

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”