Twenty-three-year-old Ricky Taylor, a seven-time Rolex Series winner, agrees, and feels that the DP formula, which has featured hard-fought racing and close finishes in the States, could be a success in other parts of the world.

"I think it’s an American style of racing that involves a lot of rough driving,” he said. “It's exciting for the fans and I feel like that it could work in other places as well. I love watching the V8 [Supercars] and touring car racing. If we could do that on a world scale, it would be pretty cool."

Michael Shank Racing’s Ozz Negri, who would also jump at the opportunity to race at Le Mans in a DP, added:

“It might not be the sharpest-looking car around but it's the car where the driver makes the difference,” he said. “The car doesn't have as much downforce as the other [Le Mans] classes, so the driver has a lot more input.

“For a driver, that's what we look for. There's not a better recipe than the one that we have.”

And while longtime open-wheel turned sports car entrant hasn’t given up hopes of one day fielding a car in the Indy 500, he’s also kept a close eye on Le Mans. In fact, he says he wouldn’t do it in any other car but a DP, if given the chance.

"I support what has supported me, which is [GRAND-AM],” Shank said. “The Daytona Prototype category for me has changed my life. Literally, from a barely holding on open-wheel team to be solidly in place where we could buy our own building, [to winning the Rolex 24].

“I'm extremely loyal to it."

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at