Daytona Prototypes and Le Mans P2 cars competing in next year’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be able to run through to the end of the 2016 season.

The news was announced this morning at Circuit of The Americas after a four-hour steering committee meeting at between officials from the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO).

IMSA officials are in the final stages of computer simulations and wind-tunnel testing of the three different types of prototype race cars. On-track testing will soon begin for balance of performance.

“This is outstanding news for prototype teams all over the world,” said IMSA Chairman Jim France.

“This addresses long-term on-track competitive stability, along with the economic realities of today’s business climate that face everyone wanting to compete at sports car racing’s highest level.

“Moving forward, whether a team races a Daytona Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship or an LM P2 car around the world, they have an opportunity to make investments in their equipment that they will be able to utilize over the next three years. This is a huge step for the future of sports car racing both in North America and internationally.”

Technical regulations for the ACO’s cost-capped LM P2 category have been in effect since 2011. The same LM P2 regulations are currently utilized in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series, and the ALMS.

“The success of the current regulations in LM P2 is such that it does not require short-term evolution,” explained Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

“Extending this category to 2017 will allow further success for three years and guarantees the teams a sufficient period to absorb their costs. It also provides the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and its technical partners, IMSA and the FIA, enough time to work on the possible creation of the future prototype that could replace and further revolutionize the LM P2s and the DPs in 2017 in the best possible conditions.”

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship makes its debut with the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26, 2014.