The change of IMSA’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship to the renamed WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2016 could coincide with the addition of another notable name when the new season begins in January.

RACER has learned Mercedes-Benz, with its competition affiliate AMG, is preparing to enter the series in the WeatherTech Championship’s GT Daytona category with the new Mercedes-AMG GT3.

“We are here discussing the future,” said AMG customer sport coordinator Thomas Jager. “We have some of the SLS Mercedes AMG GT3s already racing in Pirelli World Challenge, and we have our new Mercedes-AMG GT3 presented, and we would like to find some customers next season for IMSA and for World Challenge.”

IMSA will transition its GTD class to full FIA GT3 regulations next year, and with that shift, an increase in manufacturer participation with their respective GT3 models has been expected. Provided Mercedes-AMG becomes an official IMSA manufacturer, it would mark the series’ highest profile acquisition for its new-look GTD category.

“Races like Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and so on, these are worldwide races with a lot of history,” Jager added. “That’s why I think for us it would be really great to be part of the series.”

The SCCA’s Pirelli World Challenge GT class has experienced a steep rise in GT3 entries since the cars were introduced in 2014, and Mercedes-AMG’s current chassis, the SLS GT3, has been competitive in the hands of professional and amateur drivers. With its replacement, the Mercedes-AMG GT3, ready to ship for widespread use next year, Jager says the championship-winning firm will expand its customer support offerings to ensure Mercedes-AMG GT3 owners will succeed in American sprint and endurance racing.

“What we plan for the future, which is very important, is that we will have a lot of customer support so teams can be successful with our product,” he explained. “This is for the U.S. in the future, and we will build up that part for us. We see the U.S. as a very important market for AMG, and that’s why we are really willing to do a lot for the future to be there and attract customers.

Jager also clarified Mercedes-AMG’s position on participating in IMSA. “What we will not do is factory racing in GT3; that is not our philosophy,” the veteran driver said, but it’s unclear how much support would be offered to one or more of its customer programs. Some manufacturers remain wholly separate from their customers, while others add a variety of incentives ranging from free parts, financial assistance, to the use of factory drivers.

“I know some of the AMG guys are currently in America trying to put something together,” said ALMS P1 champion Klaus Graf, who helped develop the Mercedes-AMG GT3. “They’ve had quite some interest from many teams, and I know they really want to go racing there. I was approached to drive [a Mercedes] a while ago and would be interested in joining them for the endurance races.”

In addition to Mercedes-AMG, BMW will continue its presence in GTD with the new M6 GT3; Lexus is expected to make a delayed debut with its RC F GT3, and other manufacturers, including Bentley and McLaren, have been mentioned as possible participants in GTD with customer-based program with their respective GT3 machinery.