On the eve of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] finally confirmed what everyone’s been expecting: an official return to Le Mans in 2016 with a race car based on the all-new GT supercar. Yes, 50 years after Ford’s famous overall victory at the 1966 running of the 'race around the clock' using the GT40, the classic racer’s spiritual successor, the new GT, will mark the anniversary by also competing at Le Mans.

Ford won’t be entering the premier LMP1 class for prototypes. Rather, it will compete in the GTE Pro class, the highest class for production-based race cars. It means Ford’s new GT will be going up against cars from the likes of Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Porsche and, of course, Ferrari. Ford will also compete in the full World Endurance Championship, which the Le Mans race is part of, as well as the United SportsCar Championship.

Though it’s yet to be confirmed, we may also see McLaren join next year with a race car based on its own 650S supercar. The spike in interest in GT class endurance racing is due to a normalized racing format expected to be introduced next year for major competitions including the USSC and WEC.

But getting back to Ford’s plans. The Blue Oval will establish a works team operated by Chip Ganassi Racing and businessman Felix Sabates. It will be a split-team, four-car effort, and the first port of call will be the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. The driver lineup will be announced at a later date.

“When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers,” Ford executive chairman Bill Ford said at today’s announcement. “We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.”

In case you’re not up to date with Ford history, GT40s placed first, second and third in the 1966 running, ending the dominance of Ferrari. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

A mock-up of the new 2016 GT race car was presented today at Le Mans. It’s thought to be closely based on the road car due on the market next year, right down to its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine. It’s a version of the engine featured in Ford’s Daytona Prototype that’s proven quite successful in the USSC. You may recall that Chip Ganassi Racing’s DP powered by the engine won this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

In addition to the compact yet potent powerplant, the new GT racer benefits from state-of-the-art aerodynamics delivering outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag; advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fiber for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis; and the efficiency of EcoBoost technology—all crucial for winning at Le Mans.

Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco and Brembo. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with an initial shakedown test believed to have taken place last month at the Calabogie Motorsports Park in Ontario.

Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year.

The Ford GT race car will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – referred to by many as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency – starting next year. Revealed today at the famous circuit in Le Mans, France, Ford GT will compete in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro).

The new race car – a further proof point of Ford innovation – is based on the all-new Ford GT supercar unveiled in January. Both the production car and race car will arrive in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

“When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.”

The new Ford GT race car will run the full 2016 schedules of the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, making its competition debut in January 2016 in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Florida. The two Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Both series teams intend to compete with a four-car effort at Le Mans. Drivers will be announced later.

The all-new Ford GT serves as the pinnacle product of the new Ford Performance group, a division dedicated to providing innovation through performance.

Set to deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles by 2020, Ford Performance will leverage its racing efforts and expertise to speed innovations on dedicated performance models and performance parts in order to more quickly iterate the latest technologies that can ultimately be applied to the full Ford vehicle lineup.

The performance segment is a growing business for Ford, as the company recognizes its customers’ desire for vehicles that offer excellent fuel economy, leading technology and a great driving experience. The Ford Performance lineup includes Ford GT, Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST.

“Ford remains focused on three priorities globally – accelerating our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with passion and driving innovation in every part of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “All three came together to create the new Ford GT. We also know from our rich history in motorsports that world-class competition is a great incubator for even further product innovation.”

The Ford GT race car features a number of innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in LM GTE Pro, but ultimately positioned to provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford lineup. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fiber for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis, and the power and efficiency of EcoBoost technology.

“As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. “We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.”

Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with CGRFS providing input into the development. Roush Yates is supporting development of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine debuted in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Since then, Ford, with CGRFS, has captured significant overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Besides great success in sports cars, Ganassi race teams achieved major victories in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500.

“We’ve won races and championships, but we’ve never run Le Mans,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world’s biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn’t be with a better partner than Ford.”

Ford's new race car based on the upcoming GT supercar is currently testing on multiple continents ahead of a competition debut in 2016. We now know when that debut will happen as the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] has posted up the car’s complete schedule for the 2016 motorsport season.

As previously announced, the new GT will be entered in both the United SportsCar Championship as well as the World Endurance Championship, with the latter containing the all-important 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The car’s first race, though, will be the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, scheduled for the last weekend of January.

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Fielding the cars will be a works team operated by current Ford partner ChipGanassi Racing together with businessman Felix Sabates. It will be a split-team, four-car effort. The driver lineup will be announced at a later date.

Below is the full schedule:

2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule

Jan 30/31: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.**
Mar 19: Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla.**
Apr 16: Long Beach Street Circuit, Long Beach, Calif. (WeatherTech Championship
Prototype (P), Prototype Challenge (PC) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) only)
May 1: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
June 4: Belle Isle Park, Detroit, Mich. (P, PC and GT Daytona (GTD) only)
July 3: Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.**
July 10: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
July 23: Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn. (PC, GTLM and GTD only)
Aug. 7: Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Aug. 21: Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Va. (GTLM and GTD only)
Sept. 17: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
Oct. 1: Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.**

* Subject to validation by the FIA World Motor Sport Council
** Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup events

2016 World Endurance Championship schedule

March 25/6: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, France
April 17: 6 Hours of Silverstone, Great Britain
May 7: WEC 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium
June 5: 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day
June 18/19: 24 Hours of Le Mans, France
July 24: 6 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany
Sept. 4: 6 Hours of Mexico City, Mexico (TBC)
Sept. 17: 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas (Lone Star Le Mans), U.S.
Oct. 16: 6 Hours of Fuji, Japan
Nov. 6: 6 Hours of Shanghai, China
Nov. 19: 6 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain

The No. 68 Ford GT of Sébastien Bourdais (FRA), Joey Hand (US) and Dirk Müller (GER) crossed the finish line at Le Mans at three o’clock on Sunday, as the overall GT winner of the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. The No. 69 Ford GT of Ryan Briscoe (AUS), Scott Dixon (NZ) and Richard Westbrook (GB) joined the winners on the podium after scoring third place. The Nos. 66 and 67 Ford GTs finished in fourth and ninth places, respectively.

“This is an historic moment for the Ford Motor Company,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “We dared to dream that we could return to Le Mans, 50 years after the incredible 1966 win, and take on the toughest competition in the world. The pride we all felt when the Ford GT crossed the line at Le Mans is indescribable. The team that designed, built and raced the Ford GT has worked tirelessly to bring us to this result and I am proud of each and every one of them. The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team demonstrated the spirit of Ford, that of innovation, determination and true teamwork. We cherish our history and heritage, but today we made history again and I couldn't be more proud.”

First unveiled to the media at Le Mans last year, the Ford GT’s Le Mans victory comes 395 days after the car turned a wheel for the first time on May 20, 2015, at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Canada. A Herculean effort from the Ford Chip Ganassi team has transformed the car into a Le Mans winner in just over one year.

“Building a new car and racing it at Le Mans is a monumental task,” commented Mark Fields, president and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Company. “We took it on and we conquered the biggest challenge in sportscar racing: the Le Mans 24 Hours. It has been incredible to share this event with our dealers, owners, employees, sponsors and guests who are all bursting with pride at being part of the Ford family. Every manufacturer in the GTE Pro class fought with everything they had in the best competitive spirit, and we are thrilled to have played our part in this incredible race.”

After a titanic battle with the No. 82 Ferrari, the No. 68 Ford GT took the lead for the final time in the 20th hour of the race. Hand was behind the wheel on the three occasions that the Ford passed the Ferrari, rekindling a 50-year-old rivalry between the two car manufacturers.

“It’s a big deal to come back here 50 years after the Ford win in 1966,” said Hand. “We said we wanted to win but to actually do it is huge. This team has come so far in a short space of time. They all worked hard, right through Christmas and New Year and gave us a race car that we can race hard. We drove like it was a sprint race for 24 hours. I’ve won a lot of races and this is a big one. I’m honoured to be part of this programme. I’m a red, white and blue guy so to be part of the Ford family, where they treat you like their own, is a great place to be.”

This victory is particularly sweet for Bourdais who was born within sight of Tertre Rouge. The Frenchman had competed at Le Mans 10 times previously but this is his first win.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to make this happen,” said Bourdais. “There was so much effort, so much emotion, and to be the one that wins the trophy to give to the Ford family and everyone involved is very special. Everything aligned for us today -- the history, the Ferrari/Ford battle, 50 years on and the Ford family being here. To come out on top of all that is an amazing feeling.”

The No. 66 Ford GT, raced by Billy Johnson (US), Stefan Mücke (GER) and Olivier Pla (FRA) was in contention for a top result during the race’s infancy but a small electrical problem put paid to their attack. Such is the pace of the Le Mans 24 Hours, one extra moment in the pits is all it takes to be out of the running.

The No. 67 Ford GT of Marino Franchitti (GB), Andy Priaulx (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) suffered from a gearbox issue at the start of the race so they had to play catch up for the full 24 hours, coming home in ninth place.

With his 175th victory as a team owner, Chip Ganassi becomes the only owner in history to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Le Mans 24 Hours.

The No. 66 Ford GT earns maximum FIA World Endurance Championship points from this event, which fires up the competition for the remainder of the WEC season. The IMSA Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team is flying high all the way back to the US for the next round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen on July 3.