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 Chip Ganassi 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
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