Gallery: relive the Rolex 24hr race

With barely a few days left in the month, we're quite confident in the assertion that Ford has pretty much owned January.

First, it was the surprise reveal of the brand new Ford GT at the Detroit Motor Show; now, it's winning the Rolex 24 race with a prototype powered by a V6 EcoBoost engine producing somewhere north of 750bhp.

What's a Rolex 24, you might legitimately wonder? It's a 24hr race - like Le Mans - held at the Daytona Speedway, that doubles up as the first race of the TUDOR United Sportscar championship season. It's been run since 1962, with a mix of cars a bit like Le Mans; you get Daytona Prototypes and GT racers.

So, last weekend saw the 53rd running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the No. 02 Ford EcoBoost DP (Daytona Prototype) of Chip Ganassi Racing taking the win.

Driven by Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray, co-driving with Felix Sabates, the not-so-little red Ford finished just 1.333 seconds over the second placed car - and defending Rolex 24 champs - Joao Barbosa, Christian Fitipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais. Oh, they were driving a ‘Vette.

It would be another Corvette finishing the podium for the Prototype/overall win, and all three lead cars finished on the 740th lap of the race around the 3.56-mile Daytona course.

McMurray also records his name in the history books, alongside Mario Andretti and AJ. Foyt. He's now only the third driver in the history of the world to have completed - and won - at both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Daytona 500.

We've got pictures from the full 24 hours, so have a click through and see what you think. Now just imagine Ford lighting up La Sarthe again with a prototype version of that new GT, going up against Audi, Porsche, Toyota and Nissan...

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer

Pictures: Nathan Deremer