THE world’s greatest and most demanding endurance race, the Le Mans 24-Hours, takes place in the French countryside next weekend, and for the first time in a long time, four Scots have realistic chances of being on the podium.

For two seasoned Le Mans campaigners – Bathgate’s Marino Franchitti and Airdrie’s Florida-based Ryan Dalziel – it will be a welcome return to the 8.45-mile La Sarthe circuit. But for two other Scots, Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy and Kirkcaldy’s Jonny Adam, it will be the first time they will have raced on the notorious circuit which encompasses closed-off French countryside roads normally driven by cars, lorries and tractors.

While Hoy will attract the bulk of attention in the build-up to the race, which starts at 3pm French time next Saturday in front of 250,000 spectators, it’s Franchitti who is a focal point of the biggest return to Le Mans for 50 years. The 37-year-old Scot will lead Ford’s comeback to La Sarthe half-a-century after the American car giant stunned the might of Ferrari by finishing 1-2-3 in the 1966 race. This year the Blue Oval badge will field four Ford GT cars in the competitive GTE Pro class. Franchitti will share his #67 car with fellow Britons, multiple World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx and former Le Mans LMP2 winner Harry Tincknell.

“It’s a dream to be going back to Le Mans as a fully-fledged Ford works’ driver,” said Franchitti, who will be competing at Le Mans for the sixth time. “It’s an honour to be wearing the Ford badge on my racesuit like my hero Jim Clark.We’ve a strong driver line-up, and we know from all the work we’ve done with the car that we have both pace and reliability.

“But Le Mans is like no other race in the world. Such is the level of intensity now that it’s really a 24-hour sprint. We know we have everything in place to win; now we just need to hope we can pull it off.”

The trio finished second in the previous round of the World Endurance Championship at Spa, so will be hoping to go one better at Le Mans.

Dalziel, meanwhile, is hoping to repeat his 2012 LMP2 class win, this year driving his Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier JS P2-Nissan. And the team arrive at Le Mans in better shape than 12 months ago.

“Last year we arrived having only taken delivery of our race car two months earlier,” the Scot said. “Our primary goal was to get both of the cars to the end of the race, and that’s what we achieved.

“This year we arrive with one aim, and that’s to win. The team have had a season now with the cars, and we know they’re fast and reliable, two crucial factors for a major assault at Le Mans. We’re up for it this year.”

And though both Hoy and Adam will be making their Le Mans race debuts, they are in competitive cars. Former British GT champion and Aston Martin works’ driver, Adam, will share the #97 Vantage with Kiwi Richie Stanaway and Brazilian Fernando Rees. Last year the car started from GTE Pro pole position. “We’ve got a good package,” said the Fifer, who relished driving the big Aston Martin at last Sunday’s Le Mans test day.

“This race is like nothing else on the planet, and we’ve got to make sure we’re there fighting for the result with a couple of hours to go.”

And one man who knows a thing or two about a sprint finish is Hoy, pictured. The Olympic legend is no stranger to getting his elbows out in a rush to the line on two wheels.

Now he heads to Le Mans on four wheels in his Algarve Pro Racing Ligier JS P2-Nissan.

“Le Mans is the greatest race in the world and it feels surreal that I’ll be on the grid with the best drivers and teams in the world next weekend,” said the Scot, who won last year’s inaugural European Le Mans LMP3 Championship.

“It’s such an amazing circuit. I’m looking forward to the race weekend; I’m really not focused on the results, I’m just trying to do the best job I can.”