Volvo racing team enters World Challenge GT series (S60R)

[Erik]

http://www.speedvisionwc.com/news/04press6.html
http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/040115-5.htm

Volvo racing team enters World Challenge GT series

Le Mans racing legend Derek Bell will spearhead a Volvo Cars of North America foray into auto racing as the lead driver on a new, retailer-backed four-car Volvo racing team entered in the 2004 Sports Car Club of America SPEED World Challenge GT series.

The team of four racing Volvo S60 Rs will be entered in the nine-event series by Maryland-based At Speed Motorsports, owned by Bob Miller, World Challenge rookie of the year in 2001. The lone Canadian stop for the series is Aug. 6-8 at Mosport International Raceway near Bowmanville, Ontario. The series is televised in North America on SPEED Channel, which lends its name to the series.

Miller, veteran racer Paul Gerrard and a fourth driver to be named later will join Bell in the drivers’ seats of the Volvo S60 Rs.

The racing cars will be enhanced versions of the recently launched Volvo high-performance S60 R sedan. Modifications to the stock 300-horsepower S60 R models will be announced closer to the start of the World Challenge season.

Bell will drive the full season for At Speed, and return to the duties he had as an in-car announcer for SPEED Channel before missing the 2003 season.

“I am ecstatic to be part of Volvo’s first motorsport involvement in the United States, and it will be good to be back in the GT Series. Between driving, announcing, and helping to develop the new race car, this should be an exciting year for me. I enjoyed racing against Bob (Miller) in the past, and I’m looking forward to working with Volvo and to driving with Bob and Paul in 2004.”

[Audihead]

The S60R is a very capable street car it should adapt well to racetrack duty. Didn't Volvo race in the Austrailian Touring Car Series about 5 years ago? I think they had pretty good success there.

:s4addict: -Bimmerhead

[Erik]

What happened?

Can't see the S60R anywhere...

Volvo backed out?

[Benman]

If Volvo joined now it would have no impact on the standings (unless of course they could manage to win every remaining race! ). I would think it would only be for practice for next year, similar to Lambo in the ALMS.
Ben