Volvo Returns to Pro-Racing in North America

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

Volvo has returned to pro-racing in North America and will field a team of S60 race cars in the 2009 SPEED World Challenge GT series.

This is no half-assed effort either as Volvo is working with K-PAX/3R Racing. In past years K-PAX has fielded a team of Porsche GT3 Cup cars that have had tremendous success. In fact, K-PAX driver Randy Pobst clinched the Drivers Championship last year.

Volvo has competed in the series in the past, however, the efforts were not wholehearted. The company can, however, lay claim to one particularly impressive win when in 2006 Michael Galati lapped almost every car in the field to race to victory at Mosport International Raceway.

“We’re associated with a great race team, so yes, we have high hopes for a great season,” said Volvo’s Vice President of Public Affairs Geno Effler. “World Challenge fans may ask early on, ‘What’s Volvo doing here?’ Later, we want them to be saying, ‘Wow, that Volvo rocks.’ We expect enthusiasts to see Volvo in a whole new light.”

“SPEED World Challenge has become an ideal way to connect car clubs and motorsport enthusiasts together with companies that value competition and performance,” WC Vision Co-Chair Peter Cunningham said. “This year, the manufacturers enrolled in the championship receive marketing and incentive packages for their area dealers and guests to invite valued customers to the races. We want to showcase their products – what they can do on the street and what they can do on the track.”

The 2009 SPEED World Challenge Series kicks off March 18-20 at Sebring International Raceway, during the 57th Annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring
Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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