Bio-fuel Volvo enters Anderstorp
Volvo will make a one-off return to the World Touring Car Championship with their ethanol-fuelled Swedish Touring Car Championship S60 at Anderstorp later this month
STCC factory Volvo driver Robert Dahlgren will drive the Polestar-run car, which will be the first alternative fuel machine to compete in the WTCC. The series will run entirely on bio-fuel from 2009.
"This idea arose after WTCC declared its green agenda. Since environmental concern is a core value of Volvo, WTCC really hit our sweet-spot by giving a green light to alternative fuels," said Volvo's director of motorsport Derek Crabb.
"This is the main reason for our presence at Anderstorp - to show that we support this initiative. Therefore, we have asked not to race for points."
Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Volvo Sweden's motorsport boss, believes the team will prove that bio-fuels can be a competitive option alongside the traditionally-fuelled cars prior to the 2009 regulation change. Dahlgren has already won two races against petrol opposition in the STCC.
"All expertise said you would lose performance if you switched petrol for ethanol in the FIA Super 2000 regulations," he said.
"I am very happy we were able to prove otherwise and we hope this is just the start as was the case when Volvo, contrary to racing expertise of that time, pioneered catalytic converters in the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) in the early nineties."
Crabb feels that Polestar's main disadvantage will be their lack of knowledge of the WTCC's Yokohama control tyres, rather than their alternative fuel.
"From a pure racing perspective, we know that Polestar and Robert will be at a disadvantage using a type of a tyre of which they have very limited experience," he said.
"But this is not the main point for us. We wish to show that there is a more environmental friendly alternative available for WTCC today that is competitive."
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