Press Releases

Volvo S60 R Racecar To Make First Appearance On Track At Road America August 21, 2004

 

With final testing complete, the Volvo S60 R is set to make its racing debut in the SPEED World Challenge GT race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 21st, 2004.

 

Irvine, Calif. (August 16, 2004) - After completing months of development work and weeks of brutal on-track testing, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA), its retailers and At Speed Motorsports announced today that its race-bred S60 R will make its debut on the famed Road America racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, this Saturday, August 21st. At the wheel of the all-wheel-drive turbocharged S60 R will be five time LeMans 24 winner, Derek Bell.

 

"We knew going into this that it wouldn't be easy, but we knew it could be done," commented John Maloney, Vice President of Communications for VCNA. "It great to see how solidly the S60 R has performed during these last few days of testing. The support and dedication that we've seen from our retailers and the team from At SPEED has been wonderful. It will be even better to see the Volvo S60 R competing out on the track."

 

"I couldn't be happier with the track results," said team owner, Bob Miller. "This is what we've been working so hard for all year. But it's really just the first step. Now we have to show everyone else it was worth the wait. I'm not promising a podium, but I can promise you that we'll be competitive, and people will notice us."

 

Getting to this point has been no small task. Originally planned to compete at Lime Rock in May, development time took longer than originally anticipated. “Testing is vital to any competitive team and I knew we were going to need a lot of testing before we raced," noted Bell in an earlier interview. "This is a car with unbridled potential and it’s really my call when it comes to being race ready or simply race capable. The development process is a huge undertaking for everyone involved.”

 

So how does Bell feel about his chances at Road America? When asked about his expectations once the car readies on the start grid this weekend Bell said, “Everyone involved has always been clear that we would not compete until we were ready. For us to be ready we needed to be safe, competitive and reliable. Our testing has proven that we have met all of these conditions. I will be very happy if we complete our first race without stopping and finish in the top ten."

Contact:

James Hope

Product Communications

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC

(800) 977-0888

www.volvocars-pr.com

Carol Thomas Quinn

Fusion Motorsports Marketing

(937) 442-0800

www.fusionmotorsportsmarketing.com

Keywords:
R, Product News
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