Volvo want an American race back on the WTCC calendar
Volvo would welcome a return to the USA on the World Touring Car Championship calendar, with North America a key market for the Swedish marque’s new performance brand Polestar, but WTCC boss Francois Ribeiro is sceptical it could happen without a strong, local wild card entry.
The WTCC last visited the USA in 2013, racing for the second consecutive year at Sonoma Raceway in California, but the third appearance scheduled for 2014 never happened for both logistical and commercial reasons, with the USA not a priority for the WTCC’s newest manufacturer Citroën, which doesn’t have a presence in the US market, nor was it a priority for Honda, as the Japanese manufacturer has many other programmes in the USA in Indycar and other national series its US division invests.
WTCC promoter Francois Ribeiro says in order for a WTCC race to succeed in America, it would need a high profile driver to draw the fans to the event, which struggled to draw crowds during 2012-2013.
“Volvo told me they would be keen on having a race in North America, but I told them I would consider it only if we had a North American driver in the car, a high profile driver”, said Ribeiro to TouringCarTimes.
“I have been there and I know that if you don’t have that it’s too difficult, because fans do not react to brands, they react to heroes, the drivers.”
Ribeiro then indicated he has a shortlist of US stars he’d chose from, but with a twist.
“I have many names in mind,” he added. “But if I had to pick one it would not be a man.”
The only American driver to race in the WTCC to date is Robb Holland, who took part in the first WTCC round in the USA in 2012 with bamboo-engineering in the team’s Chevrolet Cruze, while two female drivers have raced in the WTCC; the late Maria de Villota with Maurer Motorsport in 2007 and 2008, and Sabine Schmitz, who has raced at both of the Nürburgring races in 2015 and 2016 with Münnich Motorsport.
