But it was going to be Volvo Polestar's day anyway and not far for from a clean sweep. Björk, who started seventh in his blue Volvo Polestar Racing car, made his way to fourth. Ekblom, who started second, lost one place in the start on the outside line, but regained it a bit later and fought for the victory until the finishing line. The race was won by 21-year-old Linus Ohlsson, making his debut in top level racing. Ekblom took his blue S60 to a second place, a result that along with team mate Björk in fourth secured the team championship lead for Volvo Polestar and second overall in the driver's and manufacturers championship.

 

"I am really pleased that I was able to deliver for Volvo Polestar straight away in the premiere and we were in the end just one pass from a triple championship lead. I had fastest lap in the race and I was close to Linus for the victory a couple of times, but Linus drove well and I didn't want to take any risks this early in the championship," said a happy Ekblom.

 

The most buzzed about racing championship in Sweden has had its premiere. Next up is a well-needed rest for Volvo Polestar Racing for a couple of days before charging ahead for the second of the season at Anderstorp on June 2nd.

 

"The team has done an excellent job. All members have clocked over 100 working hours per week for more than three weeks, so we are more than proud over our team, and in the delivery of a new championship, a new car, new technical regulations and a new race format. TTA has arrived and we are pleased to be here," said Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director of Volvo Cars.

 

For further information, please visit www.ttagroup.se  

"We are really looking forward to this. Last time we hade a premiere for a new series in Sweden was in STCC 17 years ago and we also won the first season then allthough we had only one driver. Now, we have four, the strongest driver line-up ever, so we know what is expected" says Derek Crabb, Director for Motorsport at Volvo Car Corporation. 

 

Live coverage on free TV, and smartphones 

TTA – the Racing Elite Series will not only push the sporting standard to a new level but also how one can experience motorsport. For the first time, Swedish Volvo- and racing fans will be able to follow domestic elite racing live on free TV – Channel 10. In Addition, the whole race day will be broadcasted on pay channel Viasat Motor which can also be accessed with a computer or a smartphone through the Viaplay service.

 

"We are very happy to offer Volvo fans our biggest ever racing engagement yet in Sweden, and we are even more happy to offer the possibility to follow the series, not only live on site, but also live on TV or on your own phone while at your in-laws birthday party" smiles Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Commercial Director for Motorsport at Volvo Car Corporation.

 

For more information, visit www.ttagroup.se

 

Time Schedule for TTA – the Racing Elite Series – premiere day May 12:

 

09:00-09:20 Qualifying Carrera - GT Cup

09:30-09:50 Qualifying Abarth

10:00-10:20 Qualifying Radical

10:30-10:50 Qualifying Swedish GT

11:00-11:20 Qualifying TTA

11:20-12:00 Lunch

11:45-12:00 Pit Walk

12:00-12:20 Show

12:40-13:20 Race Porsche

13:30-14:10 Race Radical

14:20-14:50 Race Abarth

15:15-15:55 Race TTA

16:10-17:10 Race Swedish GT

17:20-18:00 Taxi rides

All TTA cars from BMW, Citroën, Saab and Volvo were tested in Volvo's wind tunnel in Gothenburg, Sweden, ahead of the 2012 season start of the TTA - Racing Elite League. The test was made in order to analyze and equal the aerodynamic values of the cars as well as analyzing the cooling of the cars. For English subtitle, open the video in YouTube http://youtu.be/BfxdGcMHgSs and click the left arrow button in the [cc] menu. This button will only be clickable if there are captions/subtitles for this video.

Blue color from the WTCC car

Volvo will, together with Polestar, race with four cars divided into two different teams. Two of the cars will be driven by Fredrik Ekblom and Thed Björk who together will make up the Volvo Polestar Racing team. Their cars will feature the same intense blue color that Volvo and Polestar used in the World Touring Car Championship in 2011.

 

 

Black Volvo S60 T6 R-Design gave inspiration

The other two cars will be driven by Robert Dahlgren and Tommy Rustad and will introduce a color first for an official Volvo racing car – black. The team will go by the suitable name Volvo Polestar Black R.

 

“We had just decided to switch from the Swedish Touring Car Championship after 16 straight seasons, where most came to recognize us in silver, navy, white and green. We wanted something that was new and that worked well with the S60's more dynamic lines. The intense blue color was a given, but we could not decide the other color. Finally, everything came in place during the launch of the 329 BHP strong power optimized Volvo S/V60 T6 R-design at Gotland Ring in Sweden and at Kyalami in South Africa. We noticed that the black cars seemed to attract more attention than the cars in other colors. They also looked a bit more "right" on the track. We had found our other color” says Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, commercial director for motorsport at Volvo Cars.

 

Best will win

Volvos new cars feature a mid-mounted six-cylinder engine with more than 400 BHP, gearbox with steering column paddles, carbon fiber body, and a F1-inspred chassis. The cars, which recently went through the final tests in Volvos wind-tunnel, are expected to break several lap time records this summer.

"Thed, Tommy, Robert and I, we really look forward to the season. The car is a true drivers dream - it looks very dynamic, sounds fantastic and goes like a rocket. It is like switching from a jet fighter to a space rocket if you compare to the old series" says Fredrik Ekblom.

 

Robert Dahlgren, who has raced for Volvo and Polestar since 2004, has already figured out who the fastest Volvo driver is to win the series:

"Yes I know this, but my humble nature prevents me from revealing it" smiles Dahlgren and concludes:

"What is good though is that you will find out because Volvo Polestar has no team orders and the series has no penalty weights and dispensions. All teams race on equal terms – best will win".

Volvo is going to compete with four cars in the Racing Elite League with Polestar in two different teams, Volvo Polestar Racing and Volvo Polestar Performance. Three of four drivers are confirmed, Robert Dahlgren, Fredrik Ekblom and Thed Björk. The fourth driver has not yet been named.

"We can't go in to that today. We are negotiating with three drivers, but we have other things that are more time pressing. Polestar and TTA are conducting the final tests at the same time as we are working on the hybrid system, producing the carbon fibre body shells and calibrating the aerodynamics for all cars in our wind tunnel," said Derek Crabb, Director of Volvo Motorsport.

With three months remaining to the TTA premiere on the 12th of May at Karlskoga, a new future awaits Swedish motorsport with sporting values, tight races and completely new regulations with new and exciting technology. Volvo has supported the idea from the start and has contracted their participation in the championship until 2015 at least.

"Motorsport must be cool, exciting and fair. We must fight our meanest competitors in our best selling models. We must be able to win by doing the best job and it should be easy for importers in the country to change racing car when changing model without the need of a heavy factory programme. We are really looking forward to the TTA - Racing Elite League 2012," said Anders Gustafsson, Managing Director of Volvo Cars Sweden.

Calendar – TTA Racing Elite League

12/05 – Karlskoga
02/06 – Anderstorp
16/06 – Gothenburg
07/07 – Falkenberg
18/08 – Karlskoga
01/09 – Anderstorp
15/09 – Tierp Stockholm Arena
29/09 – Gothenburg

Technical specification - Volvo S60 TTA

Length: 470 mm
Width: 1970 mm
Height: 1205 mm
Wheelbase: 2750 mm
Track width: 1660 mm front/1630 mm rear
Suspension: Double wishbone, three-way dampers, etc.
Body: Carbon fibre
Engine: V6 with hybrid system
Drive: RWD
Power: 420 BHP
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential with paddles on steering wheel
Hybrid system: Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
Rear wing: 1600 mm width/300 mm depth
Brakes: Front: 4-piston calipers, 370 mm ventilated discs
Rear: 4-piston calipers, 360 mm ventilated discs
Rims: 18" with centre wheel nut
Tyres: Front: 260/660-18 Rear: 280/600-18

Dahlgren has raced for Volvo since 2004 with three championship runner-up positions, 17 victories and 39 podium finishes.
"We are of course happy to extend the cooperation with Robert. He is an essential part of Volvo's racing program with Polestar and we are looking forward to new success with him in the TTA," said Derek Crabb, Executive Director for Motorsport at Volvo Cars.

Volvo is going to run four S60s in the TTA next year with Fredrik Ekblom and Thed Björk previously confirmed.

The plans for Volvo and the FIA World Touring Car Championship remains to be determined. The Swedish manufacturer has not yet made the decision public whether they are going to continue for 2012 and the number of cars in that case.

Dahlgren was fastest in the first qualifying session and managed to set the fastest first sector in the second qualifying session just before the crash, a sector time that no one was able to beat as the session later resumed.

"The season end did obviously not turn out as we hoped for, but the team has time after time showed that they are able to adapt quickly during the season, no matter the challenge or condition. To be fastest in qualifying at a very difficult track like Macau, where neither Dahlgren or Volvo Polestar Racing have raced before, clearly shows the potential the team has" said Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin.

WTCC - Race 1 - Macau, China
1 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
2 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
3 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 1.6T
4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC
5 Michel Nykjaer SEAT León 1.6T
=
DNS Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Macau, China
1 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
2 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC
3 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
4 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 1.6T
5 Michel Nykjaer SEAT León 1.6T
=
DNS Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

Dahlgren was in the very top of the practice sessions, but a drying track in qualifying meant that the fastest times were set in the final seconds of the session.

"We came close, but we went out a bit too early which meant that our tyres were too worn at the very end of the session. It was unfortunate, but that is racing sometimes," said Dahlgren.

 

The Volvo driver had a tough job for the races with 13th on the grid. However Dahlgren showed promising pace and climbed four places to finish ninth in both races, scoring valuable points on a track that is notoriously difficult to pass on.

"The track is really difficult to pass on with short braking areas, but I had two good races. I held a stronger pace than most of the drivers in front of me and I was able to make some ground to finish in the points," said Dahlgren.

 

Next up for Dahlgren and Volvo Polestar Racing is the WTCC season final at legendary street circuit Macau in two weeks.

"Macau is going to be the toughest challenge of the year, it is a track that all drivers have to race on once in their lifetime. I am very much looking forward to the race and our firm goal is to end the season on a high," said Dahlgren.

 

WTCC - Race 1 - Shanghai, China

1 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Colin Turkington BMW 320 TC

3 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

=

9 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

 

WTCC - Race 2 - Shanghai, China

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León 1.6T

3 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Colin Turkington BMW 320 TC

5 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

=

9 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

Despite never having seen the track before, Dahlgren claimed third on the start grid, just 0.069 seconds from pole position. But things would get a dramatic turnover in race one as Dahlgren was pushed off in to the barriers in the first corner, forcing the Volvo driver in to retirement. Despite major damage, the Volvo Polestar Racing team managed to get Dahlgren out in time for the second race with frantic repairs.

"The guys worked like heros and managed to give me a car that was fast enough for a podium finish despite only having a few minutes of repair time," said Dahlgren.

 

The second race saw Dahlgren right on form, fighting hard for a podium finish with the three Chevrolet works drivers Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alain Menu. Dahlgren finished fifth, just two second from race winner Tom Coronel, setting the second fastest lap of the race on the way.

"I was faster than the guys ahead of me, but it was not easy to pass on this track. While I wanted a trophy from this weekend, I am still happy overall and my expectations are high for the coming races," said Dahlgren.

 

Two races remain of the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship season and Volvo Polestar Racing heads to the penultimate race at Shanghai, China, in two weeks.

"Our team has done a remarkable job. It was just a few months ago that we arrived to the premiere at Curitiba as the championship newbie and we were more than a second off over a lap. From there onwards, the team has done solid progress with the chassis, developed a completely new 1.6 liter turbo race engine, perhaps the strongest in the championship, and we are currently fighting for pole within a few thousands of a second. We are heading to Shanghai with confidence and ambition to fight for a podium finish," said Alexander Murzevski Schedvin, Motorsport Commercial Director at Volvo Cars.

 

WTCC - Race 1 - Suzuka, Japan

1 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Michel Nykjaer SEAT León 1.6T

4 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Kristian Poulsen BMW 320 TC

=

DNF Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

 

WTCC - Race 2 - Suzuka, Japan

1 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

2 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

The WTCC race of this weekend is held on the east course of the legendary Suzuka, a track where Formula One has raced since 1987. The Japanese track is new to all teams of WTCC, in bright contrast to the other tracks in the championship where most teams have raced for several seasons.

”Everyone starts with a blank sheet of paper and we feel confident ahead of this weekend, especially with our recent strong results. The Suzuka track does seem to suit our car well with a lot of fast and medium fast corners,” said Christian Dahl, Team Principal of Volvo Polestar Racing.

With nine of twelve race weekends completed of Volvo Polestar Racing’s evaluation season, Dahlgren has so far scored points in 61 % of the races with fourth as best race result and second as best qualifying result.
”We have taken substantial steps forward during the season and we have established our selves in the very top of WTCC.
The Volvo C30 has performed well on all circuits that we’ve visited so far and Suzuka should be no exception,” said Dahlgren.

”It is going to be great to work with Volvo Polestar Racing. To compete for Volvo with their vast experience and merits as a Swede feels incredibly inspiring,” said Ekblom.

 

Ekblom is going to race for Volvo in Swedish Racing League by TTA 2012 and the Swede is also going to be involved in Volvo’s international motorsports programme.

”We are extremely happy to sign Fredrik, he is a seriously fast and experienced driver. He will be a key part of our TTA programme, and above all, a strong asset in our potentially expanding international motorsports programme,” said Derek Crabb, Executive Director for Motorsport at Volvo Cars.

 

Volvo Polestar Racing is the official name and team for Volvo Car Corporation's factory motorsport programmes. The team ended a 16-year programme in the STCC this weekend with the record of most number of pole positions, podiums and victories. Volvo is for 2012 focusing on the new championship Swedish Racing League by Touring Car Team Association where the team is going to field four cars over the next four seasons. The team is at the same time evaluating the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC] in 2011 for an official participation in the future.

Tommy Rustad had a tough weekend at Mantorp Park but secured the bronze in the drivers championship.

”The final wasn’t perfect for me. But third in the championship is alright keeping all incidents during the season in mind. Volvo Polestar Racing has done an amazing job this year and the car has never been better,” said Rustad.

 

Volvo Polestar Racing secured silver in the teams championship thanks to the strong efforts of Rustad and Dahlgren during the past season.

”We are very happy over the victory in the final race and the fact that we claimed silver in the teams championship. It is a good framing of the very successful 16 years that we’ve had in STCC,” said Christian Dahl, team manager of Volvo Polestar Racing.

 

The victory was Volvo’s 74th STCC victory and the 166th podium finish, confirming Volvo’s position as the most victorious manufacturer in the history of STCC. Volvo and Polestar Racing leaves STCC for 2012 and moves on to the new championship Swedish Racing League by TTA.

”Having ended our STCC programme with a victory, we look forward to an exciting future with SRL by TTA,” said Derek Crabb, Executive Director for Motorsport at Volvo Cars.

 

Drivers Championship - Top 10

 

1 Rickard Rydell 229 points

2 Fredrik Ekblom 227 points

3 Tommy Rustad 168 points

4 Johan Stureson 147 points

5 Colin Turkington 130 points

6 Richard Göransson 115 points

7 Mattias Andersson 94 points

8 Jan Nilsson 92 points

9 Patrik Olsson 88 points

10 Johan Kristoffersson 84 points

 

Teams Championship - Top 5

 

1 Team Biogas.se 327 points

2 Volvo Polestar Racing 312 points

3 MA:GP/IPS 266 points

4 Chevrolet Sweden 263 points

5 Flash Engineering 239 points

The season finale at Mantorp Park this weekend marks the final STCC race for Volvo. In the 16 years of the championship, Volvo is the sole manufacturer to have taken part in all 225 races. Volvo is also the most victorious manufacturer with most pole positions, podiums and victories in the history of STCC.

Volvo has the chance to claim both the drivers and team title ahead of this weekend’s final, just as Volvo did in the premiere year of STCC in 1996.”The conditions for this weekend are challenging, but we are looking forward to a new title fight. We are also really proud to have delivered 33 % of all victories and more than 70 % of all podium finishes during these years and we want to increase the number of titles from seven to nine this weekend,” says Christian Dahl, Team Manager for Volvo Polestar Racing.

For 2012, Volvo will move on to the Swedish Racing League by Touring Car Team Association with a program of four years.”When we cross the finishing line for the final time in STCC, it does not mean the end of Volvo’s commitment in motorsport, on the contrary. This is only the start of the journey and we are looking forward to continue to develop in SRL with TTA,” says Derek Crabb, Executive Director for Motorsport at Volvo Cars, adding:

”We will get a much improved sporting fairness and credibility in the new 2012 series and at the same time it simplifies and improves the cost structure for both teams and importers to engage in racing. We have an exciting future for racing in Sweden ahead of us.”

For more information on the team, visit www.polestarracing.com

See the clip with the races leading up to the STCC finale: http://youtu.be/UotXiQxrHX8

Volvo statistics of STCC 1996-2011

Victories:	73 (33 %)
Podiums:	165 (73 %)
Pole positions:	83 (45 %)
Fastest laps:	75 (33 %)
Titles:
Driver titles:	3
Team/manufacturer titles:	4
Records:
Most victories
Most pole positions
Most races
Largest distance covered – 23 786 km
The only manufacturer to have taken part in all 225 races since 1996 (227 after the finale)
Drivers that has driven for Volvo:
Jan "Flash" Nilsson	1996 to 2004
Jens Edman	1998 to 1999 and 2001
Mattias Ekström	1999
Kelvin Burt	2000
Rickard Rydell	2001
Edward Sandström	2002 and 2005
Magnus Krokström	2003
Robert Dahlgren	2004 to 2011
Alexander Storckenfeldt	2006 to 2007
Tommy Rustad	2008 to 2011
James Thompson	2011
Gabriele Tarquini	2011
Car Models:
Volvo 850	18 victories
Volvo S40	22 victories
Volvo S60	14 victories
Volvo C30	19 victories

"It was yet another dream race and the car was perfectly setup," said Rustad.

Robert Dahlgren, who returns for the two final STCC races, had a strong weekend and secured a podium finish.

"We have had great weekend and it feels satisfying to claim the team championship lead together with Rustad," said Dahlgren.

Rustad and Dahlgren's strong efforts has brought Volvo Polestar Racing in to the lead of the team championship with one race weekend left of the 2011 season.

"Tommy and Robert have together performed well this weekend, providing us with excellent conditions ahead of the final race weekend," said Christian Dahl, Team Manager for Volvo Polestar Racing.

Rustad continues to gain points on championship leader Fredrik Ekblom and reduced the points gap to 26 points ahead of the remaining 50 points of the finale at Mantorp Park in two weeks.

"The main goal is to secure the team title for Volvo Polestar Racing. The driver's title is going to tough, but anything can happen and I won the final race last year at Mantorp," said Rustad.

This years STCC will be decided at Mantorp Park in two weeks time.

Drivers Championship - Top 10

1 Fredrik Ekblom 194 points

2 Rickard Rydell 192 points

3 Tommy Rustad 168 points

4 Johan Stureson 143 points

5 Colin Turkington 122 points

6 Richard Göransson 113 points

7 Jan Nilsson 91 points

8 Mattias Andersson 72 points

9 Roger Eriksson 71 points

10 Johan Kristoffersson 67 points

Team Championship - Top 5

1 Volvo Polestar Racing 273 points

2 Team Biogas.se 269 points

3 MA:GP/IPS 231 points

4 Flash Engineering 223 points

5 Chevrolet Sweden 222 points

"It feels great and inspiring to compete and work together with Tommy on Swedish soil again. We have got a tough and challenging mission ahead of us," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren is back in STCC as Volvo Polestar Racing has successfully finished the evaluation with Gabriele Tarquini ahead of 2012.

"We have had two rewarding races with Gabriele and we are continuing the negotiations ahead of 2012. We have decided to bring in Dahlgren, who has got a vast experience of the Swedish tracks, as our current WTCC programme does not clash with the two final STCC races," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Rustad is third in the drivers championship ahead of the two final race weekends. The Norwegian gained on the leading duo of the championship, Fredrik Ekblom and Rickard Rydell, after the previous races in Denmark.

"The feeling ahead of the weekend is really good after our pole position and superior victory last time. It is also good to have Robert back, we get along well and we have always worked well together," said Rustad.

The fight for the team championship is equally hard where Volvo Polestar Racing currently lies second.

"Our position is strong and my task is crystal clear, to score as much points as possible with Tommy to secure the team title for Volvo Polestar Racing," said Dahlgren.

Two race weekends, four heats and 100 points remain of the current season. Rustad has got 31 points to the championship lead and a clear goal ahead of this weekend.

"The finale is getting closer and the points are more important than ever. We were strong at Knutstorp earlier this year and the goal is to repeat the dream scenario from the last race with a superior win and continue to gain points on the leaders," said Rustad.

"I am proud and happy over the work that we have done this weekend after the tough grid position," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren, who never before had driven the Valencia circuit, made a brief visit to the gravel trap in the first practice session. The incident damaged the turbo, meaning that the team lost vital time and only completed six laps before qualifying.

"We did not get enough laps to get the setup of the car optimal for qualifying. But we kept our heads down and worked hard for the races," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren passed a total of 16 cars in the races and secured new points for the championship, despite starting from the back of the grid.

"The race pace was great and ninth in both races proves that we had the pace to fight in the very top. We have gathered a lot of data and I look forward to the coming races in Asia with confidence," said Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing's Volvo C30 is currently on its way for shipment to Japan and the races at Suzuka on the 23rd of October.

WTCC - Race 1 - Valencia, Spain

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

4 Kristian Poulsen BMW 320 TC

5 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

=

9 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Valencia, Spain

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

5 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León

=

9 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

"The first race was a true dream scenario. I was able to pull up a gap and control the race, a great victory," said Rustad.

Team mate Gabriele Tarquini had two tough races but managed to fight back to ninth in the second race, securing two points, despite being taken off in the first corner.

"It was a tough weekend with a lot of incidents. The car was strong here, just a shame that we couldn't take full advantage of it," said Tarquini.

Rustad was also taken off track in the first corner incident of the second race, but was pleased with the points haul from the first race.

"The plan was to gain points on the leaders and we managed that. I wanted more points of course, but overall a step in the right direction," said Rustad.

Two races remain of the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship 2011 with the penultimate round held at Knutstorp in two weeks. Rustad is trailing championship leader Fredrik Ekblom with 31 points with 100 points left to fight for.

"The possibility is there, it is going to be tough but we are going to put our heads down and fight for it in the final two race weekends," said Rustad.

Drivers Championship - Top 10

1 Fredrik Ekblom 170 points

2 Rickard Rydell 159 points

3 Tommy Rustad 139 points

4 Johan Stureson 127 points

5 Richard Göransson 113 points

6 Colin Turkington 96 points

7 Jan Nilsson 91 points

8 Mattias Andersson 72 points

9 Roger Eriksson 69 points

10 Patrik Olsson 65 points

Team Championship - Top 5

1 Team Biogas.se 241 points

2 Volvo Polestar Racing 210 points

3 MA:GP/IPS 208 points

4 Flash Engineering 193 points

5 Chevrolet Sweden 182 points

"We have got a really strong car at Jyllandsringen and the goal is to gain a lot of points on the guys in front of me in the championship," said Rustad.

Rustad is currently placed fourth in the points table with 40 points to championship leader Fredrik Ekblom and 35 points to Rickard Rydell in second.

"I am hoping to take advantage of their internal fight for the lead. But it is going to be really tough and everyone is on edge at this point of the season," said Rustad.

Former touring car world champion Gabriele Tarquini is once again teaming up with Rustad at Volvo Polestar Racing, facing yet another new track.

"Just as Karlskoga, I have never raced at Jyllandsringen before. But I know that Rustad and Volvo has been very competitive here in the past and I am hoping to catch up quickly with the top and have a strong weekend," said Tarquini.

Volvo Polestar Racing has claimed four out of four pole positions at Jyllandsringen and Rustad has set the current lap record.

"The Volvo works really well at Jyllandsringen and I like the track. There is no rest for the others this weekend, I am going to push for victory," said Rustad.

"I have never been so glad over a second place and the car was perfect in the race," said Rustad.

The second race was unfortunately ended with a puncture for Rustad following a couple of incidents.

"I got hit twice and that ruined my race. There is not much I can do about that," said Rustad.

Volvo Polestar Racing's new driver Gabriele Tarquini had a challenging STCC debut. The Italian was right on pace, just four tenths from pole in the qualifying session, despite never having driven the Karlskoga track or the C30 before.

"It has been an interesting weekend. The car worked well and I got in to the driving rather quickly. I have gained a lot of experience of the C30 that is going to be useful for the next race at Jyllandsringen, which I am looking forward to," said Tarquini.

With three race weekends left of STCC 2011, Volvo Polestar Racing is second in the team championship and Rustad is placed fourth in the drivers championship.

"We know that we have the pace to win races on all of the remaining tracks. I lost some points this weekend, but it is far from over and I am going to fight all the way to the final race," said Rustad.

Drivers championship - Top 10

1 Fredrik Ekblom 154 points

2 Rickard Rydell 149 points

3 Johan Stureson 117 points

4 Tommy Rustad 114 points

5 Richard Göransson 105 points

6 Jan Nilsson 90 points

7 Colin Turkington 78 points

8 Roger Eriksson 69 points

9 James Thompson 64 points

10 Tomas Engström 61 points

Team championship - Top 5

1 Team Biogas.se 218 points

2 Volvo Polestar Racing 181 points

3 Flash Engineering 172 points

4 MA:GP/IPS 168 points

5 Chevrolet Sweden 162 points

"It is going to be exciting and it will be a real challenge as I haven't seen the track or driven the car before. But I have a lot of experience from many types of racing and I will give my maximum this weekend," said Tarquini.

The Italian has got a long and impressive résumé, including Formula One, BTCC champion in 1994, ETCC champion in 2003 and WTCC champion in 2009. To take on Sweden and STCC is going to be a new challenge.

"STCC is a really tough championship from what I have seen and it is going to be interesting to race there. Volvo Polestar Racing is a professional team that is going to provide me with the best possible conditions," said Tarquini.

Tarquini is going to drive the two coming STCC races at Karlskoga and Jyllandsringen as an evaluation ahead of next year before he returns to WTCC for the final part of the 2011 season.

"This gives both me and Volvo Polestar Racing a sound base to evaluate a cooperation and to get to know each other for 2012," said Tarquini.

The final official STCC test of the year is going to be held on thursday at Karlskoga, providing Tarquini with well needed extra track time.

"The test is going to be really important, it gives me a chance to learn the track, adapt my driving style and to discover the C30. We have got an exciting weekend ahead of us," said Tarquini.

Following James Thompson’s departure from the team earlier this week, Volvo and Polestar have signed World Touring Car Champion Gabriele Tarquini to drive for the Volvo Polestar Green Racing team in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for the next two races.

“We are very happy to have Tarquini on board. Regardless of his previous track record from F1 to titles both in BTCC, ETCC and WTCC, what has impressed us equally is how good of a job he is doing in the WTCC this year. We look forward to apply his talent in STCC now and hope he will be able to score important points for us in the STCC team championship” says Christian Dahl, Team Manager for Volvo Polestar Racing.

Gabriele Tarquini will drive the Volvo C30 DRIVe race car, the same car that Robert Dahlgren drives for Volvo Polestar in the WTCC, but with a naturally aspirated engine and powered by bio ethanol E85. Volvo Polestar are reigning STCC team champions and won also both the STCC team and driver championship the year before last with this car and with driver Tommy Rustad. However, Volvo Polestar is very keen to keep expectations at a realistic level.

“Tarquini will drive the two races at Karlskoga and Jyllandsringen, the two worst tracks for front wheel drive cars on the calendar and where a top-five result is an achievement. On the other hand, these extreme circumstances are ideal to test how quick and well Tarquini and Volvo Polestar can align as a team, which is of obvious interest as our motorsport program may evolve” says Derek Crabb, Executive Director for Motorsport at Volvo Cars.

As the clock ticks for Karlskoga, Gabriele Tarquini is preparing for the job with a few days of vacation.

” I really look forward to this. I have raced closely against Volvo Polestar and the C30 in the WTCC this year so I know I am joining a highly professional team with a very good car and serious ambitions. Also, I have raced most types of racing cars and for several different brands in many different international and national championships, but both Volvo and the STCC will be two firsts for me. I am very excited” says Gabriele Tarquini.

Dahlgren started the weekend with being fastest in the first qualifying session, Q1, and second fastest in the second qualifying session, Q2, just a couple of tenths from reigning world champion Yvan Muller.
"We were quick in qualifying and I am especially pleased with that we were in the top of all sessions despite our limited experience of the track and no matter if it was wet or dry," said Dahlgren.

The Oschersleben weekend offered mixed weather conditions with everything from a soaking wet track to a completely dry track. The first race was wet while the track had dried up for the second race.
"The races were eventful and I was almost turned around in the first race which forced me to fight hard to get back up. But overall two very good races with a strong race pace," said Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing scored 18 points this weekend, moving Dahlgren from 13th to ninth in the drivers’ championship.
"We are reaching the results that we are planning for. We have established ourselves in the top five, something that is rewarding for the entire team," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

WTCC continues at Valencia in Spain after a summer break of five weeks, yet another new track for Volvo Polestar Racing.
"Valencia is new to us just as Oschersleben and it is going to be a great challenge. But we proved this weekend that our package is stronger than ever and that we belong in the top five. That is where our aim is for the rest of the season," said Dahlgren.

WTCC - Race 1 - Oschersleben, Germany

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
3 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León
4 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30
5 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

WTCC - Race 2 - Oschersleben, Germany

1 Franz Engstler BMW 320 TC
2 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
3 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León
4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC
5 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T
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7 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

"James' previous results are impressive and we looked forward to take part of his vast experience and great knowledge of touring car racing. But our different philosophies on how to develop a racing car has unfortunately made it difficult to find a way forward," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Thompson had a mixed start to the STCC season and is seventh in the championship with, among other results, two podium finishes.

"James has often reached tremendous results, but Polestar's philosophy and way of working did not suit his requirements on a racing car. We wish James the best of luck on his new assignments," said Dahl.

"We have together reached the conclusion that it is best for both parts to end the cooperation at this point. It gives both Polestar as a team and me as a driver the opportunity to prepare for the coming season in the best possible way. I have already got a couple of possibilities for this season that I am going to evaluate shortly," said Thompson.

Polestar Racing is going to present a new driver shortly for the STCC. Next up is Karlskoga on the 13th of August, followed by Jyllandsringen in Denmark two weeks later

"What a weekend! Both races are in the top five of my best ever," said Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing was in the very top from the first test session. Changing weather conditions in qualifying unfortunately meant that the team was forced to gamble with the tactics.

"We took a bit of a gamble that unfortunately did not pay off. It is a thin line between success and fiasco in racing," said Dahlgren.

The mistake provided challenging conditions, to put it mildly, with last grid position for both races. But Dahlgren literally flew through the field to eighth in the first race, a position the Volvo driver improved to sixth in the second race, passing 14 competitors on the way.

"It actually felt inspiring to line up last. I had an incredible confidence for the car and our concept, we were going to climb in the field, it was just a matter of time," said Dahlgren.

The end of the second race saw Dahlgren pushing Chevrolet driver Alain Menu, currently third in the championship, for fifth.

"I was faster but I didn't want to risk anything at the end of the race. The weekend has been our best so far and I am looking forward to continue fighting for top positions, the C30 has never been better," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren scored a total of 12 points from the weekend and Volvo Polestar Racing heads to Oschersleben in Germany in two weeks time, strengthened by the successful weekend in England.

"We got yet another receipt today that our development program is paying off. Oschersleben is a new track for us and it is by no means going to be easy. But we have got a strong package and a strong position for further top results," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

WTCC - Race 1 - Donington Park, England

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

5 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León

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8 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Donington Park, England

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Franz Engstler BMW 320 TC

4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

5 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

6 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

The contrast from the previous WTCC race at the street circuit of Porto to this weekend's classic racing track at Donington Park is considerable and Dahlgren is quietly confident ahead of this weekend.
"I have raced for five seasons in England with Formula Ford and I know Donington very well, I see it as my home track this year," said Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing and Dahlgren continued the test program of the new engine at Mantorp Park, Sweden, in the week before the race.
"We worked on driveability of the new turbo engine and we have done considerable progress. The test was very positive and it gives us a boost ahead of the weekend," said Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing has got a large number of guests from Volvo England this weekend as an extra support for Dahlgren in the two races at Donington Park.

"We have got an exciting weekend ahead of us. The test program continues according to plan in a positive way and we are looking forward to the races this weekend with confidence," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Starting heat one from a third and ninth position respectively, Rustad and Thompson got their STCC weekend destroyed in the very first laps. Thompson was forced over the curbs to avoid a crash, damaged his oil sump and retired, leaving his mechanics in a battle against time to make the car run at all for the second heat.

Simultaneously, Rustad was sent off the track at over 180 kilometers per hour when trying to pass Rickard Rydell for a second position. This forced him to an unplanned pit stop and a fifteenth starting position on the grid in the second heat. Rustad was not ready to call the day; instead he fought his way up to finish seventh and set the fastest lap time.

Fortune would prove no better for Robert Dahlgren in WTCC. Being a new track and only the second race with the new turbo engine, Dahlgren and the team had 30 minutes during free practice to explore the limits of the car and the track for an ideal set-up. In doing so, Dahlgren hit the concrete wall at 140 kilometers per hour damaging his rear suspension. Although the team lost valuable track time, they managed to advance Dahlgren through to the second qualifying session, complete both race heats, gather valuable data and finish seventh in heat one.


"It is in situations like these you become really proud of our team and drivers. Although both squads realized early that results will be shy at best, morale remained high with everyone focused and pushing hard. This never-give-up mentality is exactly why we win many races and championships" says Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director for Volvo Cars.

While STCC enters the summer break and returns in August at Karlskoga, WTCC is back in two weeks at Donington Park in England.

"Donington is one of my favorite tracks where I have driven more kilometers than all the tracks we have driven on so far together. We have progressed quite a bit with the new engine and I believe we are in a good position for a strong result in England" said Dahlgren.

For more information, visit www.volvopolestarracing.com

WTCC - Race 1 - Porto, Portugal

1. Alain Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2. Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3. Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

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7 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Porto, Portugal

1. Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2. Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3. Tiago Monteiro SEAT León 1.6T

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17. Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

STCC - Drivers Championship - Top 3

1. Fredrik Ekblom 129 points

2. Rickard Rydell 127 points

3. Tommy Rustad 96 points

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7. James Thompson 64 points

STCC - Team Championship - Top 3

1. Team Biogas.se 187 points

2. Volvo Polestar Racing 161 points

3. Flash Engineering 160 points

"It is a genuine street track, the room for error is more or less non-existent and we have got a tremendous challenge ahead of us this weekend that I am really looking forward to," said Dahlgren.

The STCC drivers of Volvo Polestar Racing, Tommy Rustad and James Thompson, are at the same time racing at the fastest track in Sweden - Falkenberg.

"Falkenberg is a track that suits the Volvo really well, we have won three of the four last races here. The track is new to me, but Tommy and I were both in the top of the thursday test and the feeling is good ahead of the weekend," said Thompson.

The WTCC race weekend marks the second race ever for Volvo Polestar Racing with the newly developed 1.6 turbo engine.

"We had a strong first weekend with the turbo engine that strengthens the whole team ahead of the new challenges this weekend," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Volvo Polestar Racing heads the team championship of STCC and Rustad is just 12 points from the drivers championship lead.

"The first half of the season has been good and we have got an excellent position ahead of the final part of the season. The goal for this weekend is to fight for the victories," said Rustad.

"I am pleased with the results from this weekend, it was a nice revenge from the two past races," said Thompson.

The Brit was just 14 thousands of a second from pole position in the qualifying session and says that Volvo Polestar Racing has taken a big step forward with the car.

"Credit to the team, the car was really strong this weekend and it is much more to my liking," said Thompson.

Tommy Rustad managed to score 18 points despite a tough qualifying session and the Norwegian is currently third in the championship.

"We scored valuable points and keeping in mind that we have not raced on wet conditions since 2008, I think that the weekend overall was okay," said Rustad.

Volvo Polestar Racing strengthened the teams championship lead and Thompson is optimistic for the coming races at Falkenberg in two weeks.

"The short term goal is a strong weekend in Falkenberg and with a good result there, we could have an interesting base for the rest of the season," said Thompson.

Drivers Championship - Top 10

1 Rickard Rydell 102 points

2 Fredrik Ekblom 100 points

3 Tommy Rustad 90 points

4 Johan Stureson 67 points

5 James Thompson 62 points

6 Tomas Engström 60 points

7 Jan Nilsson 53 points

8 Roger Eriksson 49 points

9 Colin Turkington 49 points

10 Mattias Andersson 45 points

Teams Championship - Top 5

1 Volvo Polestar Racing 153 points

2 Team Biogas.se 136 points

3 MA:GP/IPS 112 points

4 Chevrolet Sweden 111 points

5 Flash Engineering 102 points

The decision to develop the new 1.6 litre engine, which is built according to the new "World Engine" rules of the FIA [International Automobile Federation], was taken in september last year with the plan to finalize it over 18 months.
"The project was meant to be ready for 2012, but the plans were changed to 2011 and the available development time dropped from 18 month to 6 months," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

The engine was taken from the drawing board to a first start in the dyno on the 12th of March 2010. The engine was fitted in the race car and tested at the Volvo test track a couple of months later.
"It has been intense work, but rewarding and successful. The engine has performed well from the start, both when it comes to performance and durability," said Dahl.

The development work has exclusively been done in Gothenburg at Volvo Polestar Racing with three persons working full-time with the engine i co-operation with Volvo and a number of suppliers.
"This is the first time that we have gotten the opportunity to build our own engine from scratch. At the same time that it is a great challenge, it also comes with great possibilities," said Mattias Evensson, head of engine development at Volvo Polestar Racing.

The regulations for the new 1.6 litre turbo engine puts high demands on the construction as the required lifespan has been increased from two races to a complete season.
"The biggest technical challenge with the new engine is the increased lifespan. We have to design the engine for a long lifespan at the same time as we have to get as much performance as possible from it," said Evensson.

Due to the reduced time of development, Volvo Polestar Racing is going to continue work on the engine during the ongoing WTCC season.
"We are going to continue to work on drivability and durability. We are pleased with the power of the engine and it is going to be interesting to see it up against the engines of Chevrolet, BMW and SEAT," said Dahl.

The power figure increases from 285 BHP in the older five-cylinder naturally aspirated engine to about 315 BHP in the new four-cylinder 1.6 turbo engine. Robert Dahlgren recently completed more than 100 laps at the Falkenberg circuit in Sweden with the new engine.
"It is a completely new experience with the turbo engine, there is so much power! I am really looking forward to use it in the races at Brno," said Dahlgren.

"I am really pleased with the weekend and the results has really been a team effort. We have been in the top all the way despite the very hot weather, torrential rain and crashes," said Dahlgren.

Despite not having a turbo engine, Dahlgren made his and Volvo Polestar Racing's best ever qualifying result with sixth on the grid, just four tenths from pole position. But the first race ended in the first corner.

"Someone hit my front right tyre and the suspension broke. But the guys did an amazing job and managed to repair my car before the race was over so I didn't have to start last in the second race," said Dahlgren.

The second race became chaotic with a sudden torrential rain shower, creating a very wet track that thanks to the 30 degree heat quickly dried up during the race. Dahlgren started ninth and fought his way up to fourth, but lost to ninth due to a penalty.

"It was a shame with the penalty, but I respect the decision. It is tight and though in the WTCC, especially with such a wet track and incidents do happens, as we saw in the first race when I got hit," said Dahlgren.

Ninth position provided new world championship points and Volvo Polestar Racing are confident for the coming races.

"We cannot be anything else but pleased, Dahlgren has been great this weekend and all the hard work from the first races has payed off. We are where we expected to be in the results and it is promising for the coming races," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

WTCC continues in two weeks at Brno in Czech Republic.

Continue to follow Volvo Polestar Racing at www.volvopolestarracing.com

WTCC - Race 1 - Hungaroring, Hungary

1 Alain Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Norbert Michelisz BMW 320 TC

3 Javier Villa BMW 320 TC

4 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

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DNF Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Hungaroring, Hungary

1 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León TDi

4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

5 Tiago Monteiro SEAT León TDi

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9 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

"We have got better conditions ahead of this weekend as the track is twisty and the fact that it is new to all the other teams as well," said Robert Dahlgren.

Volvo Polestar Racing has moved the ambitions one step further for Hungaroring, despite the lack of a turbo engine.

"Hungaroring suits us better compared to the tracks we have raced on so far. The goal is to try and qualify in to the top ten," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

The development work of the new turbo engine proceeds according to plan and the team is testing at Falkenberg in Sweden this week.

"We are in the final phase of testing and we are shortly going to be able to race with a better engine," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren has prepared himself ahead of this weekend by driving a simulator and watching videos.

"I have driven the track on the computer and I have looked at a lot of onboard videos. The characteristics of this track suits our chassis, it is not as power demanding as Monza and it has got a lot of medium fast corners where you cut the curbs at high speed. I am for sure looking forward to the weekend and I expect two exciting races," said Dahlgren.

Team mate James Thompson scored important points with two fifth places to put Volvo Polestar Racing in the lead in the team championship."We are taking steps forward for each race and it feels good with two top five finishes," said Thompson.

The STCC weekend at Mantorp Park provided tough racing with a lot of incidents. Rustad fell victim of two incidents in the first race but still managed to secure sixth position."Flash and Stureson were a bit eager in their attempts to pass. But I managed to finish the race despite severe damage on my front right wheel," said Rustad.

Rustad emerged as championship leader with a gap of five points as the dust settled at Mantorp Park. Volvo Polestar Racing heads the team championship with a ten point margin."The next race is at our home track in Gothenburg, a track that suits us really well. The goal is no doubt to keep the lead of both championships," said Rustad.

STCC continues at Gothenburg City Race Arena in four weeks.

Drivers Championship - Top 10
1. Tommy Rustad 72 points
2. Rickard Rydell 67 points
2. Fredrik Ekblom 67 points
4. Johan Stureson 57 points
5. Colin Turkington 48 points
5. Jan Flash Nilsson 48 points
7. Roger Eriksson 45 points
7. Mattias Andersson 45 points
9. James Thompson 39 points
10. Tomas Engström 30 points

Team Championship - Top 5
1. Volvo Polestar Racing 112 points
2. MA:GP/IPS 102 points
3. Flash Engineering 96 points
3. Team Biogas.se 96 points
5. Chevrolet Sweden 69 points

Rustad had a strong race weekend at Knutstorp two weeks ago where he climbed to third in the championship."We have got a good start of the season and the car is working better than ever," said Rustad.

Team mate James Thompson has had a tough start of the season but is nonetheless hopeful ahead of this weekend."We have continued the work on adjusting the car to my driving style and I think it looks good ahead of this race. My goal is to gain a lot of points," said Thompson.

The parallel racing programme of Volvo Polestar Racing in WTCC, the world championship for touring car, is useful for the team this weekend according to Team Principal Christian Dahl."We are running our cars more than ever this year and we get a lot of data and experiences that we can benefit from in both STCC and WTCC," said Dahl.

Mantorp Park is one of the best tracks for Volvo Polestar Racing, with at least one victory in all race weekends since 2008."Mantorp Park is a track that suits our cars a lot better compared to the two first tracks of the season this year. We have got an excellent starting point for the weekend," said Dahl.

"This has been our best race weekend so far looking at the steps we have taken forward with the car," said Dahlgren.

With about 50 horsepower less compared to the competitors on one of the fastest tracks in the world, the focus for Volvo Polestar Racing was aimed at continued gathering of data and preparations ahead of the introduction of the new turbo engine later this season.

"It has been very useful for us to complete the races this weekend. The track is completely different to what we usually race on and we have got loads of new data to analyze," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Compared to the lap times of last year at Monza, when the majority of the teams ran non-turbo engines, Dahlgren was about two tenths from fastest lap.

"The car keeps getting better and better, we have taken big steps forward with the chassis both for qualifying and race. We are really pleased with the first three races of the development season," said Dahlgren.

The next WTCC race takes place at Hungagoring in Hungary in three weeks, a track new to the WTCC calendar.

"It is going to be really interesting in Hungary, especially as Hungaroring is new to everyone in the championship. The track, with its twisty character, should suit us much better than Monza," said Dahlgren.

Continue to follow Volvo Polestar Racing at www.volvopolestarracing.com

Monza offers extremely fast corners and long straights, meaning extra tough conditions for Volvo Polestar Racing and the naturally aspirated engine.

"We are running over 50 seconds of full throttle in one lap at Monza, corresponding to more than one lap on some of the Swedish circuits. It is all about raw power here and we have not got the same conditions as our competitors with our current engine," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

The development work of the new engine is in full force and Volvo Polestar Racing has started testing on track.

"The work with the engine proceeds according to plan and our test days on track has given us a lot of information. There is still more work to do and we are aiming to introduce the new engine in july," said Dahl.

Dahlgren is extra motivated ahead of this weekend with the success from the previous race in Belgium where Volvo Polestar Racing and Dahlgren scored their first ever WTCC points.

"Monza is a track that suits our chassis, the car works great in fast corners and over kerbs, something we use a lot here. There is no escaping from the power difference, but we are going to collect important data and everyone in the team is motivated to do a good job this weekend," said Dahlgren.

"I am pleased with the weekend overall, we have strengthened our position in the championship and the car is better than ever," said Rustad.

The Norwegian secured second position in the first race and gained quickly on leading driver Fredrik Ekblom towards the end of the race.

"I am really pleased with the balance of the car; it has never been that good throughout the entire race despite carrying maximum ballast weight. I was faster than Ekblom and that is promising for the rest of the season, especially as Knutstorp is not a good track for our car," said Rustad.

Team mate James Thompson had a tough weekend. The Brit was hit in the first race and had to retire, forcing him to start last in the second race."It has been a tough weekend, I was of course hoping for better results. The positive thing is that we have a strong car and that we are making progress with settings that fit my driving style," said Thompson.

"Our position so far in the championship is better than what we expected for the two first races, with tracks that normally do not suit our cars. We are going to benefit from these opening results later in the season," said Team Manager Christian Dahl.Rustad has moved up to third in the championship, just one point from second and eleven points from the lead. Volvo Polestar Racing continues to hold second in the teams' championship.

STCC continues at Mantorp Park in two weeks. For more information, visit www.volvopolestarracing.com

"We know that we have got what it takes to win this weekend," said Tommy Rustad.

The STCC premiere in Denmark two weeks ago saw mixed results for the two Volvo Polestar Racing drivers James Thompson and Tommy Rustad.

"We lost some points in Denmark because of incidents in the races. At this stage of the season it is all about consistently accumulating points, that is where my focus is for this weekend," said Thompson.

Team mate Rustad is just one point behind Thompson in the championship and the Norwegian has got his sights set for the weekend.

"If I can score two podium finishes, I would be more than pleased. It is going to be a challenge, especially as the STCC is so tough this year. But we know that the car works well at Knutstorp and I am ready," said Rustad.

Despite the fact that Thompson never before has raced at Knutstorp, the Brit is still optimistic ahead of the races this weekend.

"I have only done one test at Knutstorp so far and it is still a learning process for me. But things are working really well in the team and I know that I have got the conditions to be in the top this weekend," said Thompson.

For more information about the season, the team, car and drivers, visit www.volvopolestarracing.com

"It was a good race from start to finish. I am proud to have scored the first points for Volvo, we are making good progress every time we hit the track," said Dahlgren.

Dahlgren crossed the line as seventh in the second race after hard fights with drivers from BMW, Chevrolet and SEAT.

"Dahlgren drove really well this weekend and we are continuing to gather invaluable experience. We have had a really good weekend that exceeds our expectations," said Christian Dahl, Manging Director of Volvo Polestar Racing.

The development of the new Volvo Polestar Racing turbo engine continues at home in Gothenburg, Sweden. The engine is set for introduction later this year and is a key part in the continuation of the evaluation season according to Dahl.

"Our simulations clearly show that we lose about eight tenths per lap compared to the turbo engined cars, a time difference that corresponds to the gap that we had to pole position this weekend. We continue to work high in confidence and we are looking forward to the rest of the season," said Dahl.

A total of 27 000 spectators and 45 million TV viewers watched the progress of Volvo Polestar Racing at Zolder despite the easter weekend and glorious spring weather.

WTCC continues at the legendary Italian track Monza in three weeks.

Continue to follow Volvo Polestar Racing at www.volvopolestarracing.com.

WTCC - Race 1 - Zolder, Belgien

1 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León TDi

5 Tiago Monteiro SEAT León TDi

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13 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Zolder, Belgien

1 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT León TDi

2 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Tiago Monteiro SEAT León TDi

4 Darryl O'Young Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Michel Nykjær SEAT León TDi

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7 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

"I am really pleased to be on the podium with Rustad in my first ever race for Volvo Polestar Racing," said Thompson.

Volvo Polestar Racing dominated the qualifying with Rustad on pole position and Thompson third, just seven hundredths of a second behind his team mate.

"The car was perfect in the qualifying run, we do have a strong package for the rest of the season," said Rustad.

After a strong first race, the second one turned out to be tough for the two Volvo drivers with incidents and hard fights.

Despite the modest results in the second race, Volvo Polestar Racing currently holds second place in the team championship.

"We have had a good first race weekend with important points for the championship and a strong position for the coming races," said Rustad.

The next STCC race takes place at Ring Knutstorp in two weeks.

Drivers Championship - Top 10

1. Johan Stureson BMW 320si 33 points

2. Jason Watt SEAT León 25 points

3. Roger Eriksson SEAT León 25 points

4. Colin Turkington BMW 320si 24 points

5. Rickard Rydell Chevrolet Cruze 22 points

6. James Thompson Volvo C30 DRIVe 19 points

7. Tommy Rustad Volvo C30 DRIVe 18 points

8. Mattias Andersson Alfa Romeo 156 16 points

9. Jan Nilsson BMW 320si 10 points

10. Martin Öhlin BMW 320si 6 points

Teams Championship - Top 5

1. MA:GP/IPS 49 points

2. Volvo Polestar Racing 37 points

3. Flash Engineering 34 points

4. Team Bygma 25 points

5. SEAT Dealer Team 22 points

This years STCC, now fully transformed to Scandinavian Touring car Championship, will premiere on Jyllandsringen in Denmark on Saturday April 23. At Volvo Polestar Racing, preparations are running high.

Quicker C30 DRIVe racer

Last year, Volvo Polestar Racing won both the Scandinavian Cup for drivers and the team championship, and finished second in the driver championship. This year, the team is pushing even harder determined to win both championships.

"We have won four out of five possible titles the last two seasons so we are precisely only 80% satisfied. During the winter, we have virtually designed a completely new chassis and we have two multiple champions behind the wheel. There will be no excuses this year" says Christian Dahl, Team Manager for Volvo Polestar Racing.

Highly motivated drivers

New driver for the season is James Thompson, two-time champion in the British Touring Car Championship, 2002 and 2004, and in the European Touring Car Championship, 2009 and 2010. Thompson is already well at home with his new team.

"I have competed as a works driver both in BTCC, ETCC and WTCC for several manufacturers and top teams, and I am impressed with Volvo Polestar Racing. There is a lot of confidence and know-how in the team. I am really looking forward to the season now" says James Thompson.

James Thompson is perhaps new to Volvo Polestar Racing but he is well known to his team mate Tommy Rustad, 2009 STCC Champion with Volvo.

"I raced James Thompson in BTCC so I know his capacity. The team has signed up a top-rank driver. I feel very good about this. Volvo Polestar Racing is the only team in STCC that continuously has both the technology, policy and driver capacity that enables both drivers to win all races and all championships. This is really good for the confidence for us drivers and it is also our major strength as a team" says Tommy Rustad.

From race cars to customer value

At Volvo, the new season is highly anticipated, and there is also a large amount of satisfaction over the cooperation with Polestar. Simultaneously as the STCC season premiere is approaching, Polestar is already off evaluating WTCC for Volvo, and there is a substantial effort at work to launc Polestar Performance engine optimizations to new markets.

"We have not only managed to develop very successful race cars together with Polestar but also managed to develop motorsport to a business. Today we can not only offer Volvo enthusiasts pride and joy with our race cars but also something very tangible and special for their own cars" says Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director at Volvo Cars.

For more information about the season, the team, car and drivers, visit www.volvopolestarracing.com

And to get a race car to deliver a fast lap during qualification, and consistent lap times during the whole race distance is all about perfection. Every detail needs to perform 100%. As spectators you and I can follow what the driver and the car deliver on the track. What we don’t see is the work behind the scenes. Between every race weekend a race car needs to be stripped down and rebuilt to ensure everything is perfect. Racing at tracks in 13 countries over three continents does not make this easier. Follow the Polestar mechanic’s work during the race day at Curitiba. 5.30 Breakfast and race day briefing 6.30 The mechanics begin preparing the car for the first open practice session. The start-up procedure follows a specified checklist similar to the ones used by aircraft pilots, ensuring oil pressures, water temperature, electronical systems etc all have accurate values and functionality. 8.00 First open practice followed by warm up and race 1 and 2. Every minute the car is not at the track the mechanics work on the car. They make set up changes on decided by engineers and keep all details under control, from tire pressure and fuel volumes to engine temperature and ride height. 16.23 When the checkered flag falls, preparation for next race weekend starts. Directly after the race the cars are parked in Park Fermé, a fenced area where the cars must stay until the so-called protest time have expired and the official result have been announced. 17.30 The gate to the park fermé opens. First on the ground to collect the car is Polestar’s mechanics who know that every minute is precious. Their job is to make the car race ready for the next race at Zolder in Belgium, and they have to be ready to ship the car Monday morning. The car is pushed back to the Polestar pit box. And as soon as the engineers have downloaded their data from the car’s logging system, the mechanics start to disassemble the car. Tomorrow morning the car must be perfect in every detail. Nothing can be left to chance. Engine and transmission are pulled out. All suspension parts; struts, wishbones, control arms, steering rack, bushes etc. are replaced with new components, the used parts are marked up and packed down for analysis at home in Sweden. The engine is controlled without being dismantled (rules allow only motor renovation after every second race). Gearbox, clutch and all transmission parts are dismantled for inspection and exchange of wear parts and finally assembled again. After a long night the car is thoroughly inspected and made ready for the Zolder race. Next time they will see the car there will be very little time to make adjustments before the car must be out on the track. For Polestar, being a new team without specific experience from the Zolder track, every lap at the new track is important. When the team arrives at Zolder, data from Curitiba have been analyzed and engineers have a detailed test programme to be carried out during the limited amount of test laps prior to qualification and race. To get the most out of this test programme, the car must be in perfect condition. 9.30 Monday morning the mechanics have been awake and working for 28 hours. They finally load the car and the last equipment into the container and can take a well-earned breakfast. The 12 hours on the flight home to Gothenburg will probably be devoted to sleeping. At home further development job are waiting in the never ending hunt for tenths of seconds.

"We are satisfied with the premiere, it has met our expectations and it feels encouraging for the continuation of the season," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar Racing.

The race in Brazil was the first of eleven WTCC races for Polestar Racing this season.

"Before this weekend, Curitiba was just a point on the map for us. Now we go home with a few gigabytes of data and a lot more experience. The development work will benefit" said Dahl.

The team starts the 2011 season with a two litre naturally aspirated engine. A switch to a newly developed 1.6 turbo engine is going to take place at mid-season. The power difference compared to the competitors' new turbo engines for this season was especially clear at Curitiba, a track that is located 1000 meters above sea level.

"Our calculations show that we lose about nine tenths per lap compared to the turbo engines at this altitude. But keeping in mind how close we were to the top of the field, it shows that our development work with the chassis during the winter has paid off," said Dahl.

Dahlgren beat the pole position time from last year in the qualifying session and was just four hundreds of a second from going on to the second qualifying round. He went on to finish race one as 12:th and race two as 13:th.

"We look forward to the next race with confidence. We know that we have a strong concept and the development of our new turbo engine progresses nicely. We have learned a lot during these days and that was our plan," said Dahl.

WTCC continues in Europe in five weeks at Zolder in Belgium. For more information, follow us here at www.volvopolestarracing.com

WTCC - Race 1 - Curitiba, Brazil

1 Rob Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

3 Carlos Bueno Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

5 Kristian Poulsen BMW 320 TC

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12 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

WTCC - Race 2 - Curitiba, Brazil

1 Alain Menu Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

2 Tom Coronel BMW 320 TC

3 Yvan Muller Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

4 Robert Huff Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

5 Carlos Bueno Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T

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13 Robert Dahlgren Volvo C30

This was the first appearance for you and the team at this new track. What’s the most difficult with a track you've not visited before?
– The most difficult is not to find the right line, it is to find the right speed going into the corners.

In the WTCC tire heaters are allowed which they are not in the STCC, what does this mean to you as driver?
– Tire heaters is a little bit special since you get full grip almost instantly. I like them because they put the driving on its edge.

How was the car during qualifying? Will you make any changes for tomorrow’s race?
– The car was good in qualifying. We will make some changes just to prepare the car for race.

How do the diferent engine types affect lap times in qualifying?
– Wow, lots! The Curitiba track is situated at high altitude which affects our non-turbo engine quite a lot. Unfortunately for us it does not affect the turbo engines as much. The new 1,6T engines have more power over the whole register.

How do the different engine types affect the driving in the race?
– I don't know yet but I will probably have to work hard in the corners to make up part of the difference in power.

What kind of weather are you expecting? And how do dry respectively wet conditions affect you in the race?
– We're expecting cloudy weather with a small chance for rain. If it rains I believe it is better for us since the engines will have lesser impact on the result. If it is dry I will have to push hard during the first laps to gain positions.

What are your expectations on the race?
– My target has been to finish within top ten, and it still is.

The qualification position mean that he will be starting at the 11th position in both races due to the new FIA regulation using Q1 to decide starting position in race 2. Dahlgren was only 0,12 seconds behind the tenth position i Q1 which gives poles position in race two.

Dahlgren first qualified into 12th position but after stewards penalising Freddy Barth for incidents during Q1 he was moved up one position on he starting grid.

Dahlgren's opponents are the fastest touring car drivers in the world and it's a big difference to run WTCC compared with STCC. Fast and long tracks with more high speed corners than at the scandinavian tracks.

- It will take a real good lap to be among the top ten", says Dahlgren, but anything is possible

Dahlgren's Volvo still run the non-turbo normally aspirated engine from the STCC-cars, Later during the season Dahlgren will get the Polestar inhouse developed 1,6 litre turbo engine evening out the power and tourque difference.

Do not miss the premiere race, which will be shown on Eurosport Sunday 16.45.

After double championship titles in the BTCC and ETCC, James Thompson wants to try and snatch the title in the STCC as well. He is one of the championship’s biggest poster children, but refuses to bet on himself as the winner.

What do you say about the new series Scandinavian Touring Car Championship?
– The entry list speaks for itself. I do not think you can look at any other competition that has as many champions in it, maybe not even the WTCC.

What are your goals for the upcoming season?
– I never go into a championship thinking I am not going to win it. And that is not in an arrogant way. Winning races is great, but it cannot be compared to winning a championship.

What will be the biggest challenge?
– Adapting to a new team. We all want to win, but that is something you cannot rush. With that said, I do not have any doubts in the team’s credentials, or my own credentials for that matter.

Why do you want to race for Volvo Polestar?
– Volvo Polestar wants to conquer the world. And I want to be World Champion.

If you were to summarize your colleagues Robert Dahlgren and Tommy Rustad in a few words…?
– Robert is a winner, and a really good guy. We have a similar driving style. I know Tommy from the BTCC and I respect him, he has great knowledge.

Who will be the winner of STCC 2011?
– I want to win – but it would be unwise to predict it.

Polestar Racing got the green light from Volvo Car Corporation last year to launch a one-car programme for the WTCC 2011 as a commercial and technical evaluation ahead of 2012.
"Volvo has given us a sound mission to evaluate the championship, meaning that we are initially not focusing on results but rather on preparing a base that we could build upon for 2012. We have got an exciting and rewarding challenge ahead of us," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar Racing.

The Polestar Racing prepared Volvo C30 DRIVe is a proven winner with multiple titles and race victories in the Swedish and Scandinavian Touring Car Championships. But a lot of development work is needed for the new WTCC tracks, as well as the new engine regulations.
"We are starting the season with our current two litre engine, before later in the year switching to an all-new 1.6 turbo engine, based on a completely new Volvo engine family. We are currently working flat out with the new engine and we are confident of our progress," said Dahl.

Robert Dahlgren is going to be on the grid with the 2011 specification Volvo C30 DRIVe and he is keen to get going.
"I am very much looking forward to the season start. The first race of the year is by no means going to be easy, especially with the high level of competition and the fact that we are new to the championship. But we have got a solid programme and we are ready," said Dahlgren.

The first race of the year is also going to showcase a new livery of the Volvo C30 DRIVe racing car. The car is painted in the distinctive Polestar-blue, also featured on the Volvo C30 Polestar concept prototype car.

Calendar - WTCC 2011

18-20 March - Curitiba - Brazil
22-24 April - Zolder - Belgium
14-15 May - Monza - Italy
18-19 June - Brno - Czech Republic
01-03 July - Porto - Portugal
15-17 July - Donington Park - United Kingdom
30-31 July - Oschersleben - Germany
03-04 September - Valencia - Spain
21-23 October - Suzuka - Japan
04-06 November - Guangdong - China
17-20 November - Macau - China

– The cars in touring car racing are based on standard production cars. In our case the Volvo C30. The finished race car has only few details in common with the standard car but the car’s original design influence what is possible to do.

The technical regulation stipulates what modifications we are allowed to do and what tolerances we need to stay within. One example is that the car needs to comply with a specific minimum weight. The engineer’s task is to optimize the car within the technical regulation.

– Basically the only parts on the car that remain original from the standard car are the body shell and the doors. In the race engine the cylinder block and -head are based on standard parts, all other engine parts are designed specifically for our purposes; to maximise the car’s performance.

Can you describe the development process?
– We begin with the large and fundamental parts, the parts that take a long time and are demanding to get perfect – the body shell with roll cage for instance. Parallel with that, the construction and maximisation of suspension and interior start. In the end it is functionality and performance that counts.

How long time does it take to develop a world class touring car?
– It takes quite a long time. When we built the first C30, we did it in five months. Which, to be honest, is too short time. The more time we have the better the details get, but after the initial build, next project based on the same car type is faster and technically less complicated for us due to the experience we build up.

Is there much secretiveness around the car?
– We ourselves are quite interested in the competitor’s cars so I have reason to believe they are interested in what we do. So we are a little careful, one example is that we do not allow cameras in our workshop.

What is the cost of developing a winning touring car?
– It is difficult to answer because the development never stops but we are proud over the C30. It’s the first car which we have developed inhouse from start to finish. It has delivered results faster and to a lower cost than all earlier Volvo racing cars developed by other companies.

How do you test the car to ensure that you achieve maximum performance?
– The first test is computer simulations and when we are satisfied with that we start with track tests. For aerodynamics we have access to Volvo’s wind tunnel. We always test each modification at a time both in computing environment and at the track. We need to be extremely objective and test each thing several ties to ensure that the test result is reliable. Even small changes can influence the end result to a large extent so it is fundamental that every modification we decide to use at a race is a positive improvement of the car’s overall performance.

How much do the team mean for the final result?
– A race is much more a team sport than many people think, in fact comparable with soccer or ice hockey. The difference is that it is more visible in traditional team sports. All employees at Polestar have their specific tasks and can be very focused on their niche, but everyone contribute equally to the final result.

When do you arrive at the track prior to a race?
– We at Polestar always arrive one or two days in advance to run a ”shakedown” on the car. This give the drivers and the engineers time to test that’s everything works as it should and allows us to make adjustments if needed.

What parts of the car is controlled by the scrutiners before the race?
– There are many things beeing checked. One thing is to ensure that the car’s weight is not too low. The cars are weighted at official scales to ensure they are not below the minimum weight. The heigth of the car is also checked, no part of the car is allowed to be lower than 85 millimeter. There are many rules within the regulation every team need to follow.

How does the qualification prior to start work?
– First of all there are a few minutes for the drivers on the track to get a feel for the car. After that the first qualification, called Q1, starts. The eight fastest drivers in Q1 then go on to Q2 where they compete for the starting positions in race one. The total amount of cars on the track varies from track to track. The starting positions from Q1 and Q2 decides the starting order in race one. In race two the starting order is based on the results from race one were the first eight drivers start in a reversed order with the winner being placed in the eighth position on the grid. This reversed starting order is used to create more overtaking and tighter racing for the spectators.

What happens during the two races?
– The only thing that matters is the position. The lap time does not affect anything. The number of laps differs due to the length of the respective tracks. A race should be approximately 20 minutes so a race at Mantorp Park, where the lap is about one minute and 20 seconds consist of 18 laps.

How can the team influence during the race?
– The team does not influence much during the race. The engineers follows the cars from the pit and have radio contact with the drivers so that they can give information and warnings during the race. The engineers are also in radio contact with the mechanics, but there is no contact between mechanics and drivers. The team is at stand by during the race to be prepared to take care of small problems, punctures for example. Anything can happen during a race, and even if there is a problem like a puncture it can be possible to get back out at track and collect a few important points.

Can the drivers in the same team help each others during a race?
– Very little actually. They can talk to each others before the race and come up with some kind of strategy but they have no direct communication in between during the race. They could communicate via their respective engineer but that is not very common.

What’s new for Polestar this year?
– There are quite a few new things. WTCC changes the engine regulation and will be using 1,6 liter turbo engines instead of the 2,0 liter normally aspirated engine. During the season we will be introducing a 1,6 liter turbo engine developed by Polestar.

What is your goal for the season?
– This year is an evaluation season for us in the WTCC. We’re doing this to learn as much as possible and to collect data for coming years. Prior to this we have only made guest appearences in WTCC in UK and in Japan. This is the first full season for both team and driver.

What’s your expectations?
– We are not aiming at winning this year; we are doing this to learn. It’s a huge difference for us between WTCC and STCC. One example is that we need to develop a totally new solution for travel and transport. We need to be able to set the car up both at Curtiba in Brazil and at Knutstorp in Sweden.

How good is Robert Dahlgren compared to the other drivers?
– That we don’t know since we haven’t been racing in WTCC this way before.I personally believe that we as a team have more to learn than he has as driver. In my eyes Robert is at the same level as the other drivers in WTCC.

What’s new for Polestar this year?
– First of all we have a new driver, James Thompson, who will be driving for the team. Tommy Rustad continues so we have two really strong drivers in STCC also this season.

What are your expectations for the season?
– We have the same expectations every season – to win. And this year, with two drivers, the well merited driver James and with Tommy who won the championship in for us in 2009 it looks like it is going to be a really interesting year for us.

What’s the advantage of having two drivers?
– We can use data from the two cars to make comparisons on how the cars perform on different parts of the track. With two cars the best set up for a track can be found faster. Almost all the big teams in STCC have two cars, and we are no exception.

How much does the team behind the drivers influence the chance to win?
– There is a driver’s championship and a team championship. Both the championships are important for us because they are the proof of our performance. It’s a team effort and even if it is the drivers that win, it is the team who have constructed the car and together with the drivers decided on the set-up. Racing is a team sport!

Which of your two drivers will win?
– Both drivers have great chances and the cars are equally equipped. The drivers have the same possibilities so it is entirely up them and to what they do on the track.Tommy have won the STCC before and have a lot of experience from the Swedish tracks. The tracks are new to James but he has got an enormous experience and is documented fast so it will be a very interesting year. Most important for us is that there is Volvo drivers on the podium.

Tommy Rustad stood as the final winner of the Swedish Touring Car Championship as late as in 2009. This year he has to handle a new Scandinavian series. The entry list would put anyone in awe but Tommy Rustad has belief in his own ability.

What do you say about the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship?
– This year one can say, and really mean it, that it is the biggest thing happening to Scandinavian motorsport. There are four international superstars and a product that is of very high class.

What are your goals for the upcoming season?
– I want to win, that is my goal. I have to do better than last year, and I have the competence.

How come Volvo Polestar has reached such success over the last years?
– It is a result of having Christian Dahl as team leader. Everyone has a grasp of all the details. Building something like that takes time. It is immensely professional. And, of course, they needed a Norwegian to win the STCC.

If you were to summarize your colleagues Robert Dahlgren and James Thompson in a few words…?
– Robert has a feeling for the car that is unique and a tremendous analytic ability. We work very well together. James and I crashed in 2008, but he is great at driving fast and he is a complete driver.

Finally, who will be the winner of the STCC 2011?
– A Volvo.

2011 is the year when Robert Dahlgren goes full throttle in the World Touring Car Championship. He has done the test racing in the championship with Volvo Polestar, and it is time to turn the key for a full season. He looks at the new adventure with equal parts confidence and respect.

What are your goals for your first season in the WTCC?
– As a team we look at it from a learning point of view. We want to put together a WTCC-season so that everything works on the move. But to race on Knutstorp in Skåne or Curitiba in Brazil means the same thing for me. I want to maximise the car and get on the podium.

Will we see any news from you this year?
– I absolutely think so, if we do things right. In that case we will be able to take big steps towards the top. It is a tough challenge, but not overpowering.

What will be the biggest challenge?
– To change the engine, as we have done, and to make it work together with the chassis.

What do you say about Tommy Rustad and James Thompson?
– I know Tommy Rustad very well. He is an incredible person and a driver with a lot of instinct and feeling. James Thompson and I have raced a few times and he is a goal oriented guy with a lot of experience.

Urban Johansson’s workdays consist of everything from short transportations within Gothenburg to long hauls to and from tracks around Europe.
– The rest of the team flies to races at distant tracks, but we as truckers drive there instead. We are often two drivers and it is nice with company, say’s Urban.

Spain, UK, Germany, Norway and different places in Sweden means a lot of time behind the steering wheel, but it is an important job. Everything needs to be at its right place in time to make the whole team work.

Sometimes unexpected things happen on the road, but that has to be taken into calculation.
– I remember once when we were on our way back home from Spain. In Europe trucks are not permitted to drive between 22.00 Saturday evening and 22.00 Sunday. I and my college were looking for a rest stop with an open restaurant where we could stop and wait, but we made a bad choice; the restaurant was closed and there was nothing to do. It was a long 24 hour sitting in the truck waiting. Fortunately I had a few books with me to read.

What do you do when you’re not driving?
– In the weeks I’m in the workshop, there is a lot of equipment that need to be maintained or repaired. During the races I normally arrive at Thursday night if the race is at Saturday. During the Friday we build up the VIP lounge, the workshop and the restaurant. Everything needs to be in order when the invited VIP-guests arrive at the Saturday and a part of that is my responsibility. During the race day I’m responsible for the race tires. Making sure that everything follows the engineer’s decisions.

What is the best with your job?
– That it is so diversified. And all the great colleges. There is a great atmosphere at Polestar.