Volvo to return to BTCC with Jason Plato?

Karoug

Karoug

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Didn't see this coming...

Touringcar times
According to our information Volvo could be on their way back to the British Touring Car Championship with none less than Jason Plato. Our information suggests that the BTCC-organisation could be involved in the plans two get two Volvo C30 bio-ethanol-cars with a, so far unconfirmed, team for the two coming BTCC-seasons.

By TouringCarTimes Tuesday, 11 November 2008 22:12 CET

Rumors have surfaced earlier that a pair of Volvo C30 S2000-cars, build by the Swedish Touring Car Championship Volvo-team Polestar Racing, could make their way to the BTCC.

But if the eventual BTCC-program will be supported by Volvo UK remains to be seen. The current financial situation has hit hard on car manufacturers and especially Volvo. The Ford-owned, previously Swedish, manufacturer has been forced to cut down on a lot of areas due to decreasing sales.

Although, the money does not necessarily have to come from Volvo. According to our sources the BTCC-organisation and a, yet unknown, large sponsor could put in the necessary money for the car(s) and Plato.

Plato was left without a drive when SEAT announced their retirement after the BTCC 2008 season.

"I?m of course sad that SEAT has stepped down, mostly because I thought I had another two years on my contract and I?ve got a bloody big mortgage to pay!" said Plato to BTCC.net.

Stay tuned for more information!
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According to a Swedish newspaper it's a done deal!
 
I'd love to see some C30 race cars in BTCC or WTCC. I took one for a test drive once and found it quite enjoyable, Though I still prefer the MINI over the C30. If they added MINIs this year as well, that would be tops!
 
yay for Plato : )

seriously some great stuff, BTCC would be alot less colorful without Plato.
 
if they do, please do it with an estate volvo :heart:
 
If they enter it will be with the C30.
Green1.JPG
 
NooDle said:
if they do, please do it with an estate volvo :heart:
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Yep, a proper station wagon would look awesome in the series. I doubt volvo has anything quick enough though.
 
I just want Plato back. The guy was great, he'd do anything to win ;)
 
From what i can gather it's done.. Volvo will be racing in th BTCC with the e85 c30.. However Their entry in the WTCC is still unclear.
 
[YOUTUBE]rwOjA2WXQpM[/YOUTUBE]

<3:nod::burnrubber::wub::w00t: the sound..
 
F1 C30 FTW! I'm glad they've kept the white and blue livery from the old days too.
 
Not entirely off topic (woooo racing volvos) but K-Pax and 3R are planning on running an S60 in Speed World GT with sebring happening this weekend i am pretty interested to see how it does.
 
So this isn't happening then or what?
 
Probably not..

The British Touring Car Championship might see a Volvo entry this year. Not in the form of a new team, but in the form of the Swedish Touring Car Championship team Polestar Racing making a guest apperance.
"This would be a further evaluation of a possible full BTCC involvement, supported by British dealers," said Volvo Motorsport director Derek Crabb to Autosport.

According to reports the Volvo-team could be present during the Snetterton race on August the 2nd with one car for Robert Dahlgren.

Crabb also mentioned that a World Touring Car Championship appearance this year is not excluded yet. Last year Dahlgren took part in the WTCC race at Brands Hatch.

Recent information to TouringCarTimes has indicated that there might be other reasons of the interest from Volvo/Polestar on BTCC.

Last year was the first year in STCC for the team with the new C30-model. The team got to run the cars extra light due to the fact that they were nationally homologated and in a development progress.

The Volvo's really got up to pace during the final races with Dahlgren taking several pole positions and winning the two final races.

For 2009 the cars are likely to be slapped with more weight, to be equal to the other cars in the championship.

This is something the Volvo-team is not pleased with and the reports of the team looking at both BTCC and WTCC could be a way to influence the STCC organisation not to raise the weight.

Serious lobbying efforts or just evil rumors? Stay tuned for more news
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http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=3229
 
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Well here's an end to the Volvo story...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74134

Plato to race RML Lacetti at Brands

By Jamie O'Leary Wednesday, April 1st 2009, 13:38 GMT

Jason Plato has made a last-minute entry into this weekend's British Touring Car Championship season-opener at Brands Hatch.

The 2001 champion, who has been without a drive since SEAT quit the series at the end of last year, has signed a deal to race a 2008-spec Chevrolet Lacetti run on an independent basis by the crack RML squad.

Plato, 41, is unsure if his deal will be extended to include a full season of racing, but is excited to be remaining in the series in which he made his name.

"This was too good an opportunity to miss." Plato said. "The BTCC has played such an important role in my life, so being at Brands Hatch is hugely important to me personally.

"At the moment, we don't know how long we'll be around. We're trying tremendously hard behind the scenes to put together a full programme for 2009. Right now, I'm just very excited to be teaming back up with some good friends and respected colleagues at RML."

Plato, a 47-time race winner in the BTCC, said he would not be content to run at the back of the field.

"We are so going into this as the underdogs, without a shadow of a doubt. But I've got great confidence in RML's ability to engineer a racing car and I've got to draw upon all my experience because I'm probably going to be a bit rusty.

"If we can get within 20 per cent of what Brawn GP did in Melbourne then we'll be doing well. We're certainly not there to make up the numbers," said RML boss Ray Mallock, who signed Plato when his squad ran the works SEAT team in the BTCC in 2004.

"There's a convenient gap in the WTCC calendar, meaning some of our personnel were available for Brands and we have some 2008 kit still lying around so it would have been a shame not to put it to good use at Brands Hatch.

"Plus, Jason is very well known at RML - it's a perfect combination and we're all delighted even if it is a last minute entry that we can be on the BTCC grid together again."
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