Volvo announced on Monday that it will have an official Volvo Polestar Racing taking part in the 2014 season of Australia’s V8 Supercars Championship. Two Volvo S60 V8 Supercars will be entered in the series that starts next year.

Volvo Car Australia will join forces with Volvo Car Group’s global motorsport partner Polestar and the V8 Supercars team Garry Rogers Motorsport, forming Volvo Polestar Racing Australia.

“As the first luxury car brand to enter an official factory team in the V8 Supercars Championship, we’re determined to add to this heritage, while strengthening the presence of the S60 model line and the Volvo brand here in Australia,” said Matt Braid, Volvo Car Australia Managing Director. 

“The V8 Supercars championship is one of the – if not the – most competitive touring car championships in the world with fans across the globe. With the new Car of the Future regulations, it offers a perfect platform for our Volvo S60,” said Derek Crabb, Executive Motorsport Director of Volvo Car Group.

Polestar has been Volvo’s global performance and motorsport partner since 1996 having entered Volvos in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). Currently, the team leads both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championship in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.

The announcement means that Polestar will be responsible for producing the racing V8 engine and assist Garry Rogers Motorsport to develop the S60 V8 Supercar.

Volvo has won the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986 with Robbie Francevic in a Volvo 240T while this year marks the 15th anniversary of Volvo winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1998 with Jim Richards and Rickard Rydell in a Volvo S40.

By Dan Mihalascu

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