October
1, 2004: Chevrolet Europe
will participate in the 2005 FIA World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC). It is the first time in its
history that Chevrolet, GM's largest global brand,
is entering a full factory team in an official FIA
world championship.
The announcement comes less than a week after the
news that Chevrolet would begin to market in Western
Europe a range of cars built primarily by GM Daewoo
Auto & Technology (GM Daewoo) in Korea, a strategy
already successfully deployed in North and South
America, Asia Pacific, South Africa and, most recently,
Central and Eastern Europe.
Three Chevrolet Optras will be developed, built
and entered into the 2005 championship series by
the renowned British racing team RML (Ray Mallock
Limited).
"We are excited to be launching GM's first
FIA world championship entry with Chevrolet,"
said Erhard L. Spranger, Executive Director, Chevrolet
Europe. "A strong motorsports presence provides
the perfect stage for a strong brand to showcase
its core values to a global audience. The FIA World
Touring Car Championship provides exactly the platform
Chevrolet needs to achieve its goals."
"Chevrolet was looking for a product with high
potential. We are delighted and honored that the
car developed and built by GM Daewoo has been chosen
to spearhead the brand's European growth,"
said Nick Reilly, President and CEO of GM Daewoo.
"You need an experienced technical partner
when you take on a program like the WTCC. RML has
a proven track record and expertise in motorsports
and in touring cars in particular."
"We are very proud to represent Chevrolet in
its first global motorsports challenge," said
Ray Mallock, founder and Managing Director of RML.
"We are looking forward to a very promising
and successful relationship with the brand."
The WTCC replaces the current European Touring Car
Championship (ETCC). For the first time, it will
run in 10 countries in Europe and Latin America
as well as in China.
"When we were looking for a suitable platform
to showcase the fact that Chevrolet is now a true
global brand, we were immediately convinced of the
benefits of the FIA World Touring Car Championship,"
said Eric Nève, who is responsible for the
2005 Chevrolet Touring Car project. "It allows
us to compete against the same brands we compete
against in the marketplace, while at the same time
providing all the right commercial and communications
advantages. This program demonstrates our confidence
in our products and the Chevrolet brand."
The rollout of the first prototype is scheduled
for December. The first actual race-going Chevrolet
Touring Car will then hit the track for an extensive
test program throughout Europe. The drivers will
be announced at a later stage.
"We have been talking to a number of drivers
who have all the 'ingredients' for Chevrolet's global
racing program," Nève continued. "We
are looking for individuals who have won races and
championships before and can bring a wealth of experience
and understanding to the brand."
The ETCC's decision to grow beyond Europe coincides
with Chevrolet's plans to become GM's global entry-level
brand. The new WTCC will offer a comprehensive package
of media coverage, reaching out to sports enthusiasts
all over the world.
The WTCC is tentatively scheduled to start in Italy
(Monza, 10 April), then to go to France (Magny-Cours,
1 May), the United Kingdom (Silverstone, 15 May),
the Czech Republic (Brno, 29 May), Mexico (26 June),
Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps, 22 July), Germany (Oschersleben,
28 August), Turkey (Istanbul, 18 September) and
Spain (Valencia, 2 October). The season's finale
is scheduled for the city circuit of Macau in The
People's Republic of China on 20 November. |
