Bangkok--6 Nov--Ogilvy 24,450 Swedish people gathered to witness the final race of the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) at Mantorp Park taken place in early October where Volvo’s E85 S60 racer driven by Robert Dahlgren finally secured the Silver Medal or second championship place. In the battle for the silver medal, Robert Dahlgren gained the victory in his ethanol S60. But both he and competitor Richard G?ransson, BMW, slipped of the track in the start curve and couldn’t continue the race. Dahlgren’s 51 points were enough for the overall championship runner up position. The Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) is the first production car championship ever in which bioethanol (E85) is allowed. In the first race of the 2007 season, history was written as Robert Dahlgren of Polestar Racing, Volvo Cars' official STCC team, finished on top of the podium as the first driver with bioethanol in the tank. And then, two weeks later in the second race, Volvo wins again! And as Robert Dahlgren said after the first victory: "Above all, this is a victory for the environment". Additional victories came in the ninth STCC race in Ring Knutstorp in the beginning of September, where the team took both first and second place in front of rivals BMW, and Audi. With environment as a core value, it is important for Volvo Cars to take initiatives as the car manufacturer that leads the field. In Sweden, the STCC is seen as a valuable opportunity for Volvo to be involved and lead the development of greener motor sport. “As one of the very first manufacturers to officially adopt the eco-friendly E85 fuel, Volvo has become the first manufacturer in the world to win on ethanol power. With this STCC’s Silver Medal, it is a confirmation that our investment in the environment is strong,” says Paul Stokes, President of Volvo Car (Thailand). “In addition, I am extremely excited to say that Thai customers should be prepared to welcome Robert Dahlgren here in Thailand because he will bring his greener racer to showcase in the upcoming Motor Expo in November.” In the STCC, Volvo stands bumper to bumper with premium rivals BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. But while those carmakers have centralised development for a world market, Polestar has developed just four Volvo S60s, exclusively for the Swedish series. The difference in their resources is vast. The ethanol initiative has placed additional demands on the team, too. They are working more closely than ever with VCC R&D. “We must be the STCC team that has taken the biggest strides forward, technically, this season,” says team manager Christian Dahl. “Volvo’s ethanol initiative has also led to us becoming a technical partner of the STCC, so we can share our knowledge of the technology. The aim is that the STCC should become an all-green championship.” The next possibility on the cards is that the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the other national championships should switch fuels too. And the first step has been taken already. In spring this year, the international motor racing organisation FIA announced that ethanol will be allowed in the WTCC from 2008. Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin of sales company Volvo Cars Sweden has been in charge of the company’s involvement in the STCC since 2000. He draws a comparison with the situation when Volvo decided to use catalytic converters in the British Touring Car Championship. And then the very next year, the use of catalytic converters became compulsory in the BTCC. “What we’re doing now means that we’re putting the environment on the motor racing agenda. I think that change can be swift. Concern for the environment will become part of the culture of the sport, just as the safety culture for cars, driver equipment and circuit design has simply taken off over the past decade.” Good customer relations, personnel rewards and development, and general brand-building. And now the environmental dimension has been added too. “We build and sell cars. What could be more natural, then, than to be involved in a venture which presents cars in an exciting and positive light,” says Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin of sales company Volvo Cars Sweden The STCC is often called Sweden’s third-largest spectator sport. The races regularly attract more than 12,000 spectators. And the weekends they are held on turn into family outings, with a range of activities for children as well as adults. Here Volvo Cars Sweden is a leader in terms of special events at the races. “In the course of one season, we welcome over 10,000 guests — people we have invited along and with whom we are personally in touch during the race.” Most of those invited are Volvo Shop customers, but the events are also used to strength ties with staff from the dealership network. Professionalism and quality are in focus on the days when staffs are treated to both entertainment and lectures. Volvo Technicians’ Day, for instance, attracts around 1,800 out of Scandinavia’s 2,400 or so service technicians. VIP guests invited by dealerships form another major category. “Those who come to the motor racing are people who like cars, and they are often prepared to spend more on their cars. These are very valuable customer contacts." says Alex. Volvo is a global leader in alternative fuel technology. It offers a wide choice of biofuel technologies ranging from Ethanol E10 up to E85.