Infineon Raceway to host WTCC in 2012

World Touring Car Championship and Infineon Raceway Plan Event for 2012

The FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and Infineon Raceway have tentatively reached an agreement that would bring the world championship to the Sonoma Valley in September 2012.

The WTCC is considered the premier stock-car racing series in the world outside of the United States, featuring makes including Chevrolet, BMW and Volvo. It will compete in 12 different countries, including China, Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Japan and Macau in 2011, but is interested in expanding into the United States. The series attracts 40 million viewers globally for each of its races.

"Bringing the championship to the USA was the next item on our agenda and the last one to fulfill our aim for a really global calendar," said WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti. "So far we have worked to establish our European and South American events, reinforce our presence in Asia and return to Morocco. Now we feel that the time has come to expand to the US market that is a priority for our manufacturers and stakeholders. Infineon Raceway is a modern racetrack with impressive facilities, and I believe it is the ideal location to host a WTCC event. I am very satisfied with the meeting we had with Steve Page that enabled us to find an agreement to submit to the FIA the proposal to enter the WTCC Race in the US on the 2012 calendar."

Race start at 2011 Curitiba event

Photo by: xpb.cc

Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway, is excited about hosting the first-ever WTCC event in the United States. He met with Lotti last week in Sonoma.

"The WTCC offers the kind of door-to-door hard-fought competition that American racing fans really respond to and we're very excited about the opportunity to introduce this series to the North American continent," said Page. "The Infineon Raceway road course is an ideal circuit for these cars and we look forward to introducing Sonoma-style racing to a world-wide audience."

For more information about the WTCC, visit fiawtcc.com. For more information about Infineon Raceway, visit infineonraceway.com.

source: infineon raceway