Volvo are poised to join the V8 Supercars grid next year in a further expansion of the category.
Following speculation last week the Swedish manufacturer was eyeing a start in 2014, confirmation is set to be made by Volvo in Brisbane on Monday at the Australian launch of the S60 Polestar.
That same model will be used in the championship and it is understood Victorian-based Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) has signed on to become Volvo’s factory-backed team in a four-year deal.
GRM currently run two Holden Commodore VFs driven by 20-year-old New Zealander Scott McLaughlin and Frenchman Alex Premat.
Given Volvo doesn’t currently produce a V8 engine, a generic Chevrolet engine is expected to be used.
Volvo-supported S60 cars currently compete in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and the Pirelli World Challenge in the United States.
Volvo have previously competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship.
Kiwi Robbie Francevic became the first non-Australian to win the series crown when the then 44-year-old won the title in 1986 behind a Volvo 240T.
Jim Richards and Rickard Rydell won Bathurst 1000 in 1998 in a Volvo S40.
Volvo’s inclusion will continue the V8 Supercars’ expansion program that was initiated by the ‘Car of the Future’ regulations brought in this year.
The new rules were partly designed to attract new manufacturers to break the Holden-Ford duopoly and Nissan and Mercedes duly joined at the start of 2013.
Both enjoyed their best finishes this season on Saturday in Darwin when Rick Kelly was fifth in his Nissan Altima and Tim Slade came home sixth in his Mercedes E63 in race 17 of the championship won by Holden’s Jamie Whincup.