2012 TTA Season

Simon Melhuish · Feb 18, 2012

TTA today announced a new track for the 2012 calendar in the form of Tierp Stockholm Arena, an arena that so far only has hosted drag racing.
"We are incredibly proud and happy to introduce racing at Tierp Stockholm Arena along with TTA. We can at last through the cooperation with TTA reach a wider target group within the motorsport," said Lars Erik Lindberg, Tierp Stockholm Arena.

A two kilometer circuit is currently being constructed at the track, using part of the drag racing strip.
"The track layout uses the potential of the arena to the max. We will get a long and fast straight combined with challenging corners, all within the viewing area of the spectators," said Lindberg.

The track was launched in May of 2011 and has been valued to close to 25 million euro. The track replaces the seventh TTA race in the 2012 calendar that originally was planned to be held at Mantorp Park. TTA states that negotiations are continuing with Mantorp Park for a potential ninth race of 2012 on a new date.

Tierp Stockholm Arena is located 120 kilometers north of Stockholm.

Calendar TTA 2012

12/05 Karlskoga
02/06 Anderstorp
16/06 Gothenburg
07/07 Falkenberg
18/08 Karlskoga
01/09 Anderstorp
15/09 Tierp Stockholm Arena
29/09 Gothenburg

Source: touringcartimes.com

Simon Melhuish · Feb 20, 2012

Volvo has revealed the first picture of the S60 TTA model to be used in the new 2012 TTA - Racing Elite League.
"We have had a big pressure on us from many curious Volvo enthusiasts as it is a new championship and a new racing car. That is why we chosen to reveal the car now. Our final team colors are going to be shown later, but this is our S60 in TTA racing specification," said Alexander Murdzevski, Commercial Director of Volvo Motorsport Sweden.
Volvo is going to take part with four cars in the TTA this year with two different teams: Volvo Polestar Racing and Volvo Polestar Performance. Three drivers are already confirmed with Fredrik Ekblom, Robert Dahlgren and Thed Björk. The identity of the fourth driver is yet to be confirmed.
"We can't go in to that today. We are negotiating with three drivers, but we have other things that are more time pressing. Polestar and TTA are conducting the final tests at the same time as we are working on the hybrid system, producing the carbon fibre body shells and calibrating the aerodynamics for all cars in our wind tunnel," said Derek Crabb, Director of Volvo Motorsport.

Volvo switched to the all-new TTA championship after 16 years in the STCC and has confirmed participation until 2015 in the TTA.
"Motorsport must be cool, exciting and fair. We must fight our meanest competitors in our best selling models. We must be able to win by doing the best job and it should be easy for importers in the country to change racing car when changing model without the need of a heavy factory programme. We are really looking forward to the TTA - Racing Elite League 2012," said Anders Gustafsson, Managing Director of Volvo Cars Sweden.

Technical specification - Volvo S60 TTA

Length: 470 mm
Width: 1970 mm
Height: 1205 mm
Wheelbase: 2750 mm
Track width: 1660 mm front/1630 mm rear
Suspension: Double wishbone, three-way dampers, etc.
Body: Carbon fibre
Engine: V6 with hybrid system
Drive: RWD
Power: 420 BHP
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential with paddles on steering wheel
Hybrid system: Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
Rear wing: 1600 mm width/300 mm depth
Brakes: Front: 4-piston calipers, 370 mm ventilated discs
Rear: 4-piston calipers, 360 mm ventilated discs
Rims: 18" with centre wheel nut
Tyres: Front: 260/660-18 Rear: 280/660-18

Source: touringcartimes.com

William Levesque · Feb 20, 2012

DTM's little brother anyone ?

Hampus Andersson · Feb 20, 2012

Never understood why they never entered other series like DTM or Fia GT1-GT3.

Volvo can build great racing cars, hell they even won DTM once in this

William Levesque · Feb 20, 2012

I love that car

Hampus Andersson · Feb 20, 2012

And i love this one, seriously the coolest touring car ever made.

Simon Melhuish · Feb 20, 2012

Its not a Volvo though

TTA is basically a Solution-F... which you may remember was used in the RoC at Wembley Stadium in a Vauxhall / Opel Astra shell. Only difference between the Solution-F and a TTA car is that TTA are using a KERS system.

Citroen have also confirmed they will enter a car

BMW and a few other big name manufacturers have also pledged support to the series.

Simon Melhuish · Feb 20, 2012

Heres the mock BMW

Hampus Andersson · Feb 20, 2012

Blasphemy!

but looks sick i have to admit..

Fredrik Arbegard · Feb 21, 2012

Reason why the series is appealing to manufacturers is because the only resources they have to put out is a bodyshell and not an entire car.
Citroen for example would probably never have entered if they had to develop a car for it.
As for the car it looks very nice,people say it looks like DTM or BTCS but I think it has much cleaner lines than any of those two.

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 21, 2012

It does look very similar to the BTCS. Great looking cars.

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 21, 2012

Does anybody know if the TTA will be broadcasted on TV in other regions than Sweden? Or even better, will they stream it on the web?

Hampus Andersson · Feb 21, 2012

Bram Hengeveld said:
Does anybody know if the TTA will be broadcasted on TV in other regions than Sweden? Or even better, will they stream it on the web?

What channel in Sweden will show TTA?

Edit: After some searching it seems it will be Viasat Motor, maybe i can upload them to a secret youtube channel only for RD members to see.

There are plenty of other race series on youtube so hopefully this is ok with Admins.

Hampus Andersson · Feb 21, 2012

Pictures of the actual TTA car without a shell.
http://ttagroup.se/galleri/bilder/10/

Simon Melhuish · Feb 21, 2012

I think they are still to announce who has the TV package... I hope its broadcasted in English too or I will have watch more Swedish broadcasts.

Hampus Andersson · Feb 21, 2012

A new track for the TTA season. One cool feature is this,

It´s a dragstrip but the cars will power down one lane, make a u-turn and power away in the other lane.
Pretty damn cool with the arena around the whole corner.

Simon Melhuish · Feb 21, 2012

http://www.racedepartment.com/forum...olm-arena-confirmed-for-tta-race-seven.47448/

I guess who added the TTA tag missed this one

Simon Melhuish · Feb 21, 2012

The Touring Car Teams Association (TTA) championship, the breakaway series from the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, has reportedly turned down an offer to buy the STCC and will continue as planned with its new title and format.
The TTA, a championship which has been formed by the teams which have left the STCC, including Polestar, Flash Engineering, Brovallen Design and WestCoast Racing, announced its intentions to go their own way last August after disputing the future direction of the championship.

This was primarily focused on, but not limited to, the technical regulations with which to adopt; with the STCC opting to follow the UK's lead with its Next Generation Touring Car specification. TTA on the other hand preferred a rear-wheel drive, V6 Silhouette as used in the FFSA Championnat de France de Supertourisme up until its cancellation in 2006, the current Belgian Sprint Championship and in the World Series by Renault Mégane Eurocup.

One of the final negotiations before the split was investigation of an option for the TTA to purchase the STCC, but that option was turned down by Rickard Pålsson, owner of STCC AB at the time.

Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar Racing and a representative of TTA, has said that the STCC has recently offered itself for sale to the TTA, but they've decided to reject their offer.

"We got an offer a few weeks ago to buy STCC AB and we have carefully considered this," said Dahl. "As we analysed the offer, we have established that the question marks are too many in order to complete the deal."

"It has been said that there is a 'war' in the Swedish racing community, that is not the case. We are just two different ideologies with different views on what is good for the future of Swedish racing. We are making the choice to continue on our path which is based on more fun, excitement and better sporting values without a merger with STCC," added Dahl.