Robb Holland to return to the WTCC with ex-Arena Ford Focus
New team Rotek Racing have purchased Arena Motorsport’s two Ford Focuses and will enter the FIA World Touring Car Championship later this season, with American driver Robb Holland as one of team’s drivers, who is also making his WTCC return after racing last year at Sonoma Raceway.
The acquisition of Arena’s Fords has been under way since the beginning of the year by the USA based operation Rotek Racing. The team will become the first American team to compete in the WTCC when the Ford Focus S2000 TCs return to the grid, which could be as soon as the end of the European leg of the season, though most certainly during the flyaway portion of the season.
“The plan is regardless to run Sonoma and then run all the Asian rounds,” said Holland to TouringCarTimes, “and the plan is to have another American driver in the car, and we’re talking to a couple of top name US drivers.”
Although Arena Motorsport’s campaign ended after just one season, with the team closed down before the end of 2012 after Ford Europe weren’t able to commit to a WTCC programme, and after Ford also pulled out of the FIA World Rally Championship due to economic concerns, Holland is hopeful that by turning this into a fully US-based operation it will grab the attention of Ford USA.
“The plan right now is to run two cars this year, and the ultimate goal is to get Ford back involved on a factory level,” he said to TouringCarTimes. “Ford is interested, they’re watching this with great interest, but we will be an independent team for sure this year, but now this is a US programme hopefully Ford will have much more interest in supporting it.”
The two cars will again be powered by the Global Racing Engine developed by Mountune for the WTCC and for Chang’an Ford FRD Team in the China Touring Car Championship last season. The team will initially be based at the Nürburgring in Germany where they have a facility and compete in the VLN with an Audi TT RS, but will later relocate to new premises at Sonoma Raceway in California.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to pass the WTCC baton to Rotek Racing,” said Rupert Swallow, Managing Partner at Capsicum, owners of Arena Motorsport.
“On behalf of Capsicum I would like to wish them and driver Robb Holland every success when they take to the track later in the season.”
“I would also like to record Capsicum’s gratitude to Mike Earle (Arena Team Principal) and his team at Arena who have continued to work on the Focuses in difficult circumstances and have delivered two well engineered and updated cars for Rotek Racing to develop further.”
Rotek Racing took delivery of the two Ford Focus S2000 TCs at Brands Hatch on Monday, where Robb Holland tested the car for the first time. Holland’s first taste of the WTCC was at Sonoma last season, making a last minute appearance for bamboo-engineering after the team’s previous driver Pasquale Di Sabatino’s funds dried up. This followed on from a two race appearance in the British Touring Car Championship for Holland, driving for Tony Gilham Racing at Snetterton and Knockhill.
Holland also told TouringCarTimes he still plans to take part in the BTCC this year, though with the still to be confirmed rescheduled WTCC event in Argentina now clashing with the Snetterton round, he may just join Tony Gilham Racing at the Knockhill meeting in late August.
“Last season I became the first and to date the only American to race in the WTCC and so to be moving full-time into the series with an American team and an American manufacturer is very exciting,” said Holland.
“The guys at Rotek Racing have acquired two well-built cars from Arena and I can’t wait to get started on the extensive test program they have planned between now and our WTCC race debut together.
“The WTCC is packed with highlights but for me as an American, racing later this season, in September at home at Sonoma with an American team and manufacturer will be extra special.”
