Volvo beats Viper, Cadillac for SPEED GT win
Let's face it - fairly or not, Volvos have been type-cast as safe, solid and somewhat uninspired family cars. Well here's one Volvo that could go a long way to changing that image! The At Speed Motorsports Volvo S60R, driven by Michael Galati, powered to a dominating win in this weekend's SPEED World Challenge GT class race at Mosport International Raceway, finishing at the head of a pack of Cadillacs, Vipers, Corvettes, Porsches and even an Aston Martin. The win marks the first for the hard-working At Speed team in two seasons of campaigning the AWD Volvo.
Galati used the Volvo's AWD to good effect in the rainy race at Mosport, earning the B&M "Coolest Move of the Race" award right at the drop of the green flag by catapulting from fifth on the grid to lead the field into the first turn. Galati, a five-time SWC champion, nearly lapped the entire field by the end of the race, with only Tommy Archer's Dodge Viper remaining on the lead lap at the finish. Ron Fellows' Cadillac CTS-V finished third, after starting from the pole.
[Source: SCCA Pro Racing/SPEED World Challenge]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kent 6:41PM (9/05/2006)
"pray for rain" must be the team motto.
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Peter 6:18PM (9/05/2006)
Lovely. Does anyone know where one can find video of the Volvo's start? Racing Volvos makes me giddy.
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gkz 7:04PM (9/05/2006)
"Galati used the Volvo's AWD to good effect in the rainy race at Mosport"
Gee, ya think???
For God's sake, driving a regular Viper, Vette, or 911 in the rain is challenge enough.
Saying that AWD may have helped the Volvo is like saying a high IQ may have helped Einstein.
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Maaxm 7:11PM (9/05/2006)
I was at Mosport this weekend for the race. I watched the race in the famous corner #2 (downhill, 2 apex and a bit off camber). The volvo spank every one out there. He was pretty fast for the rain. I don't know about the other guys, but they where slow. Most of them not using the rain line (maybe 6-7 cars were using the correct line), that's pretty bad for professionnal racing driver. I was a bit disappointed, but the volvo won :) In touring a awd Audi won the next day.
sorry for my bad english.
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gary 7:58PM (9/05/2006)
maaxm - watch fellows at mosport (esp corner 2) and then watch 90% of the other driver every year. there is a reason that he is the master of mosport. i would kill to see him at mosport in the rain in an audi or ovlov.
it's amazing to see the number of mosport rookies who try to pass on the outside of 3. every year these knobs get stuffed in the big gravel trap at the outside. if they are turly professionals, they would think about learning the basics about each track they race at.
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JS 9:28PM (9/05/2006)
YAHOOOO!!!!!!!! Volvo Wins!!!
Next you will see the S40 pull out a victory as well!
But I do agree that while AWD may help a little on any track it really shines through in wet conditions compared to its RWD brothers who constantly loose traction from all the HP through two wheels (LSD or not).
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Maaxm 9:33PM (9/05/2006)
Well Gary, Ron Fellows was one of the good driver there (the others were some porsches and very few others drivers: vipers, vettes and aston). He was about 2 to 3 seconds a lap slower than the Volvo, still. I don't know what happen for him to finish third, because when I left (very cold and wet), Fellows was comfortably in second position.
But like you said, with awd he sould be unbeatable.
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Mustang 12:51AM (9/06/2006)
I think it's cool that it won, but lets face reality this car isn't anything like the production Volvos. Production Volvos are still "safe, solid and somewhat uninspired family cars"
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Ben 11:37PM (9/05/2006)
Does anyone know where a torrent of the race is posted?
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philip 12:13AM (9/06/2006)
thanks, i really didn't want to watch the race! please edit the title as speed often delays the race by a week or so before airing!
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G. Snyder 8:17AM (9/06/2006)
Mustang...wtf are you talking about? I am sure the car is gutted on the inside, but it is a production based car just like any of the others. You should go down to a Volvo dealer and drive a S60R. You would be amazed.
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MikeInNC 9:54AM (9/06/2006)
Mustang,
You should take a look at the S60R. Although safe and solid, it's anything but uninspiring. Here's a pic of an R with that factory kit (option): http://www.deepnetconsulting.com/swedespeed/gallery/r/VOLVO-R.jpg
M
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Perry 10:33AM (9/06/2006)
Dude, thanks. The race has not even made it to TV yet. You guys really need to stop posting race results. Especially the one hasn't made it to TV.
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Andrew 11:18AM (9/06/2006)
i test drove an s60r. unfortunately they only had one in automatic at the time, but the active suspension buttons were fun to play with. i could imagine it being very fun if i had driven the manual one.
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Matt in Dallas 9:48AM (10/09/2006)
Just passed 40,000 miles in my 2005 S60R and I'm still pretty inspired.
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