The World Touring Car Championship will make its first visit to the United States in 2012 with a race at Infineon Raceway in California.

A draft agreement has been hashed out between Steve Page, president of the track, and WTCC boss Marcello Lotti. Page visited last weekend's Valencia round of the series to begin working out details of what will be a three-year agreement for the series to race at the track formerly known as Sears Point.

Page said: "We were keen for a number of reasons to bring the WTCC to Infineon. We are always looking to expand our menu, and we think the WTCC provides excellent racing. Northern California has a strong racing fan base, so I think the WTCC will develop a good following. It is also a way to expose our raceway to a worldwide audience."

Lotti explained that a U.S. race had been his next target after taking the WTCC to Japan and China.

"It was one of the key points of our strategy, our next big goal," he said. "We've done an analysis and spoken to the manufacturers about the U.S. Everything points to the West Coast because the audience is more cosmopolitan."

The date of the inaugural Infineon WTCC race, penciled in for Sept. 23, 2012, should be confirmed at the end of this month at the next meeting of the FIA's World Council.

Chevrolet, which won last year's WTCC with Frenchman Yvan Muller, has revealed that it plans to field an extra car in addition to its usual three for an American driver. Ford, which has designs to join the series next season, is understood to have similar ambitions.

The WTCC show will bring Chevrolets, BMWs, SEATs and Volvos to Infineon. In addition to Ford, Subaru is also known to be evaluating an entry into the series.

All four FIA-sanctioned world championships could race in the United States next year. Formula One will return after a four-year absence with a race at the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas; the WTCC will be at Infineon; the new World Endurance Championship could have as many as two rounds in the U.S. (which may be Sebring and Petit Le Mans); and FIA GT1 World Championship boss Stéphane Ratel wants a North American doubleheader combining one race in the U.S. with a Canadian event.