ABARTH RACING ACTIVITIES IN 2010

Abarth will be involved in two areas of racing in 2010, namely rally and track.

Abarth will be entering two official Abarth Grande Punto S2000 rally teams as well as R3T versions of the Abarth 500 in the newly constituted Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy and Abarth-BFGoodrich Challenge.

After an encouraging debut in 2009, this year the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse will be competing in the Italian Abarth 500 Selenia and European Abarth 500 Selenia trophies as well as the British single marque trophy.

2010 will also see the debut of the Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth, allowing talented young drivers to hone their skills behind the wheel of a specially designed low cost single seater.

RALLY

Abarth in the Italian Rally Championship with Basso and Rossetti

Reigning European champion Giandomenico Basso with co-driver Mitia Dotta, as well as Italian Rally Championship runner-up Luca Rossetti and co-driver Matteo Chiarcossi will be driving Abarth Grande Punto S2000s in the 2010 edition of the Italian Rally Championship.

Both teams have a good chance of victory in a championship in which they have already made their mark: Basso won the title in 2007, and Rossetti in 2008, the same year he also won the European championship.

Team Trico Motor Sport will be providing Abarth’s logistic and technical field support for the 2010 Italian Rally Championship.

The Italian Rally Championship consists of 8 races, starting with the Mille Miglia rally on the 23rd April and finishing with the Como rally on the 24th October. The best placed under 25-year-old driver from the Abarth 500 Rally Trophy (a promotional championship scheduled to debut along with the Mille Miglia rally) will also take part in this event behind the wheel of a third Abarth Grande Punto S2000. Of the 8 races in the Italian Rally Championship, three are off-road (the Adriatic, San Marino and Emerald Coast rallies), while the others will be on asphalt.

The Italian Rally Championship calendar
24 April            Mille Miglia rally
23 May            Adriatic rally
20 June         Salento rally
04 July            San Marino rally
05 September        Friuli rally
26 September        San Remo rally
10 October        Emerald Coast rally
24 October        Como ACI Trophy rally

The Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy

The Abarth 500 is due to burst on to the rallying scene this year in a total of three single marque championships: the Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy, the Abarth–BFGoodrich Challenge and the Swiss Abarth 500 Rally Trophy.

The Abarth 500 destined for use in these rallies is homologated in class R3T and is available in “race ready” form, fully registered, at a price of 48,000 Euros (plus VAT). The car is a genuine rally machine, powered by a 180 HP engine and equipped with a sequential, 6 speed dog clutch gearbox, a self-locking clutch-type differential; dual plate clutch; adjustable racing suspensions, coaxial spring and ring nut for varying ground clearance; adjustable camber plates; disc brakes all round, with 300 mm front and 251 mm rear discs, rear brakeforce distribution and correction; hydraulic handbrake and OZ 7x17” wheels fitted with 200/50-R17 tyres, plus all the safety measures required for FIA homologation, including a special roll-bar welded into and integrated with the body shell, numerous safety systems and seats with a six-point harness.

The car can also be purchased through the Italian Abarth Racing performance tuning network: Auto Alberta by Uboldi Corse in Como, Campana Onorio in Modena, Forza Service in Turin, Romeo Ferraris in Milan, Trico Motorsport in Alessandria and Zatti Top Class in Parma.

The Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy follows a single marque racing formula based on over thirty years of history (the first edition of Abarth A112 Championship was held back in 1977). Like its predecessors, the series is conceived to offer talented young drivers a chance to prove themselves and further their careers at an affordable cost.

Thanks to the support of ACI-CSAI, the final prize for the event’s best placed under-25 driver is a chance to drive an official Abarth Grande Punto S2000 in the 2010 Como rally. The second best placed youngster will be offered a chance to race in the 2010 Monza Rally Show, again at the wheel of an Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

The prizes are attractive to say the least. In addition to an Abarth 500 for the overall winner, the winners of each race will receive 4,000 Euros, with 2,500 Euros for the runner up, and four BFGoodrich racing tyres for the third placed. The winner of the best Under 25 class will receive 2000 Euros in addition to prizes for overall championship points.

The Abarth 500 Rally Trophy consists of 6 races, all on asphalt. Four of these are valid for the Italian Rally Championship, while the remaining two are valid for the Asphalt Rally Trophy.

Participation in the Abarth 500 Selenia Rally costs 2,000 Euros (reduced to 1,600 for entrants registering before the 31st March). Abarth racing overalls for the driver and navigator are included in the price.

The Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy calendar
24 April            Mille Miglia rally
30 May             Marca Trevigiana rally
20 June         Salento rally
18 July            San Marino Castrozza rally
05 September        Friuli rally
26 September        San Remo rally

The Abarth–BFGoodrich Challenge

The Abarth-BFGoodrich Challenge consists of 18 races, selected from the Italian regional series. While these events might be less difficult, they nevertheless represent excellent learning opportunities and offer drivers a chance to race at even lower costs.

Participants in the Abarth-BFGoodrich Challenge are not required to take part in all the races. Prizes consist of tyres offered by BFGoodrich.

Participation in the Abarth-BFGoodrich Challenge costs 400 Euros and is free for entrants already registered for the Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy.

The Abarth–BFGoodrich Challenge calendar
9 May             Schio rally
16 May            City of Turin rally
16 May             Cellole rally
6 June             Syracuse rally
13 June            Ossola Valleys rally
27 June            Imperia Valleys rally
27 June            Val di Cecina rally
4 July             Benacus rally
11 July             Cremona rally
11 July            Valle del Sosio rally
18 July             City of Modena rally
25 July             City of Lucca rally
8 August         Tyrrhenian rally
12 September        Torriglia rally
12 September        Carpineti rally
12 September        Montalbo rally
19 September        Valtellina rally
10 October        Valdiano rally

The Swiss Abarth 500 Rally Trophy calendar
23-24 April        Critérium Jurassien
28-29 May         Chablais rally
25-26 June        Ronde del Ticino rally
14-15 August        Les Rangiers hill climb
28-29 August        Oberhallau hill climb
04-05 September    Gurnigel hill climb
28-30 October        Valais International rally

TRACK

The 2010 Abarth 500 Selenia Trophies

As in 2009, two main championships are scheduled for 2010 too: the European Abarth 500 Selenia Trophy and the Italian Abarth 500 Selenia Trophy, plus of course the British single marque championship.

The European Abarth 500 Selenia Trophy consists of 5 meetings, each of 2 races. The series begins on the 30th May at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany. The Italian Abarth 500 Selenia Trophy consists of 6 meetings of two races each, beginning on the 25th April in Misano. Both series end in Monza on the 24th October.

Each meeting consists of a warm-up session, two 20 minute qualifying sessions, and two races of 25 minutes plus one lap. What is new this year is the fact that two drivers can enter with the same car, one in Race 1 and the other in Race 2. This potentially reduces participation costs and obviously makes things a lot easier for younger drivers.

The Abarth 500 Selenia Trophy races will be held as part of the CSAI calendar on the same days as Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth and Formula 3 meetings.

Championship entry fees have been reduced to 9,000 Euros this year (down from 11,000 last year). This fee covers registration for all races, racing overalls, use of Abarth’s track-side facilities (including catering), and paddock equipment shared with other teams. Facilitations are available for drivers under 25 years of age.

The prizes have changed too: the winner will receive a road-going Abarth 500, and the best placed under-18 driver will be granted use of a Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth car for the next season. Drivers as young as 15 can enter the trophy, provided they hold the necessary CSAI class C licence and take part in a preparatory course at the CSAI racing federation school.

The trophy is open to the following classes: overall, Under-25, Under-18 and Gentleman, for drivers aged over 40 (new this season).

The Abarth 500 Assetto Corse cars will all be fitted out and prepared directly by Officine Abarth before delivery to the “Abarth Racing” network which is responsible for maintenance and assistance at the track. The “Abarth Racing” network of performance tuning centres has been set up especially to assist competition drivers in Italy, and to facilitate access to the world of Abarth racing. The exclusive and highly specialised “Abarth Racing” network is made up of six companies around Italy, all famous for their extensive experience in competitive motor racing: Uboldi Corse and Autoalberta by Uboldi Corse (Lomazzo, Como), Carrozzeria Campana (Modena), Forza Service (Turin), Romeo Ferraris (Opera, Milan), Trico Motor Sport (Alessandria) and Zatti Sport (Parma).

The European Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy calendar
30 May         Hockenheim
04 July         Imola
25 July        Salzburg
05 September     Brands Hatch
24 October    Monza

The Italian Abarth 500 Selenia Rally Trophy calendar
25 April     Misano
06 June        Magione
04 July         Imola
29 August    Varano
10 October    Mugello
24 October    Monza

The British Abarth Trophy calendar
3/5 April    Oulton Park
17/18 April    Silverstone
22/23 May    Oulton Park
26/27 June    Snetterton
24/25 July    Silverstone
4/5 September    Brands Hatch
23/24 October    Monza

Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth

This formula, to run from 2010 to 2014, is based on a new single seater, specially designed to help develop young racing talent and to provide a stepping stone to the higher formulas. The car is a successor to the Formula Azzurra, the class that initiated the CSAI’s “young driver project” in 2005. Abarth has a glorious history in this area, dating back to the Italia and Fiat Abarth formulas of the 1970s and 1980s that launched the careers of drivers of the calibre of Michele Alboreto, Riccardo Patrese and Alessandro Nannini.

The new single seater accurately fulfils the project’s objectives. Abarth, FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies, Tatuus and, of course ACI-CSAI have all done sterling work to ensure success. The requirement was to create a formula incorporating a high standard of safety at a genuinely accessible cost that could be maintained for a number of years, yet with sufficiently advanced technical qualities to serve as a real test bed for young talent on the racing scene.

The new ACI-CSAI-Abarth single seater is built by Tatuus and features a carbon fibre body, an FPT Racing 1.4 Fire Turbo engine developing 180 HP (based on the engine used in the Abarth 500 Trophy), and Sadev transmission with a sequential six-speed gearbox.

The 1.4 Turbo engine is produced by the Racing division of FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies, and features a brand new dry sump lubrication system with a structural aluminium sump specially developed for use in Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth. The four in line turbocharged engine delivers 180 HP at 5,500 rpm and develops a peak torque of 250 Nm at 3,500 rpm. This exclusive engine boasts a number of special features including a two-stage oil return pump, a racing flywheel and a sintered dual plate clutch.

The Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth series consists of 7 meetings of two races of 23 minutes plus 1 lap. The championship is open to drivers from 15 to 19 years of age (born after the 31/12/1990 for the 2010 season). Drivers born after the 31/12/1990 and drivers up to 23 years of age (i.e. born after the 01/01/1987) will compete instead in the CSAI National Championship. Unless the federation makes special exceptions to these rules, drivers who finished in the first three positions of the 2000 cc single marque formula championships and drivers who have already raced in the Italian F3 championship will not be allowed to take part.

The Formula ACI-CSAI-Abarth calendar
25 April     Misano
06 June        Magione
04 July         Imola
29 August    Varano
26 September     Vallelunga
10 October    Mugello
24 October    Monza