23.06.2004 To emphasise the growing importance of rallying to Fiat's future plans, Fiat Auto UK organised a press rally day, featuring the Panda, Punto AND Stilo as well as well as several past legends

To emphasise the growing importance of rallying to Fiat's future plans, Fiat Auto UK organised a rally press day, centred around the Stilo Cup UK, a burgeoning new series which has been introduced this year.

The event was held at the Chobham test facility in Surrey, an ultra-fast track that offers the driver long, flat out straights, sharply banked curves, and an infield, featuring a dizzying mix of tight turns, twists, dips and rises all in rapid succession, known ominously as the "snake".

The Fiat Stilo Cup, organised by crack Italian rally outfit Hi-Tec Motorsport, boasts full factory input via Fiat's competitions department, N-Technology. It has come to these shores for the first time this year, after running successfully in Italy since 2002.

All the cars are prepared identically with a 187bhp 1747cc 4-cyl engines and 5-speed competition gearboxes, giving the young pilots a real chance to both show and develop their talent and skills.

Welsh outfit Paul Tod Rallying brought their car along after working until 3am to get it ready. The Cup organisers had their similar car on hand, while series leader Chris Davies was also in attendance. Emphasising the Italian giant's commitment to rallying, the innovative diesel powered Panda rally concept, first seen at the Bologna Motor Show last December, was shipped over, while Hi-Tec brought a Super 1600 Punto Abarth Rally.

Finally, remembering a glorious history on the rally tracks of the world stage, three legendary machines were present, a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, and from Lancia an Integrale 16v and, and still as breathtaking as it was twenty years ago, an ex-Markku Alen 037 Rally resplendent in its original 'Martini Racing' graphics.

Paul Tod offered to take me out straight away in the PT Rallying Stilo. With the car being set up for the first time in tarmac specification, he was keen to get on track, and so he told me, "put in some slow laps" to check out the balance and warm his tyres up.

He obviously has a different concept of the word "slow" and was immediately hurtling the yellow rocket around the track, screaming up the banked sections and flying through the kink, which links the main circuit to the infield, flat out. Paul, from Abergavenny in Wales, gives me a non-stop running commentary as we hurtle round, exuding a calmness and maturity that belies his young age.

This is just his second year of rallying, his first saw him, along with co-driver Iestyn ap Dafydd, clinch the Peugeot 205 Cup first time out. He tells me, "The Stilo is a fantastic car, a real natural rally machine. The Peugeot was fifteen years old and showing its age, but the Stilo is much more modern and refined. I have had to learn its characteristics, keeping the power up and using its weight to my best advantage."

He continues, "Today is just about getting a feel for the car on tarmac. The next two events are on tarmac and it will be our first experience of this surface. Today we have new settings and new control tyres to try. Its a much less forgiving surface than gravel, and your lines become more important."

Paul and Iestyn have had a difficult start to the series, mechanical problems seeing them now as an outside bet for the title. The pair, who have really gelled together as a team, however are quietly confident that they can turn things around, and Iestyn points out, "Last year we never led the Peugeot Cup until after the last round, in rallying anything can happen."

Rapidly emerging 23-year-old Leon Pesticcio, is on hand to drive a Hi-Tec Fiat Punto Abarth Super 1600 that literally arrives from Italy on the back of a transporter early in the afternoon. The Welshman, who started rallying seriously five years ago, caught the eye of the Italian team, who signed him to drive in their first ever British rally program last year.

After a rapid seat change, the 2003-specification Punto's usual driver is obviously much shorter, Leon is out on the track and in keeping with his reputation, blindingly quick. He's obviously a huge talent and a pure, natural racer. And enthusiastic too, "The Punto's just awesome! It's the ultimate front wheel drive rally car I can do anything with it, the technology is amazing!" 'Awesome' is a word he uses constantly all afternoon when describing the car.

Next week he's out on the Jim Clark Rally, and in his typical style he is thinking only of victory. "We can certainly take the fight to Suzuki, our only real competition, and although it is a mature well funded factory effort I'm not going there to finish second!"

Stilo Cup leader Chris Davies is also present. The 19-year-old has taken two wins and a second, so the title, with its stunning Punto Super 1600 British Rally prize drive next year, is now his to lose.  Amazingly, it's only his second year of rallying, and he's another quiet, calm driver with a bright future, looking forward to the Jim Clark. "Its going to be like the first event, we don't know what to expect. We have been lucky, the car's been fantastic and we've had no problems."

Chris, who has recently been receiving advice from Nicky Grist, has been blasting around the track in the series organiser's Stilo all afternoon, testing development pads for Mintex. "The circuit's very fast, its given me a good feel for tarmac with the Stilo. I've grown with this car and learnt a lot."

The day's not going quite to plan. Leon Pesticcio has got his hands on a Stilo and has been flinging it around. He's impressed, "I'm surprised at how stable it is! It's a big car and I was running on gravel tyres. In the third gear corners you can really slide it on the power, it has a nice balance as front wheel drive cars usually thrive on understeer. Its got lots of power and lots of torque, above three to four thousand revs and its flying!" Power and slides, that's Leon all over, but would he swap it for his Punto? "Not a chance, the Punto's incredible!"

The script totally disappears when Paul Tod and Chris Davies commandeer the Super 1600 Punto. Paul puts in several fast laps while Hi-Tec's Italian boss keeps his finger's crossed. He eventually is prised out. With a huge smile, "It's fantastic, the out and out power is breathtaking! The diff just pulls you though the bends, while using a sequential 'box is a new experience for me!"

So Fiat and rallying still go hand in hand. The Italian manufacturer has put its cards on the table by building quick, exciting new cars, and the quick, exciting young stars of the future, which without doubt include Leon Pesticcio, Paul Tod and Chris Davies, are driving them.

Last word to Paul Tod, "It's been a great day, we've got a good feel for tarmac and getting a go of the car which is the prize, was awesome, and it means that there's no way we are coming second!"

by Rob Morgan