The Palio Racing Team ended the season in fine style with another win at the final round of the SA Production Car Championship at Kyalami last weekend (6 November) ending a successful inaugural season for the works Fiat team.

A privateer onslaught on the northern regions Superhatch series last year saw enthusiastic youngster, Theunis Eloff win that championship in a Fiat Palio. Fiat Auto SA then decided to put their weight behind the project and brought three Fiat Palios to the SA Production Car championship this year under the Palio Racing Team banner.

Led by experienced motorsport manager and driver, Mike O’Sullivan, the Palios developed quickly early in the season to score their first win in Round 5 of the Vodacom Power Tour. The Palio went on to win another four races this season and establish themselves as the cars to beat in Class C.

The advent of the Fiat Stilo Abarth for Class B took some of O’Sullivan’s attention away during the final two rounds, but Dawie Brough and Theunis Eloff continued the pace setting success, Brough winning Heat One at the final round of the championship and Eloff taking away the CAR Magazine Rookie of the Year award. Dave Compton (Toyota Tazz) won the Class C championship and with it the Junior SA Production Car title.

“Consistent hard work, dedication, and above all enthusiasm, has made the Fiat Palio the car to beat in Class C,” said Michael Burkhart, general manager for marketing at Fiat Auto SA. “It shows the passion there is for Fiat and how worthy the Palio is as a product. It has proven itself on the race track, which means it is a very worthy competitor on the road, too.”

Next year the two works Palios will join forces with the two Class B Stilos to become the Abarth Racing Team. Eloff will remain in the driving seat alongside newcomer Molefe Lebethe. Brough will move up to Class B alongside O’Sullivan in the Fiat Stilo Abarths.