After three
hotly-contested double-header races the fourth round of the
Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe will take place tomorrow
(Saturday) and on Sunday at the British circuit of Brands
Hatch, one of Europe's most demanding and historical tracks
where the tiny Italian cars will once again support the FIA
World Touring Car Championship.
Twenty four drivers
representing six countries have scored championship points
in the first six races of the Trofeo Abarth 500
Europe – two races were
held at Valencia in Spain, two at Brno in Czech Republic and
two at Porto in Portugal. The drivers are all behind the
wheel of the identical-specification 500 Abarth Assetto
Corse racers that have 190 bhp.
Leading the standings at
this point is Italian driver Manuel Villa who will not be
present in England as he must prepare for the Madeira Rally,
an event counting towards the Intercontinental Rally
Challenge scheduled in Portugal at the end of this month,
which will allow his rivals the chance to gain ground. Villa
currently leads the IRC's 2 Wheel Drive Cup class with his
Fiat Punto S1600.
At Brands Hatch, the usual
contenders of the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe
will face local drivers who will benefit from their
knowledge of the track, such as Mitch Millet, Adam Jones and
Andy Millns. Frenchman Benoît Perret and Portuguese Jorge
Rodrigues could also take full advantage of the absence of
Villa to get ahead of him in the championship standings.
Among the favourites this weekend are also the Italian
Emanuele Moncini, winner of the two races held at Porto, and
brother and sister Simone and Erika Monforte. Qualifying at
Brands Hatch will take place in the late afternoon of today
while the first race is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) at
6:05pm. The other race will start at 5:20pm on Sunday.
Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe
provisional championship standings (after 3 rounds and 6
races): 1.
Manuel Villa
(I), 85 points; 2. Benoît Perret (F), 52; 3: Jorge Rodrigues
(P), 51; 4. Simone Monforte (I), 44; 5.
Lucas Guerrero
(E) and Emanuele Moncini (I), 43; 7. Peter Fulin (CZ), 38;
8. Enrico Fulgenzi (I), 37; 9.
Pedro
Marreiros (P), 34; 10. Michael Vorba (CZ), 30.
