The exciting new one-make Fiat Linea Competizione race series is counting down to the first race which will take place this weekend at the Punta de Este circuit where it will support Argentina's prestigious TC2000 touring car championship.

The exciting new one-make Fiat Linea Competizione race series is counting down to the first race which will take place this weekend (April 5) at the Punta de Este circuit when it will support Argentina's prestigious TC2000 touring car championship. Pitched at providing a level platform for upcoming racing drivers the Fiat Linea Competizione will support TC2000 all year, thus guaranteeing plenty of exposure and placing its pilots firmly in the shop window.

The Fiat Linea Competizione was officially launched this month by Fiat Auto Argentina President Cristiano Rattazzi, Federico Suárez Salvia representing FS Motorsport, which will prepare the identical-specification racing cars, and Pablo Peón from TC2000.

The initiative is a key part of Fiat Auto Argentina's celebrations of 90 years of operations in this Latin American market. The first Fiat's actually arrived in Argentina in 1900 when three examples of the 6 HP were brought in by the Mestrallet brothers. In 1919 an official importer company, Sociedad Anónima F.I.A.T. Turín - Sucursal Argentina, was set up to import and distribute automobiles (first off was the 4-cylinder model 501), marine engines, tractors, ploughs, trucks and motors.

The Fiat Linea Competizione programme will give young drivers the chance to develop their motor racing skills at the wheel of a Fiat product, the continuation of a long history of supporting grass roots racing in Latin America by the Italian manufacturer. The Fiat Linea Competizione was first previewed during the weekend of the fourteenth and final round of last year's TC2000 series back in December with Rattazzi in charge of driving duties during the Linea's first laps at the Punta del Este circuit when the season came to an end.

The Fiat Linea Competizione racer is powered by the production model's 1.9-litre 16v engine with 150 bhp in this application and a resulting top speed on track of 200 km/h. The cars' preparation and all the logistics of the new division will be undertaken by the FS Motorsport firm. The presence of the Fiat Linea racing cars in this new division is being sponsored by well-known firms: Petronás, Selenia, Lo Jack, Logistech, FTP Powertrain Technologies and Fiat Crédito. The cars will run on a control tyre supplied by Pirelli.