Abarth has announced its
2011 race and rally programme and the big news is that
its name will be seen on stateside tracks in grassroots
action next year, although the real news that Scorpion
fans wanted to hear, that of the fading factory-backed
Super 2000 rally programme, isn't mentioned.
This year the
factory-supported Italian Rally Championship (CIR)
programme saw Luca Rossetti and Giandomenico Basso in
the thick of the title fighting action all year at the
wheel of the Abarth Grande Punto S2000, although they
ultimately missed out on top honours in the end. That
challenge was cobbled together at the last minute as
Abarth's factory rally budget has been throttled away,
so any return to the CIR could be announced much later
and once again involve outsourcing. This year Rossetti
also scooped the European Rally Championship title, the
second consecutive year that Abarth has clinched this
prestigious crown, although in most part it was a
private-backed programme. The ageing Abarth Grande Punto
S2000 also received a dynamic upgrade during the year.
Instead for the moment
Abarth is focusing on "grassroots" programmes. The
strong international flavour that the Abarth promotional
trophies have displayed since the first editions led
Abarth to expand Formula Aci/Csai Abarth and Trofeo
Abarth 500 Selenia championships abroad. During the
first season, the Formula Aci/csai Abarth met with great
success with the large-scale participation of Italian
and foreign drivers, all very young, attracted by the
low running costs and top quality cars.
Special terms and conditions are also planned for the
2001 season to further promote the already healthy
levels of youngsters taking part in both series with the
aim of identifying world motorsport champions of the
future. Important in this context is our cooperation
with the Ferrari Driver Academy, which had the
satisfaction of seeing one of its own drivers win this
year (the 17-year-old Brandon Maisano) in the Formula
Aci-Csai Abarth.
In 2011, the Formula Abarth and Trofeo Abarth
Championships will be organised in Italy, Europe and
also America, following the same calendar for both
series. The Formula Aci-Csai Abarth Italian Championship
will be structured around seven appointments including
two races each, one of which will be abroad on the
Belgian Spa Francorchamps circuit. The Trofeo Abarth 500
will include six events, all at the same time as the
Formula Abarth, except for the foreign race, which will
be fought out over the tortuous Belgian circuit. The
Formula Abarth European Series and Trofeo Abarth 500
Europe will also be raced during the course of seven and
six events respectively on the main European circuits.
The big news of the 2001 will be the launch of the
Formula Abarth and Abarth 500 Assetto Corse in America
with the organisation of the, somewhat curiously chosen,
Formula Abarth Panam Series. However with the Fiat 500
being launched only this week in the U.S. at the LA Auto
Show and set to be rolled out across a new dealer
network in North America, the choice to promote this
Panam championship already has everyone scratching their
heads as it will include races in Mexico, Guatemala, El
Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and the
Dominican Republic, all markets where Fiat is unlikely
to find any demand for the 500 or the Abarth variant. A
curious drain of marketing budgets. Two national
championships will also be organised in Europe for the
Trofeo Abarth 500: a UK Trofeo, which has already been
held this year, and a Scandinavian event, with races in
Sweden and Denmark.
The Trofeo Abarth 500 also continues its rally career in
Italy, featuring the Abarth 500 approved for category
R3T. The 2011 championship will be organised around six
races chosen from the national calendar. As has been the
case this year, the most important prizes will be
reserved for the youngest drivers.
Formula Aci-Csai Abarth
The single-seater car powered by a 1400 cc turbocharged
Abarth engine tuned by FPT showed its mettle during the
course of the 2010 season and is about to launch into a
high-octane 2001 season in the new international
championships. The car's suitability as a proving ground
for youngsters is emphasised by the choice of circuits
over which the drivers will content in 2011. Racing
starts in Europe on 8 May in Valencia, Spain and
concludes in Valencia on 16 October, including races at
Misano Adriatico (5 June), at Nürburgring in Germany (3
July), at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium (7 August), at
Zeltweg in Austria (27 August) and at Mugello (2
October). The Italian championship starts on 22 May at
Varano de’ Melegari and concludes in Monza 116 October
after racing at Misano Adriatico (5 June), Imola (17
July), Spa Francorchamps (7 August), Vallelunga (18
September) and Mugello (2 October). To make it easier
for drivers to take part in both the Italian and
continental championship, four races will count towards
both trophies: Misano, Spa, Mugello e Monza. This means
that drivers who wish to race in both series will be
able to achieve this by taking part in all 10 events.
Trofeo Abarth 500
The 2011 championship will go into its third season with
one car, the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, which has proved
itself a great performer and highly spectacular. No
fewer than five championships will take place during
2011 featuring this car as the absolute star: the
Europe, Italy, UK, Scandinavia and Panam Abarth 500
trophy championships. New and attractive packages will
be introduced to encourage the youngest drivers to take
part in the the Italian and European trophy in 2011.
They will be able to gain access to the competitions at
bargain-basement prices due to the cooperation of Trofeo
sponsors and the network of Abarth tuning shops. This
will allow a large number of potential champions to put
themselves to the test in a highly competitive
championship.
As with the Formula Abarth, the Trofeo Abarth 500 is
also designed to allow simultaneous participation in
national and continental series. Anyone who wishes to
take part in both championships can do so by entering
all nine races. As with past editions, major prizes are
available, particularly for the youngest drivers. In
2010, the Under 18 category was won by Eric Scalvini
whose prize was a Formula Aci-Csai Abarth single-seater
to be used in the 2011 championship. So far the Trofeo
Abarth 500 has met with enthusiasm from the youngest
drivers, who can take part up to their 15th birthday
after completing a special Aci-Csai course.
Abroad, the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse is meeting with
great success, paving the way for more national
championships. After the success of the UK championship,
which will also be repeated in 2011, now comes the turn
of the Scandinavian countries, which will hold a
championship structured over seven events involving two
races each, from 7 May to 22 September.
The American landing
The big news for the 2011 Abarth season is the arrival
on American shores of the Formula Abarth and Abarth 500
Assetto Corse, which will be put through their paces on
the track during the Panam GP Series, with a
championship organised around 8 events. The interest in
Abarth racing cars is in fact very high in this part of
America, where motorsport races are followed with great
interest and the sector is expanding. The training
mission of the Formula Abarth, together with the
spectacular nature of the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse will
help motorsport to grow in these countries.
Trofeo Abarth 500 Rally
The championship featuring Abarth 500 cars approved for
R3T with 1400 cc turbo engines is set to continue in
2011. In 2011, the Trofeo Abarth 500 Rally will again
include a calendar of six races in Italy, chosen from
the national calendar and prizes designed to encourage
the participation of the youngest drivers. In 2010
Giacomo Costenaro and Andrea Nucita had the opportunity
to enter one race as official drivers at the wheel of an
Abarth Grande Punto S2000.
