Abarth has announced its
2012 racing programmes which, notably, see the début of
a new car on the track, the Abarth Punto Competizione,
which has been developed to compete in Abarth's first
single-make Trofeo in South America.
The Abarth ACI/CSAI
Formula, which during its first two seasons saw the
participation of Italian and foreign drivers, all very
young, who had the chance to make their début in the
world of motorsport at low cost, return.
However, all Abarth's
racing programmes this year will be one-makers and the
Scorpion brand won't be pitching itself in battle
against its rivals. The news fans of the brand most long
for, a revival of its recent, highly successful
top-level 'Super 2000' rally programme remain off the
drawing board.
Trofei Abarth
The Trofei on the track
will be into a fourth season with the Abarth 500 Assetto
Corse which will be joined by the new Abarth 695 Assetto
Corse. In 2012, they will take part in 3 championships:
Europe, Italy and Scandinavia.
The Trofeo Abarth Italia
will, as usual, be divided in six events of two races
each and will take place on the circuits at Varano,
Mugello, Franciacorta, A1 Ring in Austria, Imola and
Monza, the final event of the season as is customary.
Four of the Trofeo Italia events will be valid for the
continental single-make championship. The other
appointment will be held at Spa-Francorchamps in
Belgium. The Trofeo Abarth Scandinavia will take place
according to the usual sports format and will stop at
the main Swedish tracks before reaching its conclusion
in September on the Göteborg City Circuit.
As in recent years, there
will be attractive formulas to encourage the youngest
drivers to take part in the Italian and European Trofei.
They will be able to gain access to the competitions at
accessible prices, thanks to the cooperation of the
Trofeo's sponsors and the network of Abarth Tuning
Shops. The project that intends to allow a great number
of potential champions to put themselves to the test in
a highly competitive championship is therefore
continuing.
In recent years, many
under-18 drivers really made their presence felt,
demonstrating progress race after race. This is also why
the Abarth 500 "Assetto Corse" has proven to be an
excellent training platform: thanks to its superb road
holding, it allows the most skilful drivers to prove
their worth. The same mission will be entrusted to the
brand-new Abarth 695 "Assetto Corse" starting from the
2012 edition of the Trofei.
Staying on the subject of
racing, this year also sees the important début of the
first single-make Abarth Trofeo in South America, with a
new track racing car developed especially for this
Trofeo. It's a Punto Assetto Corse, equipped with a 1368
cm3 engine with a power of 190 HP (140 kW), roll bar
bolted to the body and Ř330 front brake discs with
specific four-piston calipers. The Trofeo Abarth Punto
Competizione will take place in Argentina at the same
time as the TC 2000 Championship, starting in April and
stopping at some of the country's most important tracks:
from Santa Fé to Mendoza and Buenos Aires.
The Trofeo Abarth will
also continue in 2012 in the rallies, with the Abarth
500 Rally cars (type-approved by the FIA in compliance
with the Group R3T regulations) in the limelight; the
Trofeo Abarth 500 Rally also focuses on young people,
who can race at low cost. The winners of the 2011
edition were two young talents, 19-year-old Michele
Tassone of Cuneo with Fabio Grimaldi as second driver,
in their first sports season. These young men received
the additional award, at the end of the 2011 Trofeo, of
taking part in the Automotive Giro d'Italia at the wheel
of an official Abarth 500.
The Trofeo Abarth 500
Rally will maintain its international flavour in its
third edition, which saw great success in the last
sporting season, including some of Europe's most
prestigious rallies. For the first time the calendar
includes the Ypres, Corsica and Valais rallies, in
addition to the events of the Mille Miglia, Sanremo,
S.Martino di Castrozza and the Rally du Chablais in
Switzerland.
ACI/CSAI Abarth Formula
During the first two race
seasons, the Formula Aci/Csai Abarth, the single-seater
fitted with a turbocharged 1400 cc Abarth engine tuned
by FPT, met with 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 again planned for the 2012 season to
further promote the already healthy levels of youngsters
taking part in both series, with the aim of identifying
the world motorsport champions of the future. To this
end, collaboration with the Ferrari Driver Academy
continues. From the very beginning, it has followed this
preliminary Formula, a true launch pad for the most
important categories.
The 2012 Italian Formula
Aci-Csai Abarth Championship will include six
appointments, one of which is abroad on the Austrian A1
Ring circuit. Those of the European Series Formula
Abarth will total eight, which in addition to the six
dates also valid for the Italian title will be held at
Valencia and the prestigious Hungaroring circuit. What's
new in 2012 concerns the format of the events, which
will for the first time be broken down into three races.
The 2012 Trofei Abarth
calendars
Formula Abarth European
Series
1 April Valencia
(Spain)
6 May Hungaroring
(Hungary)
10 June Mugello (Italy)
8 July Misano (Italy)
5 August A1 Ring Zeltweg
(Austria)
2 September Imola
(Italy)
16 September Vallelunga
(Italy)
21 October Monza
(Italy)
Italian Formula ACI/CSAI
Abarth Championship
10 June Mugello (Italy)
8 July Misano (Italy)
5 August A1 Ring
Zeltweg (Austria)
2 September Imola
(Italy)
16 September Vallelunga
(Italy)
21 October Monza
(Italy)
Trofeo Abarth Europe
9-10 June Mugello
(Italy)
4 -5 August A1 Ring
Zeltweg (Austria)
1-2 September Imola
(Italy)
15-16 September
Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
20-21 October
Monza (Italy)
Trofeo Abarth Italia
19-20 May
Varano de' Melegari
9-10 June
Mugello
23-24 June
Franciacorta
4-5 August A1
Ring Zeltweg (Austria)
1-2 September
Imola (Italy)
20-21 October
Monza (Italy)
Trofeo Abarth Scandinavia
12 May
Karlskoga
2 June
Anderstorp
7 July
Falkenberg
18 August
Karlskoga
15 September
Mantorp Park
29 September
Göteborg
Trofeo Abarth 500 Rally
19-21 April
Mille Miglia Rally (Italy)
11-13 May
Tour de Corse (Corsica)
8-10 June
Rally du Chablais (Switzerland)
22-24 June Ypres
Rally (Belgium)
14-15 September
S. Martino di Castrozza (Italy)
12-13 October
Sanremo Rally (Italy)
25-27 October
Rally du Valais (Switzerland)
Trofeo Abarth Punto
Competizione Argentina
1 April
Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires)
22 April
Rosario (Santa Fé)
20 May San
Martín (Mendoza)
10 June
Potrero de Los Funes (San Luis)
1 July
Neuquén (Neuquén)
12 August
Oberá (Misiones)
9 September
Resistencia (Chaco)
30 September
Termas de Rio Hondo (S. del Estero)
14 October La
Plata (Buenos Aires)
4 November Buenos
Aires (Buenos Aires)
25 November
General Roca (Rio Negro)
