The Fiat
500 has got off to a flying start in the first ever
World Challenge race for the new breed of "B-spec" cars
with Jonathon Start from Caledonia, Michigan taking two
wins out of the three races to go into an immediate
championship lead while Fiat sits astride the
manufacturers' standings.
The Touring Car-B race
series look place last weekend at the 2.2-mile Miller
Motorsports Park West Course configuration. Saturday’s
programme, which came up with two consecutive wins for
Start, uniquely featured two 30-minute races separated
by just 10-minutes.
The new "B-spec" class,
which made its full debut at the third round of the 2012
World Challenge series, is pitched firmly at grassroots
drivers by offering them a low-cost foothold onto the
racing ladder. The new B-spec Fiat 500 is effectively a
European Abarth 'Cup' racer.
Start completed the inaugural race weekend with a fourth
place finish in race No. 3 on Sunday just missing the
podium after a race-long duel at the front of the pack.
“What a spectacular way to start the inaugural racing
season with our brand new Fiat 500 B-spec car,” said Tim
Kuniskis, Head of Fiat North America. “We’re proud of
how well the team engineered the car and what a
fantastic job Jonathan did behind the wheel.”
Start’s sweep on Saturday plus his fourth-place finish
on Sunday gives him the points advantage early in the
nine-round drivers’ championship with a 54 point lead
over Honda driver Sage Marie (389-335) and 62 point lead
over Ford driver Craig Capaldi. Fiat also holds the
manufacturers' championship lead with 22 points,
followed by a tie between Mazda and Ford with 16. Honda
has 15 points, while Kia has scored 3.
Race No. 1 Summary - Saturday, April 28
In an exciting debut race for the new series, Start, in
his No. 00 Fiat USA/SRT/Carbotech Fiat 500, battled with
the top competitors from Ford and Mazda before taking
the lead late in the 17-lap race and going on to finish
out in front by 2.171 seconds. “Race number one was
exactly what this new B-Spec should be,” Start said.
“Close, tight, and very similar cars all competing hard.
I had the race of my life in the fun category. We were
able to flip and flop, and we raced each other clean.
This is what World Challenge is all about.”
Race No. 2 Summary - Saturday, April 28
With the race No. 2 grid being based on finishing order
from race No. 1, Start took off from pole position at
the green flag and led every lap to the finish, taking a
1.392-second victory to sweep the doubleheader. “I raced
smart, and I think that’s what it was,” Start said. “I
wanted to be smooth, I wanted to be consistent, and I
wanted to take care of my tires in the first race and I
think I did. I watched the other guys and there were
some moves where I was like, you guys are nuts. You guys
are going to scrub your tyres. At the end of the day,
it’s two wins in the first round of World Challenge TCB,
and I’m happy.” Capaldi’s Ford and Bailey’s Mazda
battled for the second position for most of the race,
joined early on by the No. 45 Honda Fit of Sage Marie.
Bailey finished second with Capaldi taking the third
spot at the checkered flag.
Race No. 3 Summary - Sunday, April 29
Jonathan Start began the finale race of the opening
weekend in third spot in class and quickly became part
of a four-car scrum made up of Start’s Fiat, a Honda Fit
and two Ford Fiestas. The battle raged for much of the
early part of the race, with Marie's Fit trading the
lead with Capaldi's No. 86 Ford Fiesta every other lap
for the first four. Start drove hard in his 500 as the
second through fourth place cars battled for second
spot. All the fighting for second place allowed Marie to
steadily pull away, driving off to a 3.354-second margin
of victory. Conner Ford finished second in class, with
Capaldi third and Start came home in fourth.