Bang! The lights have changed, and my driver drops the clutch, propelling the car towards the horizon and compressing my spine into the seat. Bang! Snatching second, we lurch across the road. Bang! We’re millimetres away from the car in front as we grab third, but still we’re accelerating. Slam! A jab at the brakes just before we turn into the right-hand bend, forcing my innards to retreat further into my rib-cage. Nnaaaarrrrrr! We’re accelerating harder now, and my spine is being compressed again – downward, this time, as we hit the bottom of the hill and begin the climb back up the other side. Slam again! More eyeball-popping braking, this time just before we nip up the inside of the car in front and beat them through the next corner.

In any normal circumstances, this would be considered the behaviour of a pair of hooligans on their way to a court appearance and a public burning of their driving licences. But I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a brand new Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, my driver is Giles Dawson, who’s made quite a name for himself in the Ginetta G20 Challenge among other series, and we’re at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.

Giles Dawson and I chat calmly before the Scorpion is unleashed

Giles is testing the car with a view to competing in the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB launching in 2010. This is his first time in the Assetto Corse, too, and despite this allegedly being our slow ‘out’ lap, I fear I may have lost a couple of inches in height and maybe a stone or two in weight.

I can’t hear him over the angry noises coming from the engine bay, or the crackling and popping from the straight-through exhaust, but Giles is providing a running commentary as we rip from corner to corner.

The tight right-hander at the top of Druids becomes a favourite over-taking spot for us, suiting the 500’s ankle-biter character as we nip past the bigger cars on their inside.

We build up speed on the run down into Graham Hill Bend where the rear begins to drift, and carry it through Cooper Straight, before grabbing some kerb at the entry to Surtees but go easy on the brakes while the back end unloads. We’re tight up behind an MR2 now, despite its serious power advantage over us. The 500 holds its line tightly through Clearways while the Toyota drifts wide and, ever the cheeky up-start, we nip through.

We hold our advantage on the Brabham Straight, too, claiming another scalp – a Legends Championship car – just before we cross the start-finish line. I make brief eye-contact with the driver as we slip past, and imagine to myself the words running through his head: “Damn that infernal shopping car!”

The Assetto Corse overtaking at warp speed

It’s Paddock Hill Bend that Brands is famous for, though. With a wide entry, blind apex and negative camber, there’s a choice of lines before it plunges down into the compression.

In the Assetto Corse, it’s like driving a post box through Alton Towers – the sky disappears from view, your lunch tries to hide in the corners of your stomach and, with the suspension compressed onto its bump stops, you can’t help but run wide towards the impending doom of the gravel trap. Just as I’m praying for Carlo to rescue me from this petrol-fired hell, the 500 claws its way off the kerb, my vital organs stop fighting with each other for position, and blue sky fills the windscreen.

After a handful of laps, its time to return to the pit lane. I’d have happily stayed out there all day, being alternately tortured and elated. I shake Giles by the hand, unfold myself from the car, and undo my helmet. My first words?

“I gotta get me one of those!”

Abarthisti to support the 2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 GB

It’s hoped that our involvement will lead to unprecedented access to the Trofeo series for all Abarthisti members, including ticket give-aways, pit-lane access, the chance to meet drivers and engineers, and more.

The 2010 race calendar can be found below:

2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Race Calendar

For now, here’s a couple of gratuitous shots of our logo, proudly adorning the sides of the one day-old Abarthisti-mobile.

This isn’t this car’s final livery – the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse race cars are delivered in white from the factory, and we added these temporary graphics for the RaceCar Live event at Brands Hatch.

RaceCar Live is billed as Europe’s only ‘live’ motorsport event, and provides a chance for racing drivers – both current and potential – to meet race teams, sponsors, series organisers and suppliers.

There was also the opportunity for drivers to test a range of race cars around the Brands Hatch circuit, and the Trofeo Abarth 500 was well represented, with four cars in total.

You can read about my experiences as a passenger during one of those tests elsewhere in the Abarthisti Magazine.

You can also find more information about the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB here: Trofeo Abarth 500 GB.

The owners – mostly of the Abarth 500 and Grande Punto, but also classic models such as 595 and 695 esseesse, 850 and 1000 TC, 124 Abarth Sport Spider, Ritmo (Strada) and Autobianchi A112 Abarth – had the opportunity to enjoy a few laps on the track, to meet drivers such as European Rally Champion Giandomenico Basso, Luca Rossetti and Umberto Scandola, who performed at the wheel of the Abarth Grande Punto S2000, Abarth 500 Assetto Corse and Abarth 500 R3T Rally.

1st Abarth Race Day

Among the other events were an electric karting race, driving simulators, and the chance to take a test drive with an instructor from the Abarth Sandro Munari Driving School. Parked in the paddock, along with the racing cars, were the newer models like the Abarth 695 “Tributo Ferrari” and Abarth Grande Punto “SuperSport”.

One of the highlights of the day was the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse race, which saw Italian Trofeo champion Salvatore Tavano and European champion Emanuele Moncini locked in a fierce, no-holds-barred battle, lasting the entire 30 minutes scheduled for the race.

At the start, after the first corner, contact between Alex Campani and Manuel Lasagni forced the deployment of the safety car. At the race resumption, with cold tyres, the duel between the two leaders became more heated. English driver Adam Jones finished fourth after starting from the pits. Third place went to Matteo Milani, while rally driver Andrea Dallavilla achieved 6th, after being passed in the final stages by Alan Simoni.

Results: 1. Salvatore Tavano 21 laps in 32’32″694, average of 97.524 km/h; 2. Emanuele Moncini to 1″411; 3. Matteo Milani at 5″126; 4. Adam Jones at 8″287; 5. Alan Simoni to 17″967; 6. Andrea Dallavilla to 18″984; 7. Franco Cimarelli to 19″968; 8. Tobias Tauber at 55″870; 9. Michela Cerruti at 1’11″265; 10. Paolo Scudieri at 1’18″033; 11. Giovanni Ciraso at 1’20″463; 12. Luca Cassol 1 lap. Fastest lap: Adam Jones in 1’21″801, an average speed of 110.859 km/h.

Since the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe came to Brands Hatch earlier this year, the rumoured British version of the series has been the talk of the paddock. Following feedback from drivers, teams and sponsors, the series is now in its final stages of preparation. It launches with the stated aim of creating a package of racing that benefits all stakeholders – from competitors and sponsors, to owners and fans.

The series is expected to support key race weekends throughout the season, including the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the British Touring Car Championship and the British Superbike Championship.

The series will compete at Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Oulton Park and – in a link-up with the European trophy – Monza, Italy.

Comedian Patrick Kielty and supermodel Jodie Kidd attended the launch event

The Abarth dealer network has been encouraged to support the series, and eight dealers – Platts Garages (Stoke on Trent), Thames (Slough), S. G. Petch (York), Lipscomb (Maidstone), Fiat Marylebone (London), Rockingham Cars (Rockingham), Glyn Hopkin (Romford), and Vospers (Plymouth) – have confirmed their involvement for the 2010 series.

Six race teams have so far committed to the series: Advent Motorsport with drivers Vicki Butler-Henderson, Josh Wakefield, and James Blyth; Coastal Racing with drivers Carl Bradley; Rees Sport; Tech 9; Pyro Motorsport. Pulce Racing, backed by the engineering expertise of a Le Mans series race team, will be running the Vospers car, and their Assetto Corse will be sporting the Abarthisti logo.

The series features identical Abarth 500 Assetto Corse race cars, based on the road-going Abarth 500. Powered by the same 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, but with extensive internal modifications and a larger Garrett turbocharger, the race cars develop 190 bhp at 6,500 rpm. With a reinforced roll cage welded to the bodyshell, as well as further modifications to the chassis and brakes, the Assetto Corse cars are built in Turin before being shipped to the UK in batches of four. The first batch has already been delivered to their owners, following shakedown tests at Fiat Group’s proving ground at Balocco.

The inaugural race will take place over the weekend of 3/5 April 2010 at Oulton Park, and Abarthisti will be following the series throughout the year.

2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Calendar

More information about the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB can be found on the official website: www.trofeoabarth500gb.com.

Frenchman Benoît Perret finished third, leading to the unusual situation of the finishing order reflecting the closing order of the championship, as Perret also took third place in the trophy standings.

At Imola, Moncini won Race 1 ahead of Manuel Villa and Alex Campani, the latter posting the fastest lap time which earned him pole position for Race 2.

An aggressive pace imposed by the front runners characterised this last race, as well as the head-to-head battle between Moncini and Villa. At the start, Villa immediately tailed Alex Campani, who started from pole position. Moncini stayed behind but then made attempts to climb up the leaderboard in the first lap. In the second lap, Campani went off the track, handing first place to Villa. The two championship leaders then initiated their long battle for the title.

Meanwhile, further back down the field, Jorge Rodrigues was duelling with Simone Monforte for fifth place. Perret, then lying fourth, was a spectator of the battle for the lead, without being able to worry Matteo Milani. Milani’s retirement handed third place over to the Frenchman, allowing him to conclude the season on the podium.

Emanuele Moncini wins the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe

Of particular note is the fine performance of championship participants Erika and Simone Monforte, the youngest drivers to take part in all the rounds of this continental series.

Open until the end, the 12-leg championship was spread over six rounds. Starting at Valencia (Spain), the series moved to Brno (Czech Republic), Porto (Portugal), Brands Hatch (England), and Oschersleben (Germany), before drawing to a close at Imola in Italy. The return of Abarth to European competition has been a success, with many young drivers from different countries attracted to the series.

The show is due to be repeated next year. Like this year, the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe will feature the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, a high-performance version of the Abarth 500 road car that has proved to be highly competitive on the demanding circuits it has raced on, thanks in no small part to the 190bhp delivered by its 1400cc turbocharged engine.

Race 1 classification: 1. Emanuele Moncini (I) 9 laps in 19min48.807s – average speed 133,09 kph; 2. Manuel Villa ITA + 3.695s; 3. Alex Campani ITA + 4.163s; 4.Jorge Rodrigues POR + 8.551s; 5. Benoit Perret FRA +10.267s; 6. Simone Monforte ITA +23.960s; 7. Matteo Milani ITA + 32”.047s; 8. Massimiliano Baraldi ITA at 1 lap. Fasted lap by Alex Campani in 2min10.857s – average speed 135.05 kph.

Race 2 classification: 1. Emanuele Moncini (I), 9 laps in 19min56.229s – average speed 132.27 kph; 2. Manuel Villa (I) + 1.664s; 3. Benoît Perret (F) + 8.444s; 4. Jorge Rodrigues (P) + 15.398s; 5. Simone Monforte (I) + 20.581s; 6. Paolo Debe (I) + 32.179s; 7. Gabriele Larini (I) + 51.122s; 8. Erika Monforte (I) + 1min03.288s; 9. Luca Cassol (I) + 2min16.312s. Fastest lap by Emanuele Moncini, 2min11.129s – average speed 134.77 kph.

Abarth 500 Selenia – European Trophy final standings: 1. Emanuele Moncini (I) 156 points; 2. Manuel Villa (I) 153; 3. Benoît Perret (F) 143; 4. Jorge Rodrigues (P) 131; 5. Simone Monforte (I) 102; 6. Erika Monforte (I) 47; 8. Alex Campani (I) 44; 9. Lucas Guerrero (E) and Freddy Nordström (S) 43.