Easter weekend at Oulton Park will see the inaugural race weekend of the new for 2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 Great Britain. The series has moved to the UK for this year having already established itself on the continent with its European and Italian championships.
When the European branch of the championship came to Brands Hatch last July, supporting the World Touring Car Championship, it was an instant success with the crowds, now they have their own championship to get worked up about. The championship will be fought over seven weekends, supporting some of the most prestigious series in Europe, culminating in a trip to Monza for the season finale.
3/5 April Oulton Park (British F3/ British GT)
17/18 April Silverstone GP (FIA Formula Two)
22/23 May Cadwell Park (British Superbikes)
26/27 June Snetterton (GT Cup Championship & Formula Palmer Audi)
24/25 July Silverstone GP (Silverstone Classic)
4/5 September Brands Hatch Indy (DTM / Trofeo Europe)
23/24 October Monza, Italy (Trofeo Europe / Italy / GB)
The attraction of the series, along with the calendar, is the cars. The model used for the series is the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, incorporating a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine, producing 190bhp at 6,500 rpm. The series has managed to attract some pretty impressive teams to date, with Pulce Racing, Pyro Motorsport and one make regulars JHR, among the teams already confirmed, along with multi-car entries from the Tech 9 and Advent MTS squads. A touch of glamour is provided with the entry of Fifth Gear presenter Vicky Butler-Henderson as a driver in the series, along with ex-BTCC racer Fiona Leggate. BTCC race winner Gareth Howell has tested a Tech 9 Abarth and is rumoured to be considering an entry to the series.
It promises to be quite a spectacle around the circuits of the UK and Europe this season, and if it lives up to its billing, the championship could quite easily find itself challenging the Clio Cup as the feeder series of choice for aspiring BTCC runners.
For more information on the championship go to www.trofeoabarth500gb.com
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