Benvenuti amici!
As you may have realized, by now, I was the elated driver of a wonderful FIAT 500 Pop. That beautiful little grocery getter blessed me with over a year of motorized bliss and led quite a few CC5Cruises. I am, now, the ecstatic driver of an equally wonderful FIAT 500 ABARTH. This beautiful little grocer getter blesses me with a bit more than the signature Italian styling associated with runabouts designed by the Italian automaker. The 'more' is the focus this blog entry. Read on...
For uninitiated, the USAmerican SRT team, on behalf of FIAT's ABARTH division, enlists professional drivers to teach interested owners of a Scorpione what their favorite little runabout can do. This is a perk, included with the purchase of a 500 ABARTH, and… as a bonus… allows for relatives and/or friends of the purchaser to attend as a non-driving (for $100) or a driving (for $500) participant. The package includes; an introduction to the World of ABARTH, three competitive driving disciplines, a nice breakfast with an equally appealing lunch and a 'Hot Lap' ride along to close out an 8-hour day. They call this perk the ABARTH Track Experience.
With so many CC5C members moving from a naturally aspirated 500 to the turbo'd variety, specifically the one adorned with the Scorpio Rising badges, I decided to propose a small CC5Caravan to the 2014 North American ABARTH Track Experience. Quite a few members hadn't attended yet and leapt at the opportunity to share this new FIAT life experience with others.
First, we had to coordinate our date of attendance and hotel stay. When the event dates were announced, on the ABARTH Experience website, it was revealed we would be taking in a lovely August day at the esteemed Autobahn Country Club. As the name suggests, the ACC is petrol heaven for retired race car drivers and speed junkies with deep pockets. The Motorsport club also offers off-season prices, which amounts to an 8-hour day of motorized bliss on a pristine track at a very reasonable cost to the bold & able.
But that's enough about the venue. We're gathered around our 'future boxes' to learn about this amazing added benefit to our lives behind the wheel of the coolest car cities ~ the world over ~ have ever known. Our day with the USAmerican SRT/ABARTH team was, as stated earlier, divided into three driving disciplines. I will break those three into sections and offer my impression of each. Keep in mind, the courses could and likely do change as often as individual opinions. So, my takeaway could be entirely different than the 40+ in attendance on this or any other given day.
Driving Dynamics:
Physical. This portion of the day is dedicated to learning what your angry mighty mouse can do on a road course. A professional driver serves as your co-pilot and instructor. This section is meant to teach you all about how the 'Small but Wicked' one responds to driver input on the open road and reacts to driver approach in the tightest of corners.
I must admit to being absolutely terrified my first lap or two… and the nero e rosso Scorpion they strapped me into knew it. As any good road companion would do, she gave me time to build up the confidence I needed to have some real fun on the track and extended moments out of the driver's seat to consider how I could improve the next track opportunity.
CC5Cers comparing notes between track time...
The driving instructors are fantastic. Their steady and confident voices, quietly caressing the ego and think box of the driver takes the mind off the fear of wrecking the beautiful coach and allows for laser focus on getting each turn just right as well as building up speed in the straights. This is stuff I simply did not learn in Driver's Ed and/or the US Army.
Learning to drive manual transmission in a military issue deuce and a half and living life in the city allowed me to come away from this portion of the day with many practical pointers on ways I can continue to hone my wheel, clutch & brake skills. I always feel I can be a better driver. This driving discipline most certainly provides the feedback needed to be just that.
Autocross:
Mental. This portion of the day tests your wits. While the road course teaches one the importance of confidence in ones micro-machine, autocross teaches the importance of confidence in self. This is a thinking driver's game and the course laid out by the SRT/ABARTH team is there to remind you of the fact at every nail biting/self-cursing turn. To raise the competitive spirit, times are recorded as well as penalized for knocking over tiny cones placed along the course boundaries. I'm pictured, here, in the bianco ABARTH.
Truth be told, I never quite got into my groove with this one. I improved my time, with each consecutive lap on the course, but three shots was not enough to lock on to the target time I had in mind. Regardless, I came away with a greater appreciation for my Sombrita and a genuine respect for autocross as a philosophical exercise. I am, now, terrorizing the missus with the thought of saving up to purchase a used 500 Pop for exclusive use in autocross.
Head-to-Head:
Body & Mind. The Head-to-Head Challenge is similar to autocross, despite the course being significantly more straightforward. It combines ones confidence in self with the confidence built in the A500. To test that confidence, the lead instructor pits driver against driver. Once again, drivers are timed and those times are penalized for knocking over cones as well as not making a complete stop in the midway point of the course. The mind & body come together in the spirit of friendly competition.
I beat myself up so bad about what I failed to accomplish in autocross, I made a conscious decision to show a marked improvement in this challenge. I was strapped into a grigio ABARTH my first two attempts at this course and lost… due to penalties. I laugh, now, but I was genuinely disappointed. I knew I could make my way around the course at a quick pace without touching a single cone. What was I missing? Now, we're talking. For my final run, I was strapped into a nero ABARTH. It was squeaky clean and fast! There is something to the personal connection to these little stingers, isn't there?!
Hot Lap:
F-U-N. With our day of discovery nearing an end, we made our way back to the road course for our 'Hot Lap'. This exclamation point to a well planned and organized day puts drivers & their guest/s in the passenger seat with an instructor. Until this point, guests were the only attendees privy to the hair-raising experience. While not nearly as much fun, for me, as learning about myself, I thoroughly enjoyed wondering whether my pilot would launch us off the track. Brilliant!
I strongly recommend this activity to all FIATisti. If you can afford to do so, find yourself a new ABARTH owner, and do it more than once.
To every end there is a new beginning...
Conclusion:
Commitment. As you may recall, I am keen on doing my part to bring back the good ol' days of FIAT Motorsport as well as maintain the Driving Social experience to which I devote countless hours of each day. Yes, FIAT is relatively active in Europe and other parts of the world. But I live in the USA… the land of the Pirelli World Challenge and IndyCar. Despite the fact our brand competes in PWC B-spec class, most USAmericans would annoyingly snicker at the thought of racing Italian runabouts. To them, driving a generic powerful car in a giant circle is much more thrilling than pushing a 500, Punto, Panda, Linea or Stilo around a a challenging road or off-road course. Little do they know, FIAT played & plays an integral role in creating and growing Motorsport. The ABARTH Track Experience and my relationships with true North American FIAT enthusiasts solidifies my resolve to action. You know what that means, dontcha? Wash 'Em. Wax 'Em. Wake 'Em Up©.
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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