MOTORSPORT NEWS ARCHIVE
Punto Abarth Rally 2004 FIA Junior World Rally Championship
Five Fiat Punto Abarths will take part in the 2004 Junior
World Rally Championship - the special category reserved for young drivers
under 28 years old and to Super 1600 cars, 2- wheels drive and 1600 cc
engines - that starts on January 22 at the Monte Carlo Rally. The Punto
Abarth drivers are Italians Alan Scorcioni, Luca Tabaton (winners of Trofeo
Fiat Punto Abarth and Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth 2003), Alessandro Broccoli,
Frenchman Mathieu Biasion and Spaniard Xavier Pons, who is supported by
the Catalan Federation.
Scorcioni, Tabaton and Biasion will run with the colours
of Team Grifone Avvenire, directed by Fabrizio Tabaton, ex European and
Italian rally champion, while Broccoli and Pons will drive with the Team
Hi-Tec, the team that won the Sanremo Rally last year. This - the 4th
Junior World Rally Championship - has 21 drivers entered and has a calendar
of seven races: Monte Carlo, Acropolis Rally (Greece), the Rally of Turkey,
the Neste Rally Finland, the Wales Rally (UK), the Rallye d'Italia (Italy)
and the Rally Catalunia (Spain).
For Scorcioni and Tabaton this Championship is the prize
for the success in the Italian Trofeo Fiat. Scorcioni won the Trofeo Fiat
Stilo Abarth 2002 series and then, in the 2003 season, won the Under 27
category of the Trofeo Fiat Punto Abarth series. Tabaton was overall winner
in 2003 and was Under 25 category winner of the Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
series. Biasion also took part in the Italian Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
series. Broccoli finisched the Junior Championship 2003 in 8th position
with Opel Corsa and his best result was third place in Monte Carlo. Pons
has a good track record in motocross and enduro (Enduro World Champion
in 2000) and in 2002 came off in the Spanish Rally Championship on gravel.
All the cars will have access to technical support from
N.Technology who will be in the park assistance with a truck, engineers
and mechanics. The Monte Carlo Rally will be in three legs starting on
January 22 and finishing on 25 January: fifteen special stages covering
400 kms.
2004 CALENDAR
23-25 January Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo (Monaco)
4-6 June Acropolis Rally (Greece)
25-27 June Rally of Turkey (Turkey)
6-8 August Neste Rally Finland (Finland)
17-19 September Wales Rally GB (UK)
1-3 October Rallye d'Italia - Sardegna (Italy)
29-31 October Rally Catalunya - Rally de Espana (Spain)
DRIVERS
ALAN SCORCIONI
(Team Grifone Avvenire)
Born in Pavullo, Modena (Italy), 7 May 1981
2002 - 1st in the Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
2003 - 1st Under 25 in the Italian Rally Championship
LUCA TABATON
(Team Grifone Avvenire)
Born in Genova (Italy), 5 November 1981
2000 - debut in rally
2002 - Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
2003 - 1st overall and under 25 in the Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
MATHIEU BIASION
(Team Grifone Avvenire)
Born in Valence (Francia), 18 April 1979
2003 - 3rd in the Trofeo Fiat Stilo Abarth
ALESSANDRO BROCCOLI
(Team Hi-Tec)
Born in San Marino (San Marino Repubblic), 6 April 1981
2002 - 5th in Italian Gravel Rally Championship
2003 - 8th in Junior World Rally Championship
13rd in Italian Gravel Challenge
XAVIER PONS
(Team Hi-Tec)
Born in Vic, Barcelona (Spain), 21 Genuary 1980
2000 - World Team Enduro Champion
2002 - 1st Rally de Súria (Campeonato di Cataluña di Tierra)
2002 - 1st Rally Viladrau Open Cataluña
2002 - 6th Scratch Rally de España de Tierra en Cangas de Narcea
2002 - 5th Scratch Rally de España de Tierra en Valladolid
2002 - 1st Rally Criterium Berguedà (Group N)
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - Fiat Punto Abarth
ENGINE Front transversal, 4 in line cylinders
CAPACITY 1597 cc
BORE X STROKE 82.5x74.7 mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 13:1
POWER 215 cv at 8250 rpm
TORQUE 190 Nm at 6250 rpm
FUEL FEED Marelli MF4 integrated electronic system
INTAKE Single throttle diam. 60 mm
CLUTCH Single plate cerametallic diam. 200 mm
GEARBOX 6 speed + rev, sequential, front engagement with cut-off
DIFFERENTIAL Mechanic limited slip differential
BRAKES Front: Brembo 4 pot calipers, 355 mm (tarmac), 300 mm (gravel)
discs Rear: Brembo 2 pot calipers, 240 mm discs
STEERING Power assisted, with rack box and electric pump
SUSPENSIONS Front: McPherson strut, avional uprights Rear: trailing arms,
coaxial springs
WHEELS Speedline Al alloy wheels 7x17 (tarmac), 6x15 (gravel)
SPECIAL PARTS Digital integrated dashboard, lightened chassis, front and
rear spoilers, heated windscreen, N.Technology integrated roll bar
WEIGHT 1000 kg
©
italiancar.com.au 24/01/04
