London. (26th Feb, 2010). The Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB will join Motorsport Vision’s media day at Cadwell Park, showcasing the new UK series alongside the MCE British Superbike Championship.

The press event will take place on the 24th of March at the Lincolnshire circuit that will host the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB as a support race for the British Superbikes Championship on the 22nd and 23rd of May.

The Trofeo Abarth 500 GB has worked hard to create a 2010 calendar that presents the Abarth 500 Asetto Corse to a diverse motorsport audience and running with the MCE British Superbikes is a key component of that strategy.

As well as mixing 2 wheels and 4 at the same event, the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB is planning to mix drivers and riders at the event. Organisers are in negotiations with several potential well known motorcycle racers who will take the wheel of the VIP Abarth 500 Asetto Corse, racing against championship contenders.

Denis Baddeley, Head of Marketing for the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB says:

“We’ll be making history at this event. Karl Abarth started as a motorcycle tuner and racer before moving into 4 wheels, so there is a real connection with the spirit of the Abarth brand and the motorcycle community. It is a fantastic opportunity to link with arguably the most popular motorsport championship in the UK and to race in front of such a loyal and enthusiastic group of fans. To have the chance to put a bike racer up against the car racers should mix things up a bit.”

Paolo Callea, Organiser of the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB says:

“It is great to be invited to the prestigious BSB media day to celebrate the first year of the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB. This is a great opportunity to present our new UK championship to the world. With this media day announcement, the 2010 Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Championship is well and truly here. We look forward to a great year of racing, starting at Oulton Park on the Easter weekend.”

More Press and Media Information about the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB here…

Research Garage Abarth are proud to announce their sponsorship of 24 year old Ben, winner of the 2008 Clio Cup for the 2010 season.

The family owned dealership, based in Nuneaton in the Midlands, has been in business for over 40 years and has held the Abarth brand since it’s inception in 2008.

Craig McMullen, Director of Research Garage Group said.

“We are delighted to be able to show our support to Ben and Team Pyro Motorsport for the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB 2010 championship. Ben’s already impressive race pedigree clearly shows his first class driving talent and commitment to motor sport, this along with the car’s race prep in Team Pyros expert hands is a winning combination”.

Ben Winrow commented:

‘It’s fantastic to be sponsored by the No.1 Abarth dealership in the UK. The guys at Research Garage Abarth have already proven their worth – their great knowledge and excellent engineering service has helped our testing programme enormously”.

Mark Hunt, of Leicestershire based award winning Team Pyro added:

“Working closely with Research Garage Abarth gives us a clear advantage: their technical support means we stay at the top of our game and, together with Ben’s racing skills, means it just doesn’t get any better than this”.

The dealership’s support doesn’t end there: one of its own specialist Abarth road car technicians, Matt Beebe, will also be lending his support during the championship and assisting Team Pyro with preparing Ben’s Abarth.

Everyone at Research Garage Abarth wish Ben and Team Pyro every success in the championship.

More information at www.researchabarth.co.uk

London. (5th Feb, 2010). The Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB has announced the confirmation of its inaugural calendar. The series will consist of six races in the UK and one in the iconic home of Italian motorsport; Monza.

Organisers have worked hard to create a calendar that is innovative and delivers real value for teams, drivers, partners and sponsors. The Trofeo Abarth 500 GB is breaking the mould by ‘cherry-picking’ events that will showcase the series to a large, diverse audience, running with premium events including DTM and British Superbikes.

Championship Organiser Paolo Callea said today:

“This is a great racing calendar for our first season. We are running alongside some of the most recognisable racing series in the world and at the same time we are trying some new things. We are really excited that we can offer our teams and drivers the opportunity to drive on six fantastic, different race tracks and be part of some of the UK’s biggest racing weekends.”

“The calendar is well spaced, and by racing with events like British Superbikes and the Silverstone Classic, we expose the series to a wide variety of motorsport fans.”

The first round will be contested during the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend from the 3rd – 5th of April at Oulton Park. Running alongside British F3 and British GT, the event signals the traditional start to the motorsport season in the UK.

Round 2 will see the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB visit Silverstone on the 17th – 18th of April racing alongside FIA Formula Two. Competing drivers will get to push the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse to the limit on the new Silverstone GP layout, before the circuit is used for the F1 British Grand Prix.

For round 3, the series is excited to be invited to Cadwell Park from 22nd – 23rd May, to support the MCE British Superbikes. This event is one of the largest Superbike races of the season. Organisers of the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB are looking forward to presenting the series to a large new audience and adding another unique track for drivers.

In June, from the 26th – 27th, the series will join the GT Cup Championship and Formula Palmer Audi at Snetterton. Drivers who have tested the Abarth 500 AC at Snetterton have enjoyed the way the car performs and the track promises to provide close, exciting racing for the 4th round of the season.

The 5th round of the Trofeo GB promises to be a memorable event. The series will run at the Silverstone Classic from the 24th – 25th July. The weekend will celebrate the long history that Abarth has in racing and pay tribute to the heritage of the iconic Italian brand.

From the 4th – 5th September, the 6th round of the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB will join DTM at Brands Hatch. Organisers hope to create two championships in one by bringing together the championship with it’s European counterpart. The combined event will increase the number of cars on the grid and deliver a bigger prize fund.

For the finale of the 2010 season, the Zing Trofeo Abarth 500 GB will visit the iconic Italian motorsport venue of Monza. On October 23rd – 24th, fans will be treated to a ‘World Cup Final’ featuring drivers and teams from Europe, Italy and Great Britain. With a combined prize fund from three championships, the weekend promises to be a memorable finish to 2010.

Callea concluded:

“It’s great to be able to combine with the European and Italian championships and create a great spectacle for fans. Being able to race the new Abarth 500 Assetto Corse at Monza is a great tribute to the long racing heritage that runs through the ethos of what we are trying to create with the Trofeo GB.”

“With the calendar confirmed, we are looking forward to putting on a great show in 2010.”

The Confirmed Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Calendar – 2010

• 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)

* Trofeo Europe TBC

AutoSport International Show. (January. 15, 2010) – The Trofeo Abarth 500 GB is proud to announce Zing Digital Media as the Title Sponsor of the 2010 series. The UK based digital signage and real-time information company signed the sponsorship agreement at the Autosport Show in Birmingham earlier today. The signing was attended by Colin Herridge of Zing Digital Media; David Lewis of SCH Distribution, Peter Robinson of Abarth UK and Championship organiser Paolo Callea.

The agreement is a significant event for the new series. It confirms that the platform developed around the Abarth 500 Asetto Corse is attractive to all stakeholders including teams, drivers and sponsors. It is also significant that the title sponsor, Zing, is a non-motoring company.

Zing Managing Director, Colin Herridge said;

“This is a very exciting time for us. We have a new brand and, the business is growing so being involved in a highly competitive and performance based series such as the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB fits well with our business. We. and our partner, SCH Distribution, are all about delivering performance products and services and motorsport is a perfect marketing platform to demonstrate this… we are proud to be partnered with such a powerful brand and we look forward to a safe and successful season.”

Denis Baddeley, head of Marketing and Sponsorship for the Trofeo said;

“This is clearly a very important development for the Trofeo Abarth and we are delighted that Zing Digital Media has joined us. This is the first time Zing Digital Media has been involved in motorsport and shows that the Trofeo Abarth 500 Gb is presenting a compelling package for brands that want to be associated with the Abarth brand. With a fresh approach, great events and the motor racing history of this iconic brand combines to offer something new to UK motorsport.”

Paolo Callea, Series Organiser added;

“This is fantastic. We welcome Zing to our Championship and thank them for their support. This is a big step forward for us and shows we are creating something special. Being able to announce a title sponsorship deal before the start of our first season will give teams and drivers increased confidence in the series. With new teams drivers and sponsors being announced, we are looking forward to a great racinng season in 2010.”

Ben Winrow, the 2008 Clio Cup Champion has announced that he will compete in the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB in 2010.

24 year old Ben, the winner of the 2008 BRDC Rising Star Award commented;

“It is good to see a new one make championship in the UK. The first year in any manufacturer supported championship is always special.I’m looking forward to getting back in the driving seat. The championship provides a great opportunity and we’ll see what we can do with it.”

Championship Organiser Paolo Callea said;

“It’s fantastic to be able to announce Ben’s entry into the first season of the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB. We have worked hard to create a series that is attractive to drivers and it is very rewarding to sign up drivers of Ben’s calibre.”

Ben’s entry also means that there is a new team on the grid. Team Pyro brings the number of teams to six. With most teams running multiple cars in the series, the grid is looking solid for 2010.