Abarth Results from the First Autocross of the Year:

New Season = New 2016 Helmet Sticker!

The autocross season finally kicked off way up north here in VA for the NMS-North Abarth, and we're happy to report another first place for #77 in the G Street class! As always, we will also be honest and point out that we drove the ONLY car in the class! In addition to the class results, we will get the overall PAX times to compare all 70 drivers later this week, so we'll see if I met my goal of at least being in the top 50% and even top 33% of drivers.

Waiting to drive, no rain!

With four runs on tap for the day, I was sitting in my car enjoying the lack of rain, and thinking how  great it is to drive in the dry! First run I didn't go all out since the concrete was still wet and planned to gradually go faster all day, so on run 1 my time was 45.132, with three more chances to go faster!

After one run in 2016 = RAIN!

By the time run number two rolled around, it was definitely raining! Off I went, and it felt like it was a pretty good time, but alas it was just a hair slower at 45.236. A very small tenth of a second slower, so still very consistent with the first run despite the wetter conditions!

Right hand drive Toyota!

Run three time and it's still raining! Going much faster through the first half of the course, and really hammering the slalom the second time around when the car just slid off to the right and didn't obey my steering wheel! I was close to having an "off track excursion" into the grass, but managed to brake enough to stop and then finish the extremely slow run with a big fat "Did Not Finish". Oh well, there was still one more run to go, and the rain was just extra fun!

Your humble Fastest Italian Car of the Day reporter!

So the final run for me felt pretty good, and somehow it was my fastest of the day at 45.124. This was a minuscule  0.008 faster than run number one! My math isn't great, but 8/1000ths of a second is NOT a galactically ginormous improvement, but I'll take it! If that little bit means I also hit my goal of progressively getting faster, then it was nice to make your last run the fastest of the day. For what it's worth, since starting to autocross in 2013, this was the first event where I've driven on wet pavement. My guess is that the new Bridgestone tires played a role in keeping me going the right direction in the wet too!

Here's the times for all the GS class drivers!

1

GS

77

Robert Nixon

2013 Fiat 500 Abarth

Red

45.132

45.236

55.604+dnf

45.124

The Timing and Scoring Trailer stayed dry!

This was a really fun course at Pungo, but don't take my word for it, check out this video. This is my first run in the dry, so it's a better video than looking through rain drops like the other three runs!
RUN 1 VIDEO

Awesome license plate!

Here's a look at some of the cars and drivers that competed at Pungo on Sunday.

FDD = Fastest Dog of the Day!

Finish line timing system

Driver's meeting

Pre-race discussion