Abarth Make It Your Race: 18 November on DMAX

‘Abarth Make It Your Race’: the first talent show for aspiring drivers on air from 18 November on DMAX

• The final challenge: the six finalists will compete on the Monza race track at the wheel of their Abarth 500 Assetto Corse on 19 October.
• Fifty thousand hopefuls from across Europe have applied for the second edition of the Abarth challenge.
• The talent show will be aired for the first time in Italy on DMAX (Free DTT channel 52, Tivùsat channel 28) and then on other European networks.

The dream of racing in Monza by the side of the pros is about to come true for the six finalists of the ‘Make It Your Race’ TV talent show, which this year involved nearly 50,000 enthusiasts from across Europe who signed up for the Abarth challenge on the website.

‘Make It Your Race’ is produced by Zodiak Active, the Digital Content and Branded Entertainment company of Zodiak Media, leading independent studio in Europe and part of the DeAgostini group.

The talent show will be aired for the first time in Italy starting from November 18 on DMAX - the Discovery group channel (on digital television channel 52 and TivùSat channel 28 in Italy), which broadcasts exciting programmes for a male audience  - and then across Europe.

The drivers, who will take part in an official race at the wheel of an Abarth 500 Assetto Corse on 19 October and race against the Trofeo Abarth Selenia Europa and Trofeo Abarth Selenia Italia pros, were selected at the end of a series of tests aimed at trying their skills, on and off the race track.

The search for the best amateur race drivers started with thousands of requests being sent to the MIYR website. During the summer, hundreds of hopefuls from 11 countries across Europe - Italy, France, Germany, Benelux, Spain and Portugal, Switzerland and Austria - were selected by means of aptitude tests and kart races as well as for their driving skills and the stories they have to tell.

At the end, only 28 survived and reached the final stage of the competition, determined to win their spot at Monza.

The struggle is already getting serious: the competitors have been put to the test by Make It Your Race judges Vicky Piria, Formula Abarth driver currently competing in the European F3 Open race, and Gordon De Adamich, Abarth Driving Academy manager and TV commentator with a high-profile racing past as official Superturismo Alfa Romeo driver.

During the episodes, the two resident judges were joined by very special guest judges: well-known names from the past and present of motor sports helped Vicky and Gordon in the tough finalist selection process.

The first part of the competition was staged at the Abarth Driving Academy in Varano de’ Melegari, where the young drivers, split into national teams, were instructed and their driving skills were tested. The competitors were assisted by instructors and evaluated for their consistency and their capability to respect rules, in addition to their driving skills.

The most talented and determined went on to the next stage when the aspiring drivers challenged each other at the Balocco Proving Grounds to win their chance to race at Monza. There are only six available spots and viewers will learn who made it in the course of six episodes.

A spectacular combination which will not fail to excite viewers who will experience on DMAX all the enthusiasm, passion and challenges of this electrifying experience to live the dream of being a professional racing driver, at least for a day.

Make It Your Race is made possible by the work of the entire Abarth team and the partners who take part in its activities, both on the track and the road. In particular, Abarth is accompanied in this programme by Michelin, a brand that has always been attentive to innovation and racing, and Italia Independent, who in their capacity as technical partner of the team have produced special edition sunglasses worn by the participants.

Abarth Make It Your Race

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