Veleno on the Track: My Spicy Italian Miata Takes the Stage
Mamma Mia! There is nothing quite like the smell of burning rubber and the sound of a turbocharged Italian engine screaming through a sea of orange cones. I took my beautiful Italian girl—my Abarth 124 Spider—out to the SW SCCA event at The Commons to see what she could really do. She might be a "slow little grand tourer" at heart, but on the track, she’s pure Veleno.
For those who don't know, Veleno is Italian for poison. It’s a nod to the scorpion logos of Abarth: small, unassuming, but deadly poisonous. With her iconic Italian racing stripes and those custom plates, she certainly looked the part of a track weapon.
Middle of the Pack, Top of the Italians
They say it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you drive the car. Well, I drove her hard. Looking at the official standings from the day, I managed to finish 13th overall.
The Standings: I landed right in the middle of the pack.
The Rivalry: Most importantly, I beat the other Italian Alfa on the field. Forza Abarth!
While 13th might not be a podium finish, beating a fellow countryman in a "faster" machine felt like a victory in itself.
Cones, Clips, and Chaos
Accidenti! The "spicy Italian Miata" was a handful. I’ll be honest—I couldn’t keep her out of the cones to save my life.
The DNF: I nailed the end gate for an instant DNF on one run. Talk about a heartbreak.
Battle Scars: I even managed to break a couple of clips in the rocker panel plastics and drug a cone under the chassis for a good stretch.
It wasn't the cleanest run, and my "Italian girl" took a bit of a beating, but that’s the price of finding the limit. Every broken clip is just a souvenir of a day well spent.
The Verdict
She’s small, she’s loud, and she’s a little bit temperamental when she sees a cone, but she’s mine. This Abarth proves that you don't need to be first to have the most fun on the tarmac. Arrivederci to the cones—I’ll be back for more soon!
