For the past few months, Hoonigan and Fiat have conducted a talent search to find the “Next Female Hoonigan” racer. Today, it was announced that the search was over and a winner has been found. Taking the title is Sara Price, a 24-year-old hot shoe hailing from Canyon Lake in Southern California. Price started in motocross racing before taking on trophy trucks and side-by-side racers, and will bring that experience to rally racing in the Hoonigan Fiat 124 competition machine.

Price managed to secure her ride by beating five other finalists in a three-month long competition, which started with more than 150 individual entries from across the nation. To take the win, Price first had to take a road trip to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Arizona, before continuing on to the Gridlife Music & Motorsports festival at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven Michigan. Eventually, Price showed she had what it took to be the next Hoonigan racer, and subsequently took the wheel of a 400-horsepower turbocharged Fiat 124 at the Mt. Washington hillclimb event in New Hampshire. Specs on the car include a six-speed pneumatic sequential transmission and anti-lag system, which is the right combo when tackling the 7.4 miles and 4,500 feet of elevation change at the hillclimb. Check out the video of Price’s run by hitting play above, including a glimpse at all the hard work it takes to run at the front at such a prestigious event.

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Although it’s disappointing to see the Hoonigan team run into technical difficulties at Mt. Washington, Price clearly has the chops to take top honors, given the right car. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more about her racing career in the near future.

As for the car, a Fiat 124 is an interesting choice for a rally racer. Based on the Mazda MX-5, the 124 is a lightweight, front-mid-engine, RWD roadster, a break from the traditional AWD hardtop hatchbacks and sedans you usually see running around. However, this racer is no joke. Thanks to an upgraded turbocharger, output is far above the stock 160 ponies, with 400 horses ripping away at the pavement at command thanks to an anti-lag system. A pneumatic sequential six-speed transmission swaps cogs, while carbon fiber and a stripped interior shed ever more weight.

References

Read our full review on the Abarth 124 Rally.

Read our full review on the 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth.

Read our full review on the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider.