Fabio Babini has claimed the Pirelli Champions Cup at the Bologna Motor Show at the Maserati GranSport Trofeo racers took each other on in the now traditional end of season shootout in the Shell Arena. Babini beat off the challenge of former F1 driver Alex Caffi in the final. Third place went to Markku Alen, the rallying legend, who beat Stephan Sarrazin.

Other drivers, such as Gian Luca Nannelli and Gianluigi Galli, took place in the event, one in which the competitors were separated by just a few hundredths. Babini exploited his knowledge of the Modenese car in the duel that saw him up against the ex-F1 driver. The occasion gave the Trident sports cars the chance to fully exploit their 425 bhp as they fought it out in the Pirelli Champions Cup, and then the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa, with Maserati drivers taking each other on. As is the custom, two vehicles at a time raced off with the fastest driver going through to the next round.

To the joy of the enthusiastic public Gigi Galli performed a series of spectacular controlled slides when coming out of curves. Stephan Sarrazin, on the other hand, once again displayed all his adaptability in driving different cars. Babini celebrated his win with a number of donuts that drove the crowd wild.
 

Then it was the turn of the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa runners to take to the Bologna track and the man from Verona,  Daniel Mancinelli, matched his success last season, the young winner of the CSAI's Supercorso Velocità championship got behind the wheel of the GranSport Trofeo racer. In the final, Andrea Demegni and Daniel Mancinelli (overall time: 4’22”01) headed Ed Barry Walsh and Marco Bassetto (overall time: 4’30”76), while the third place run-off saw Fabris (the winner of the 2006 Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa) and Vescovi hold off Giorgio Manuzzi and Carlo Romani. The current Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa champion can take consolation from having been the quickest on the track. He set a lap time of 39”97, obtained in the last leg.

In the first semi-final, Mancinelli/Demegni just edged out Fabris/Vescovi (4’22”25 to 4’22”77). In the second heat, Bassetto/Barry-Walsh got the better of Manuzzi/Romani, who were slowed after spinning (4’32”67 to 5’02”19). Andrea Demegni was thus able to match last season's result when he claimed the trophy alongside Alessandra Merluzzi. The driver from Verona declared his satisfaction at the end of the race: "I am very happy to have ended the trophy with a solid win, allowing me to take another victory".

Mancinelli surprised everyone by taking to the Trofeo GranSport immediately. He won all the legs that he competed in: "I drove well from the first test sessions and managed not to make any mistakes even though I lapped quickly. The car is fantastic and it was easy to feel at home in it. I would like to thank Maserati and the CSAI for giving me the chance to enjoy the event."