MOTOR SHOW

Amongst the events that really grab the attention of car lovers and industry professionals at the Bologna Motor Show – set to take place at BolognaFiere from 4 to 8 December – are the fixtures of Italy’s most thrilling mono-marque trophy competitions.

As part of the ”Special Edition” of the 2009 Motor Show, visitors to the MotorSport Arena at BolognaFiere will have the opportunity to savour fixtures of four of the most well-established and exciting mono-marque championships. During the course of the first few days of the Motor Show, the asphalt racing track will play host to the competitors in the Formula Light 2000, the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia and the Renault Clio Cup Italia. Subsequently, during the second phase of the event (7-8 December), the focus will be on rally driving, with the competitors battling it out for the Subaru Impreza Cup.

The Subaru Cup – which is organised and promoted under the aegis of Subaru Italy and has for years been one of the most popular events amongst the crowds packing the stands of the MotorSport Arena – will serve as a fantastic complement to the eagerly awaited Findomestic Memorial Bettega and will be contested by the same teams who have already gone head-to-head in their powerful Group N Japanese saloons several times during the 2009 Subaru Impreza Rally Cup season. The season winner will only be decided at the end of the 2^nd Ronde delle Marche, scheduled for the weekend of 20 November. The rally series, orchestrated by Subaru’s Italian importer, will this year also see the diesel-engined versions of the Impreza fighting it out for the Subaru Boxer Diesel Cup.

In relation to the mono-marque track-racing trophy winners set to appear at the “Special Edition” of the Motor Show, who have already completed their work for 2009, we made the most of the opportunity to have a chat with those who emerged victorious in the individual championships – all of whom will be delighted to celebrate their success by competing on the circuit set up within the MotorSport Arena.

Also making an appearance will be the single-seaters taking part in the Formula 2000 Light – the new series reserved for all open-wheel cars up to 2000 cc – which is now in its second year. As organiser Eros Di Prima stated, “The winner of the title was 21-year-old Pierluigi Veronesi, who only at the very last of the six dual-date fixtures of the 2009 calendar managed to get the better of German Thiemo Storz, but the most significant feature of this year’s event was the number of drivers – 40 in all – who competed during the course of the season, with a full 26 participating during the weekend at Misano Adriatico”.

As in previous years, Porsche’s thoroughbred sports cars ensured that this year’s Carrera Cup Italia was a riveting contest, and at the end of the season the Porsches will be coming to Bologna to give us yet another wonderful spectacle. The 2009 title was scooped by Venetian Alessandro Balzan, who triumphed with a weekend to spare. The Ebimotors/Centro Porsche Varese-sponsored driver has confirmed his participation in the ”Special Edition” of the Motor Show, where he will aim to reassert his national leadership in the Porsche mono-marque category. According to Balzan, “The Motor Show will be a sort of final-of-finals that I’ll be more than happy to take part in – particularly because I want to do a lot better than I did at my first attempt, back in 2002, when I was eliminated early on due to mechanical problems. The Bologna race is a real favourite both for drivers and for spectators. I remember when I was a child, every year I made sure I never missed the Motor Show. These days, even though I’m returning in a different guise, I still enjoy the experience of being a spectator, and I like to take my place in the stands with everyone else to catch a race or two”.

The mono-marque Renault trophies have always had a high profile in Italy, and today the Clio Cup Italia represents the continuation of a 30-year success story. Marking the culmination of a year that has been characterised by high-level technical and sporting achievements, the mono-marque contest reserved for the French car maker’s super-fast saloons will reach its grand finale in the MotorSport Arena. This year’s challenge will see the participation of eight different teams, including reigning champions Composit Motorsport, led by Tuscan Cristian Ricciarini, alongside Autostar Motorsport, Giada Auto, Go Race, Monolite Racing, One Racing, Proteam Motorsport and Venthos Racing.