Fabrizio Giovanardi pulled out what may be the decisive win in the Championship by taking both races on the weekend of October 7 at the challenging Vallelunga Circuit in his Nordauto Alfa Romeo 156. The Italian regained the initiative from his Dutch rival Peter Kox with just one round left to run in Slovenia.

Kox claimed pole position, but almost stalled his JAS Honda Accord at the start of the first race and dropped to fifth position behind the two Alfas of Giovanardi and Nicola Larini, teammate Gabriele Tarquini, and Emanuele Naspetti’s CiBiEmme BMW. Naspetti passed Tarquini on lap three, but was taken off by the BTCC star on the sixth lap while attempting an overtaking move on Larini’s Alfa. Tarquini was given a stop-and-go penalty for the move, promoting Kox into third position.

Larini took off into the lead in race two, but a shunt between Tarquini and guest driver Johnny Cecotto and Massimo Pigoli put Tarquini into the wall, which forced a safety car period. The safety car joined the track at the exit of the very fast and blind Trincea bend. The drivers then had to pass it to avoid an accident and the race was stopped!

Larini led the restart from Giovanardi, then slowed with four laps remaining to let his teammate through into first place. Kox was fifth early on, but overtook Gianni Morbidelli’s BMW and Roberto Colciago’s Audi to finish up in third. Colciago was later pushed into a spin by Morbidelli, an infraction for which the ex-Grand Prix driver served a stop-and-go penalty.