Alfa and Audi share honours in Misano

Both qualifying and the races took place in the evening, but temperatures still exceeded
30°.

Italian touring car stars Giovanardi and Larini were competing for Alfa Romeo, and they set the pace early on. Giovanardi took pole with a lap of 1:34.962, with Larini qualifying third.

Helary, in the fastest Opel Vectra, started between the Italians on the grid.

The 13-lap Sprint race saw Giovanardi make a good start and keep the lead, while Alzen moved up to third.

The German managed to withstand Larini's attempts to pass, and moved up to second when a puncture took Helary out of contention.

Giovanardi crossed the finish line ahead of Alzen and Larini, with Tarquini fourth and points leader Abt fifth.

Reuter and Abt touched on the final lap, sending Reuter off the track and then into the path of privateer Oliver Mayer, damaging the car.

For the longer feature race, Alzen made a blinding start, leaving pole sitter Giovanardi in a first corner tussle with Larini and Abt.

On the second corner, Giovanardi went wide onto the grass. Unable to slow down, he rammed hard into his team mate Larini, taking both cars out of the race.

Helary and Kristensen, both starting from the rear of the grid, made excellent progress through the field, rising to fifth and fourth respectively by the end.

Tarquini, lying second, outbraked himself, allowing Abt's Audi to pass. Abt then began reeling in Alzen's lead, overtaking him on the final lap to take another race win and further his points lead in the Drivers Championship.

Alzen said afterwards that a radio mix-up had meant he thought Abt was a lap behind.

'We have to find out exactly what happened,' he said after taking second place ahead of Tarquini's Honda Accord.