Preview: Packed entry for opening round

Thirty-five cars have entered the event, 19 in the Super Touring class - which features six different manufacturers in Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Honda, Nissan and Volvo - and 16 for the less-powerful Super Production category.

Two-time Italian champion and last year's European Super Touring Cup winner Fabrizio Giovanardi will be the man to beat in his Nordauto-run Alfa Romeo 156. His main rivals are team mate Nicola Larini, who was Italian champion in 1992 and won the German DTM title in 1993, and JAS Honda's Gabriele Tarquini, winner of the 1994 BTCC.

AGS's Roberto Colciago will also be a challenger for honours, having won last year's Monza Euro STC round in his Audi Quattro, while Volvo's Jan Nilsson has twice won the Swedish Championship. Keeping the pan-European theme, former French champion Eric Cayrolle will also go for honours in a BMW.

The Super Touring class competitors will take part in two 50km races. The starting grid for the second race will be determined by the final results of the first race, with the cars in reverse order to spice up the action.

If that wasn't enough, 16 cars will compete for the opening round of the Super Production class. BMWs will make up a large part of the grid, with drivers including 2000 Euro STC runner-up Peter Kox, ex-Formula 1 driver Gianni Morbidelli, last year's Dutch Touring Car champ Duncan Huisman and young German Norman Simon.

Also taking part will be Norwegian Tommy Rustad, winner of the 2000 Swedish Championship and the 1999 BTCC Independents Cup, driving a Nissan Primera, while former Spanish champion Luis Villamil drives an Alfa Romeo 156.

In the class for drivers aged under 25, Simon will be challenged by James Hanson and Tom Ferrier, both driving for the British Edenbridge team, and by Fulvio Cavicchi and Tobia Masini, both in Alfa Romeos.

The Super Production Championship competitors will contest a single 70km race.

Qualifying and the races will be broadcast live on Eurosport, as part of its Super Racing Weekend initiative. Autosport.com will be trackside as well to bring you all the behind-the-scenes news as it happens.