Salvatore Tavano (top) takes a healthy 24 point advantage into today's first Abarth 500 Trofeo race at Mugello while the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, which contests the series, has been shown on the Scorpion stand at this month's Frankfurt IAA (bottom).

After a more than three month long break the Italian Trofeo Abarth 500 gets back on track today at Mugello in Tuscany for the fifth round of the inaugural season. After the first eight races – there is a double header format at each event – Sicily's Salvatore Tavano leads the standings ahead of Veneto's Nicola Baldan. The tiny but potent Abarth racers will hit Mugello just a day after the Scorpion brand announced its rally sister derivative, the 500 R3T.

Tavano has stringed a series of five consecutive wins at Mugello, Imola and Magione, bouncing into the lead of the championship with a 24-point advantage over Baldan, who won at Monza and Magione. Third in the standings at this point is Liguria's Manuel Villa, who will not be present at Mugello because he is taking part in the 51st Rallye Sanremo this weekend, where he is targeting the Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD Cup at the wheel of a Fiat Punto S1600 although his weekend got off to a bad start yesterday and has left him with a mountain to climb if he is to salvage anything from today's final five stages.

In the Under 23 category of the Trofeo Abarth 500, Emilia's Alex Campani leads the standings ahead of Trento's Tobias Tauber and young Simone Monforte, who has acquired wealth of experience during summer, as he has been taking part in the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe.

Among the contenders in the two races at Mugello that take place today and tomorrow is Guido Meda, who conducts Mediaset TV show Motomondiale and he will be getting acquainted with the small but powerful Abarth 500 Assetto Corse that is used in the series.

The programme of the weekend featured an opening free practice session yesterday (Friday 25 September) at 4:05 pm. Qualifying takes place today at 12:25 pm and Race 1 will get underway later in the day at 6:20 pm; Tomorrow (Sunday) will see the meeting conclude with Race 2 which starts at 2:00 pm.

Trofeo Abarth 500 - provisional standings (after 4 rounds and 8 races): 1. Salvatore Tavano 158 points; 2. Nicola Baldan 134; 3. Manuel Villa 79; 4. Denis Babuin 69; 5. Andrea Rizzoli 68; 6. Raffaele Giammaria 56; 7. Francesco Iorio 54; 8. Alex Campani 42.

Trofeo Abarth 500 - provisional Under-23 standings (after 4 rounds and 8 races): 1. Alex Campani 137 points; 2. Tobias Tauber 121; 3. Simone Monforte 106; 4. Gabriele Larini 88; 5. Enrico Fulgenzi 78; 6. Patrich Gobbo 62.