After winning the first race of the weekend's double-header, Emanuele Moncini again ruled the game in the second leg of the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe, which took place yesterday at the German circuit of Oschersleben. The Italian beat Frenchman Benoît Perret and Czech Strahinja Ivosevic. With this outcome and only two races to go, the fight for the championship is yet more unpredictable since championship leader Manuel Villa finished the race in fourth place, his margin over Perret narrowing to two points.

Having posted the fastest lap time in the first Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe race, Emanuele Moncini started yesterday's second race from pole position and kept first place for the entire race. After a good start, the driver from Brescia set the pace from the outset. Starting from the fourth spot of the grid, Frenchman Benoît Perret immediately overtook Ivosevic and Villa. This feat was the prelude to his best race of the season. An action packed fight for third place livened up on all and every one of the 12 laps, with Villa persistently attacking Ivosevic's Abarth 500 Assetto Corse. Portuguese Jorge Rodrigues was a spectator of this battle and could never threaten Villa. Behind this group, there were not many overtaking moves but Swiss Eric Neve took back the sixth place he was in at the start when he got past Italian youngster Simone Monforte.

The fight for final victory will be at stake in the next round of the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe, to be staged on the Italian circuit of Imola on September 19-20. Five drivers are still in contention for the Trophy, including, besides Villa and Perret, Moncini, Rodrigues and Monforte.

Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe, Race 2 classification: 1. Emanuele Moncini (I), 12 laps in 21min41.152s - average speed 122.71 kph; 2. Benoît Perret (F), + 4.834s; 3. Strahinja Ivosevic (CZ), + 9.218s; 4. Manuel Villa (I), + 9.778s; 5. Jorge Rodrigues (P), + 12.786s; 6. Eric Neve (CH), + 13.962s; 7. Simone Monforte (I), + 22.669s; 8. Erika Monforte (I), + 1min04.109s. Fastest lap by Emanuele Moncini: 1min47.375s - average speed 123.91 kph.

Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe, provisional standings (after 5 rounds): 1. Manuel Villa (I), 117 points; 2. Benoît Perret (F), 115; 3. Emanuele Moncini (I), 113; 4. Jorge Rodrigues (P), 103 ; 5. Simone Monforte (I), 80; 6. Lucas Guerrero (E) and Freddy Nordström (S), 43; 7. Erika Monforte (I), 41. 8. Peter Fulin (CZ), 38; 9. Enrico Fulgenzi (I), 37; 10. Pedro Marreiros (P), 34.