Italian job done!

TV weatherman Grant Denyer took on and bettered some of the world's best motorsport practioners at the MINI United Challenge meeting in Italy at the weekend.

Conducted as part of the MINIUnited festival at Misano on Oct 28-30, the races saw Denyer pitched against the likes of Indycar great and Touring Car racer, Alex Zanardi (pictured), and rally legend, Rauno Aaltonen. In the process, the Dick Johnson Racing V8 support series driver and Channel 7 Sunrise weather presenter beat four former F1 drivers and a two-time German touring car champion in his first-ever offshore motoring event -- the MINIUnited Special Guest Race.

Seventeen drivers, including some of the best from Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Finland competed in the 16-lap race.

Denyer qualifying on the grid next to Zanardi in eighth position. A brilliant start saw Denyer first into turn one ahead of Zanardi, but the former F1 driver took it out on him the same lap, pushing the Aussie off the track and costing Denyer two places. Zanardi went on to win the event, with Denyer finishing in sixth and "very pleased" with the result.

Denyer said he was was thrilled to have also raced the likes of the Flying Finn, Rauno Aaltonen -- Monte Carlo winner and the first international driver to take out the Bathurst 500 (in a Mini Cooper, of course... Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the win!)

Others to trail in Denyer's wake were former F1 drivers, Paolo Barilla, of Italy; Christian Danner, of Germany and Marc Surer, of Switzerland, along with two-time German production Car Champion, Claudia Hurtgen.

Apart from his on-track activities, Denyer also cemented himself as one of the crowd favourites, with his efforts being widely applauded.

"This was especially among the women," an unabashed Denyer said after the race. He also appeared on Italian television with Zanardi to confirm his attraction to the Italian public.