Giuseppe Mainini is born in Lonate Pozzolo (VA) on May 5th, 1952. His passion for car races begins at the age of 15, and, also thanks to his family's support, it develops when he is 21 years old and embarks on his own career as a racing-car driver. First he drives a Mini Cooper 1000 in rally championships and reliability contests. He works his way to the top in 1976 with the team 3 Gazzelle di Novara and in the national championship by driving a Fiat 124 Abarth. He rises rapidly to fame three years later, in 1979, taking the title of Italian champion rally Gruppo 4. In 1982 he joins the Jolly Club Milano, yet he continues to drive his own cars, first a Fiat 131 Abarth, then a Lancia 037.

In 1985 he takes part in the European championship driving the Renault 5 maxi turbo. From 1990 on he devotes himself to the races he is mostly interested in, like the Città di Biella Rally, the Gargano Rally, the San Martino di Castrozza Rally and the Valli Imperiesi Rally. Suddenly, in 1998, his career interrupts. As a matter of fact, on September 19th, during the famous Valli Imperiesi rally, while he is driving a Porche 3.5, he has an accident. He is in a coma for 22 days and makes great efforts to recover in part the use of his right arm and leg. Then, he wants to try again. After getting over the medical examinations for his rehabilitation at the Don Gnocchi Center in Milan and obtaining the Csai card in Spring 2002, he tries to run again. First as a starter at the rally ronde in Varese in December 2002, then by joining in some events for disabled people and again as a starter at the rally in Cremona in July 2003.

Mainini at Cremona