The Spa Six Hours saw the light of day some two decades ago! It was the brilliant idea of Alain Defalle and Vincent Collard to bring together pre-1965 GT and Touring cars for a 360 minutes race finishing at nightfall. Now 20 years on, the race has become a fully-fledged meeting, ever growing in importance and popularity, and without a doubt imposing itself as the most prestigious ‘classic’ event of the year on the most iconic circuit in the world, Spa-Francorchamps.
For this prestigious anniversary, the leading lights behind the Roadbook Organisation were especially keen to ……change nothing! To hell with all that bling, fireworks, fanfares and fancy frills; in the first instance the wish is to thank all those who made it a reality … « Those who know us well are fully aware that it is not in our custom of improvising huge fiesta parties, Vincent Collard explained. During three full days of the Spa Six Hours there will be an increasing series of small attentions, to heartily thank the promoters, the teams, the drivers and the cars who all in their own way moulded the framework and the success of this meeting. For many this end of the summer get-together has become a prerequisite, and once again, this Six Hours event, which gave its name to the meeting, not forgetting the other series, each one more prestigious than the other, will prove to be an incredible success. It’s the fruits of two decades of hard work aimed at preserving this ‘club’ atmosphere that suits us so well. Spa Six Hours is the rendezvous of all the gentlemen-drivers, and over and above all this concept is something we cherish enormously … »
And to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Spa Six Hours Endurance is treating itself to a … Première! “In fact up until now we had never had any Ferraris on the grid for this race, Alain Defalle interceded. A lack which this year will be filled, since we have the great pleasure of welcoming a 250 GT SWB (Short Wheel Base) Berlinetta Competizione, purchased back in 1960 by a certain Jean Blaton, competing amongst others in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 1000 Km of the Nürburgring as also the 1000 Km of Paris. Since its full restoration at the end of the ‘80s, she has competed in numerous historic events. The only one missing was the Spa Six Hours!”
Once again we will be in for a true fireworks display, with the Battle of the Bulge opposing the traditional Ford GT40, Shelby Cobra, Jaguar Type E, Ford Mustang Shelby, etc. At the wheel of one of the numerous GT40 on the grid we will come across a certain … Emanuele Pirro, fivefold winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi. The Italian, who is married to a Belgian, will be teamed up with the British driver Shaun Lynn. Undoubtedly a team ranked amongst the favourites!
The very best of singe-seaters, GTs and Touring cars
Still on the sporting front the Spa Six Hours 2012 will be retracing the history of the single-seaters, with obviously the Grand Prix Masters (F1 historic), but also the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, which brings together power beasts which competed in the various Grand Prix races prior to the arrival of the Formula 1 World Championship, in 1950. These are pure gems to be admired on the grid. We will also welcome the return in competition of the Formula Junior series, with these small single-seaters that were used as a spring plank up to the F1 world between the ‘50s and 1964.
For the rest, the Sports-Prototypes (Masters Prototypes Challenge, Masters Sports Cars), Grand Touring and Touring cars will more than satisfy all aficionados of the genre, with what to this day remains the best European series … and of British origin, of course!
For the whole family!
Spa Six Hours, is also, and perhaps especially a great party of classic cars, with the omnipresence of the Fédération Belge du Véhicule Ancien (FBVA) and its tireless leaders Stéphane Desmedt and Peeter Henning, more active than ever, who will be setting up a real village in the vast P14 zone, opposite the ‘F1′ stands. The visitors will have the opportunity to drool over a permanent exhibition of cars of bygone ages and to celebrate the 50 years of the legendary MG B, this British make often the favourite mount of newcomers to the classic car world.
An undeniable element of the Spa Six Hours, the Paddock Village will allow the young and less young to maintain the passion, with entertainment for the smallest, the 6-12 year olds, the adults (with several quality simulators), but also for the ladies, which are never forgotten. Because the world of the vintage car is also a way of life, something worth remembering …
If one adds to that the partnership with such entities as Limora (leader in the spare parts world) or PistonHeads, we can rightly state that once again the Spa Six Hours 2012 boasts numerous strong points.
Amongst the entertainment, there will also be the official start of the Coupe des Sources – Mémorial Claudy Soret, a well-known regularity rally for historic vehicles, which will be criss-crossing the region on Friday evening and Saturday during the day, with arrival scheduled in the heart of the paddock, known as ‘endurance’ at the foot of the Raidillon, on Saturday on the stroke of 22.50hrs. It is an undoubted fact that the organisers with their renowned business sense will make this one of the greatest ‘classic’ parties ever!
So it is high time to highlight the 21st, 22nd and 23rd September in you diaries, and get ready to head on down to the motorsport pearl of Ardennes … See you in Spa!
Source : Spa 6 Hours