This coming Friday 21st September, the 20th anniversary of the Spa Six Hours officially kicks off on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. A meeting that all aficionados and enthusiasts of historic and classic cars quite simply must not miss, in as much that this is the biggest and most prestigious meeting of its kind in the Belgian Ardennes. A feast that the leading lights of the Roadbook Organisation, Vincent Collard et Alain Defalle, have as per usual embellished with some attractions that will delight …the whole family! It goes without saying, the Spa Six Hours goes far further than a simple procession of races, as thrilling as they might well be. For the 20th anniversary, they have concocted a first rate dish making the event both exceptional and unforgettable.

In addition to the traditional Paddock Village with its numerous attractions for children, adolescents and adults, the P14 area located opposite the F1 pit stands will be more Classic Car than ever, masterfully managed by the Fédération Belge des Véhicules Anciens (FBVA), that will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MG B. “The efforts and initiatives put in by the FBVA, led by Stéphane Desmedt and Peeter Henning, are such that this event within the event is increasingly taking on a ‘club’ connotation, and that delights us no end, Vincent Collard and Alain Defalle commented. It’s the spirit that we always wanted to instil at the Spa Six Hours, and we can but congratulate ourselves on the manner in which this concept has evolved, undoubtedly the unavoidable rendezvous for all classic car enthusiasts…”

Sprinkle these activities with the Coupe des Sources – Mémorial Claudy Soret, regularity rally for classic cars that will start off from the heart of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Friday evening, with two tests on the karting track, to finish in the endurance paddock on the Saturday on the dot of 22.50hrs, and you obtain, what might be called quite simply a brilliant display! It’s not everyday that one turns 20 years old …

Pirro, Barth, Ludwig… and Brendon Hartley!

On the sporting front, Spa Six Hours 2012 will once again rightly deserve all the superlatives, with obviously the 6 hours event which gave its name to the meeting, and which true to tradition will be held on Saturday between 16.00 and 22.00hrs. Some hundred power beasts will be fighting out the Battle of the Bulge, and with victory no doubt being played out between the Ford GT40, Shelby Cobra, Jaguar E-Type, Ford Mustang Shelby, or one or other surprise. A race that will welcome at the start all the specialists in this field, but also a certain Jürgen Barth, who will be teamed up with Klaus Ludwig (Mr DTM) and Christopher Stahl in a Ford GT40. Emanuele Pirro, the former F1 driver and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the teammate of the British driver Shaun Lynn in another Ford GT40, whereas the official Audi driver Frank Stippler will once again be present, together with the German Georg Nolte, in an E-Type Jaguar! A prestigious list, to which we must add the fast German female racing driver Claudia Huertgen, who will be taming a Porsche 911.

As one might image these Spa Six Hours will also be the season’s highlight for the Belgian drivers assiduously frequenting the historic motorsport world. Will also be at the start to defend the black-yellow-red colours Christophe d’Ansembourg (Porsche 911), Luc Geebelen and Xavier Martens (Porsche 911), Eric De Doncker (Mustang Shelby), Maurice and Eric Damsaux (Mini Cooper S), Christian Dumoulin, Christophe Van Riet and Stephan Meyers (Mustang), Pierre-Alain Thibaut and Christian Lange (Alfa Romeo GTA), Jeremy De Weerdt, Emiel De Weerdt and Bjorn Kabergs (Mustang Shelby), Philippe Ménage and José Close (Porsche 911), Jean-André Collard, Serge and Paul Libens (Austin-Healey 3000), Guy Lauwers and Hervé Regout (Lotus Elan), Eric Duthoit (Jaguar E-Type), Gérard de Ville de Goyet and Gérard Marcy (Porsche 911), not forgetting Marc-Antoine Bailby and Philippe Lambilliotte (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce).

Besides this splendid 6 hours race, the 20 years of the Spa Six Hours will also welcome the best of historic races, with the Masters Grand Prix and their F1 single-seaters from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Jean-Michel Martin (Fittipaldi F8), Christophe d’Ansembourg (Williams FW07/C), Alain Plasch (Fittipaldi F5A), Paul Grant (Trojan 103) and Patrick Van Heurck (Brabham BT46) will be the Belgian drivers on the grid. The Formula Junior single-seaters will also be on hand, and we can count on Luc Denève (Lotus 18), Guy Peeters (Lotus 22) and Eric Théry (Lotus 22) to take on the best specialists in that field …

With the Prototypes and the Grand Touring cars, it’s the entire endurance magic that will be on show at Spa-Francorchamps. Even though Guy Peeters and Eric Théry (Chevron B8) will be the sole Belgian representatives in the Masters Sports-Cars, they will also be active in the Masters Gentlemen Drivers in Lotus XI, this time around joined by Eric Mestdagh and Pierre-Alain Thibaut (Bizzarrini 5300 America), Marc Valvekens and Paul Grant (Lotus Elite), as also Guy Fawe (Lotus Elan). As for Hervé Regout and Guy Lauwers, they will do their utmost to come up trumps in the Top Hat Masters at the wheel of a Porsche 914/6. A race that will welcome a certain … Brendon Hartley, New Zealander flirting with the F1, and who will be driving a spectacular Mercury Comet Cyclone joined by fellow countryman Roger Wills!

We will also come across the Hartley-Wills duo in two other series, one being the famous U2TC, which brings together Touring cars under 2 litres. This time they will be competing in a … Mini Cooper S, no doubt during their race coming across the inevitable Jackie Oliver (BMW 1800 TISA), but also Emanuele Pirro and Shaun Lynn (Ford Cortina Lotus). We should be in for a great clash… In the Stirling Moss Trophy, Hartley and Wills will be handling a Lotus XI, and going head to head with several Belgians, including Guy Peeters (Lotus XI), Michel Wanty (ditto) and Grégory De Prins (Rejo).

We must also mention the presence of Christophe d’Ansembourg (Porsche 962 C) and Eric Mestdagh (GRD) in the Masters Prototypes Challenge, the participation of Jan Biekens (Ferrari 156), Eric Staes (Lotus 18/21), Marc Velvekens (Gordini T16), Paul Grant (Cooper-Bristol) and Michel Wanty (Lotus 16) in the highly awaited Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, not forgetting Guy De Baer (Ford GT40), the Alain Russel-Paul Grant duo (Cooper-Bristol) as also Marnix Dierick (Jaguar 420 Saloon) in the British Sports-, GT & Saloon Challenge.

By now you will have realised that this 2012 vintage of the Spa Six Hours will be worthy of a twentieth birthday, and regarding the event’s third decade of this quite simply unique get-together on the world’s most beautiful circuit you can rest assured that the Roadbook Organisation have already had a glimpse…

Source : Spa Six Hours