Assault in the Ardennes
A land of myth and legend. Shrouded in the dense woodland of the Ardennes, the first glimpse of the iconic Spa Francorchamps through the trees, never fails to elicit a swiftly drawn breath. Stories are written here, legendary tales of motorsport heroics are created on this track with alarming frequency.
Home to one of the most revered Grand Prix on the calendar, as well as the intimidating and unforgiving 24h of Spa-Francorchamps, and WEC 6H of Spa, this circuit continues to serve up one of the most demanding challenges on the motorsport calendar, more than a century after the first race cars took to the track here.
The Eau Rouge and Raidillon complex may be a familiar name to anyone with a passing interest in the world of motorsport, and despite the remodelling of elements of section in recent years, it does still provide a sensational spectacle (even more so with the superb spectator grandstand atop Raidillon), however the challenge of Spa is so much more than that.
The frightening Blanchimont, a flat out left-hander, where each driver is momentarily left at the mercy of the undulating tarmac, teetering on the brink of disaster as the tyres claw on to any semblance of grip, until Blanchimont mercifully releases each car with a loosening of the trajectory, as they push on at remarkable speed towards the final chicane.
Double Gauche – the most unassuming of names, yet a double-apexed corner which extracts every last drop of performance from the tyres, as they cling on for dear life, resisting the urge to let go and relax into understeer, as the driver clings on, demanding to push towards the second apex.
The fearsome Kemmel Straight, passing through a shroud of trees at the exit of Raidillon, as the ribbon of tarmac ahead unravels into a straight line leading through the forest, as the revs climb as the push to reach the highest speed approaches climax, before the almost impossibly late braking point into Les Combes, where eyeballs are pushed to the outer limits of their sockets, under intense deceleration before the wheels turn right.
At the other end of the spectrum, you have the tight apex of La Source, sat underneath a couple of traditional Belgian buildings, where the drivers pass so close, you can see the whites of their eyes, amongst the pops of flame from exhaust pipes, and radiant warm red glow from overworked brake disks.
It’s a circuit that encompasses so much of the very best of motorsport, condensed into 4.352 miles, and set in a natural amphitheater of tree lined valleys, where the contrast of organic splendor contrasts with the mechanical and technical challenges, to heighten the experience for driver, spectator and most certainly photographer.
The Peter Auto Spa Classic
Firmly established as one of the crown jewels of the Peter Auto Calendar, the Spa Classic brings together superb grids, steeped in prestige and heritage, to relive those glory days of past years, with renewed vigour and close fought competition.
With a diverse array of categories, spanning race cars from the 1950s through to the 2000s, majestic endurance and GT race cars are brought together once more to engage in combat on the winding thread of Ardennes tarmac.
Spa Francorchamps is renowned for the unpredictability, and often hostile nature of the weather systems. This reputation was to be hammered home with a barrage of torrid conditions over the weekend.
Friday practice saw biblical rain fall on the circuit, unrelenting though the day, with a remarkably strong offering of competitors, brave enough and keen enough to get some running in, despite the horrendous rain. As the rain worsened throughout the day, and any hint of a dry line was a long-abolished dream, the inclement conditions brought the day to a premature close, with the most torrential of downpours arriving just before sunset.
With a moderate amount of skeptism, curtains were tentatively drawn back on Saturday morning, fearing the worst from the Ardennes weather systems. Fortunately, whilst damp, conditions were markedly improved from the previous day, and as the day progressed, sunshine broke out, and morning qualifying sessions relished in dry track conditions and good visibility.
A semblance of normality was restored, engine notes reverberated through the woodland, historic race cars duelling lap by lap as the races began in the early afternoon. Large crowds lined the grandstands, as Spa Francorchamps purred once more, as the fine host of incredible races.
Icing on the cake
As if the sublime offerings of the Peter Auto grids wasn’t enough, the presentation of a curated selection of Porsche 917 chassis’ brought to the Spa Classic, served as the icing on the top of an (albeit soaked) cake. A sumptuous array of Porsche 917s were exhibited in the paddock for the duration of the race weekend.
One of the most unmistakable, aesthetically pleasing and yet ruthlessly dominant race cars of all time, the Porsche 917 chassis #042, #021, #025 and 917/10-002 showcased the various iterations and formats in which this legend of endurance racing was presented. Both Longtail and Shorttail configurations were shown, alongside the 917-021 in the captivating hippy livery.
Unable to run their on track demo on Friday, it was only the 917/10-002 which made an appearance on Saturday morning, before all four cars ran in the subsequent demo, offering an evocative and visceral experience to once again witness these iconic endurance racing cars, taking to one of the most visually appealing circuits in the world.
Race Results
2 Litre Cup
- 1st – Matthew Holme/Andrew Jordan – Porsche 911
- 2nd – Patrick Kolb – Porsche 911
- 3rd – Kyle Tilley/Oliver Bryant – Porsche 911
Classic Endurance Racing 1
- 1st – David Hart/Oliver Hart – Lola T70 Mk3B
- 2nd – Max Banks/Andrew Banks – McLaren M6B
- 3rd – Armand Mille – Lola T70Mk3B
Classic Endurance Racing 2
- 1st – Stephane Nguyen – Lola T298
- 2nd – Russell Busst – Chevron B31
- 3rd – Philipp Bruehwiler – Chevron B36
Classic Touring Challenge
- 1st – Max Banks/Andrew Banks – Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA
- 2nd – Francois Rivas/Frank Stippler – Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA
- 3rd – Alexander Fiuriani – Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA
Endurance Racing Legends – GT1 & LMP
Race 1
- 1st – Alex Muller – Dome S101
- 2nd – Evgeny Kireev/Ramzan Orusbaev – Maserati MC12 GT1
- 3rd – David Hart/Oliver Hart – Courage C60
Race 2
- 1st – David Hart/Oliver Hart – Courage C60
- 2nd – Xavier Micheron – Riley & Scott MK3C
- 3rd – Mike Newton MG EX264
Endurance Racing Legends – GT2
Race 1
- 1st – Philip Kadoorie – Ferrari F430 GTC EVO
- 2nd – Mark Sumpter – Porsche 993 GT2
- 3rd – Lee Maxted-Page – Porsche 997 GT3
Race 2
- 1st – Philip Kadoorie – Ferrari F430 GTC EVO
- 2nd – Mark Sumpter – Porsche 993 GT2
- 3rd – Pierre Ehret – Ferrari F430 GTC EVO
Group C Racing
Race 1
- 1st – Kriton Lendoudis – Sauber Mercedes C11
- 2nd – Ivan Vercoutere/Ralf Kelleners – Porsche 962C
- 3rd – Philip Kadoorie – Porsche 962C
Race 2
- 1st – Kriton Lendoudis – Sauber Mercedes C11
- 2nd – Oliver Hart – Jaguar XJR-11
- 3rd – Christophe d’Ansembourg – Jaguar XJR-14
Heritage Touring Cup
Race 1
- 1st – Yves Scemama – Ford Capri RS3100 Cologne
- 2nd – Michael Kammermann/Sebastian Glaser – BMW 3.0 CSL
- 3rd – Armand Mille – Ford Capri RS3100 Cologne
Race 2
- 1st – Yves Scemama – Ford Capri RS3100 Cologne
- 2nd – Armand Mille – Ford Capri RS3100 Cologne
- 3rd – Dominique Guenat/Guillaume Mahe – BMW 3.0 CSL
Sixties Endurance
- 1st – Jonathan Mitchell – Jaguar E Type 3.8
- 2nd – Erwin France – Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
- 3rd – Nikolaus Ditting – Shelby Cobra 289
The Gentleman Challenge
Race 1
- 1st – Luc-Pierre Verquin – Lister Chevrolet 195B
- 2nd – Fred Wakeman/Patrick Blakeney-Edwards – Cooper T3B
- 3rd – Vincent Gaye – Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Race 2
- 1st – James Thorpe – Lister Jaguar Flat-Iron
- 2nd – Jonathan Mowlem/Bonamy Grimes – Lotus 15
- 3rd – Luc-Pierre Verquin – Lister Chevrolet 195B
