The Spa Track offers a unique background to one of the world best classic car series. Wandering in the pit admiring the racing legends prepped for action, the Spa Classic is as immersive as it gets.
I spent another memorable day in Spa (not a wellness centre, but Spa Francorchamps, one of the greatest racetracks in the world), admiring the legendary classic cars of the Peter Auto Series preparing in the pits and racing down the track. I am not entirely new to this kind of automotive indulgence, I visited two years ago, and I already wrote about the experience on Egzostive.
Spa Classic 2017 – a historical race in a genuine environment
I keep similarly great memories of last year’s event, and in that article, I explained the various classes of the racing series (not much has changed in this year’s regulations).
This year I took another trip to catch up with the Group C cars that entered this year as a racing class. Originally, the organisers added this exciting category already as a show element, this year, it is part of the racing classes.
For those who follow only contemporary racing, the Group C regulations were in force between 1982 and 1993, and can be considered as the true predecessors of today’s WEC endurance cars. In the early days, Porsche 956s dominated the field, with the arrival of Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda the upgraded Porsche 962s faced more intense competition.
The field at Spa was also dominated by Porsches (I could even witness a 917 in Gulf livery that BTW celebrates its birthday this year)…
…but in addition to Jaguars and other brands, participants include a number of race cars from small racing manufacturers.
This year I followed a similar strategy as in 2018, arriving a bit late on Saturday missing out on the Greatest Trophy, crashing on the classic 911 cup, and just in time to see the Group C legends preparing for their track time.
At Spa Classic, visitors get unrivalled access to the pits (where the doors were not closed, this seems the unwritten rule of politeness). I could see incredible pieces of machinery, being prepared for the next session, in the main pits where mortals would never be allowed during an F1 weekend.
My personal favourites were the highly successfoul Porsche 962s, the beautifoul Peugeot and the elegant Jaguars.
The 962c piloted by Belgian entrepreneur Nicolas Dieteren was put pretty well put together by the time I got there. This model was developed as a replacement for the 956 to compete in IMSA series, although it also fared well in the European Group C series with notable success and remained competitive until the mid-1990s, with almost 100 cars built for factory and private teams, and even street legal versions.
The 1993 Peugeot 905 EV1B is another rare sight, although one can bump into 905s from time to time, when looking at the right place, like the Autoworld Museum last year, or the Peugeot Museum (straight from the source).
From Art Nouveau to Futurism: a visit to the Aventure Peugeot Museum
There weren’t many cars built, but the factory team took the entire podium that year.
This car was actually in pieces when I arrived, which gave a good view of the mechanics, and the crew even made ways to take a few photos. The Group C car’s cockpit is undoubtedly not the cosiest place on the planet, that I know by now…
There are also three Jaguars in the field, a 1987 XJR8, a 1989 XJR11 and a 1990 XJR9.
In addition to the Group C cars, there was an astonishing selection of cars from various classes in the main pits, like the touring cars from the 70s and supercars of more recent times.
The Ford Capris are becoming a common sight given their 50th anniversary year, the touring section also features a few classic Escorts as well.
The series features three BMW M1 in their Procar racing specifications (some of them were showcased recently in the Autoworld, along with their street-legal homologation versions to commemorate their 40th birthday).
I could not catch all three of them at first, but after some time, the third M1 rolled in with a majestic impression, crawling in slowly, like a wild cat looking for prey. Apart from the fact that it’s easy to lose one’s dignity during the venture of parking in backwards. : )
Same was true for the parking of the very elegant Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Group 4 with the Martini livery (I have to admit, there are very few cars that would not look great with the Martini stripes).
These colours are a guarantee for good looks, but out of all the Lancias, the Monte Carlo and the 037 are my favourites.
Another advantage of the tents is the open access to see many dissected cars being prepared for the next race, like the Gr4 911s and Ferraris.
The Greatest Trophy – an ethical race in a different sense…
The Saturday schedule usually prevents me from seeing the Greatest Trophy’s racing legends in action, but I could catch up with them at their base. This class was born out of the the Trofeo Nastro Rosso that was launched by Peter Auto in 2010 with the aim of assembling a field open to pre-66 Sports and GT cars built by Italian makes like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Bizzarini, Iso, Lancia, Osca, Stanguellini. The original series was based on the experience of Peter Auto in the wake of the Shell Ferrari Maserati Challenge held between 1997 and 2009.
This category features some of the most expensive classics, like Maseratis 300s, Ferrari 250 GT Berlinettas, Alfa Romeos TZ, Aston Martin DB4 GTs, Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs, Porsche 550s. The series includes many legendary models that have been produced in limited numbers, and their value has continued to increase over the past few decades.
Due to my late arrival I missed the race, but I could observe the car at their bases. Given the the age and extremely value of the cars participating, driving rules based on sporting ethics and strict respect of the cars guarantee that risks are reduced to the absolute minimum, ensuring that the owners will actually allow the cars to enter the event. It can not be overstated the fact that visitors can actually see them in real life.
The Classic 911 2.0s are racing in the class of their own. This class was introduced last year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Porsche brand.
The dinosaurs in action – Group C monsters thundering down the track
The Group C cars are quite a spectacle when they thunder down the Eau Rouge and Radillon combo, even if it would be too much to expect excessive racing action from 40-year-old race cars worth over a (few) million each.
Spa Francorchamps really aims to please photographers offering great sights with superb spots for photography within a 15-minute walking range.
During a single 45 minute race, I could see the cars at the start, got quite near in the hairpin of La Source, and finally to shoot them by the Eau Rouge (this is a new spot for non-professional photographers) and by the long straight.
Car clubs from around the world united at Spa Classic
The Spa Classic usually hosts about a dozen car clubs, that occupies their usual location year after year, offering a fancy spot to follow the event, but also the opportunity to test one’s driving skills at the track.
The BMW, Porsche and TVR gatherings are familiar sights, and they enjoy prime locations to watch the event, even if nothing beats the cosy corner of the Ferrari Drivers Club that usually rents the fanciest place of Spa-Francorchamps, the Hotel de l’Eau Rouge.
