Gallery and Report: The Spectacular Spa Classic 2014

Image: Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

The Roadbook Organisation, led by Alain Defalle and Vincent Collard organized the 2014 edition of the Spa Summer Classic, held over the weekend from June 27th until June 29th. Club racing at its very best, including two national championships such as the Belgian Historic Cup and the Dutch NK HTGT.

From Germany the Porsche Club Historic Challenge found the way to the Belgian Ardennes, including over 50 epic Porsches. GT Classic & Challenge Asave as well as Maxi 1000 & HTCC Groupe 1 & Trophée Lotus settled down from France. The largest batch of competitors came from the United Kingdom including the Monoposto & F3 Cup, CSCC Swinging Sixties and Classic K and CSCC Inter-Series Cup.  The 2014 edition would become a true wet one, and especially on both Saturday and Sunday the drivers had to cope with typical Ardennes weather conditions. On Friday all the competitors had to qualify as racing took place on both Saturday and Sunday.

by Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica.com

Three different categories combined into a single grid kicked-off racing on Saturday morning, still in dry conditions. The Trophée Maxi 1000 is strictly reserved for cars with a small engine capacity, featuring cars like the Alpine A110 1300, Clan Crusader, Datsun Sunny, Fiat 128, Ford Anglia, Lancia Fulvia, Marcos 1000, Marcos 1300, Morris Cooper S 1300 etc.

The HTCC Groupe 1 (Historic Tourisme Champion Car) was initiated in 2003 by a driver who animated the “Group 1” races in the past years from 1968 to 1975. This driver wanted to revive this category on the French circuits in classic meetings. Group 1 corresponded to the category “Touring Car series” according to the regulations of that time. This category is open to cars such as the Alfa Romeo GTV, BMW 2002, BMW 323, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Escort, Ford Capri, Golf GTI, Triumph Dolomite etc. Finally this combined grid featured cars from the Trophée Lotus, including Lotus Seven of the sixties and Catherams 1600 Kent of the ’80 and ’90. Xavier Jacquet from France claimed victory on Saturday in his Lotus Super Seven. On Sunday it was a Austin Cooper S driven by Frenchman Thierry Thiefain that crossed the finish line first. 

Based in the United Kingdom, the Swinging ’60s series welcomes sports cars, touring and GT cars produced in the ’60s. The serie is divided into two groups: below 2000cc and above 2000cc and features cars like Austin Healey Sprite, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette Stingray, Ford Mustang Shelby 350GT, Jaguar E-type, Lotus Elan, Lotus Seven, MG B, and many others. The mighty Chevrolet Corvette of Luke Wos and Chas Mallard from the UK claimed two demanding victories on both Saturday and Sunday in a grid that included over 60 cars.

The official Dutch Championship for Touring and GT cars, abbreviated, NK HTGT, was established in 1997 and is open to Touring and GT cars build between 1947 and 1965. All the cars are prepared in accordance to the Appendix K of the International Sporting Code, including Alpine A110, Chevrolet Corvette, Austin Healey, Marcos 1800 GT, MGA Twin Cam, MG B, Morgan +4, Ford Cortina GT, Ford Falcon, Ford Mustang, Ford GT 40, Lotus Elan, Porsche 911 etc. During the first on Saturday nobody could answer German Rainer Vorköper in his Jaguar E-Type low drag. However, on Sunday the German had to abandon the second race. Dutchman Armand Adriaans crossed the finish line first in his Shelby Mustang.

Next race on the packed programme was the combined grid of the British Monoposto Racing Club and F3 Cup. The Monoposto Racing Club organizes low cost single seater racing for club racers and is open to single seaters such as Anson SA4, Dallara F300, Dallara F393, Jamun M97Z, Jedi Mk6, Merlyn Mk11A, Merlyn Mk20, Mygale Novis, OMS 2000M, Ralt RT3, Ray GR2002, Reynard 85F, Reynard 903, Rondeau M584, Swift SC97Z, Swift DB-6, Royale RP 24, Lola T200, Vauxhall Lotus, etc. The Formula 3 category was created in the United Kingdom after the 2nd World War. The series was replaced in 1958 by the Formula Junior cars but handed up to date in 1964 featuring cars as Dallara’s, Lola’s, Mygale’s etc.

From this race on, all the racing action on Saturday was held on a very wet track. Toby Sowery claimed victories on Saturday and Sunday in a Dallara F305 equipped with a Volkswagen engine. 

Next on the grid was the combined grid of both the GT Classic and Asave Challenge GT-Tourisme Historique from France. The GT Classic is a historic GT Trophy for GTs from the 80s and 90s. The Asave Challenge organizes racing for Touring and Grand Touring cars in standard and in competition versions. Inside this Challenge, are distinguished a Challenge for cars powered by Gordini and Renault engines, and a Cup is reserved for Porsches as a Challenge is reserved to  Competition Touring cars under 2 liters. Pierre-André Meroz from Switzerland claimed two demanding overall victories on Saturday and Sunday in a Porsche 993 RSR. 

The Inter-Series Cup from Great Britain welcomes cars from the Classic Sports Cars Club including Tin Tops, Future Classics, Magnificent Sevens and Modern Classic. Jonathan Gibbs was the overall winner during the first on Saturday in his Caterham C400. Anthony Bennett was the man to beat on Sunday in a Caterham CSR Supercharged.

The Norkring Belgian Historic Cup is organized by the Belgian BRAVO-organisation (Belgian Racing Automobile Vintage Organisation). BRAVO decided in 2008 to set up a national historic championship open to all vehicles until 1976 including cars such as Alfa Romeo Giulia Super, Austin Healey 3000, Austin Healey Sprite Frogeye, BMW 2002 TI, BMW E30 325i, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Cortina Lotus, Ford Escort RS2000, Ford GT 40, Hillman Avenger Tiger, Jaguar XJS, Lancia Beta Monte Carlo, Lister Jaguar, Lotus Elan 26 R, Lotus Europa Twin Cam, MG B, Morris Cooper S, Porsche 911 RS, Porsche 934, Studebaker Commander, Sunbeam Talbot and many others. Dutchman Thijs van Gammeren was the man to beat on Saturday in his Ford Escort RS2000. Belgian Jan van Elderen however claimed a demanding victory on Sunday in a Porsche 911RS.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the participation of the German Porsche Club Historic Challenge. Porsche Club Historic Challenge is a series of international races under the aegis of Porsche Club Germany and its Historic section. Participation is open from the Porsche 914 up to the Porsche 996. From this year on, the Porsche 997 Coupé pré-2008 is also accepted. The first race on Saturday became a prey for Haci Ali Köysüren from Germany in a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. Sebastian Glaser proved to be the man to beat on Sunday in his Porsche 996 GT3 RS. 

Next on the programme were the combined grids from the Historic Formula Ford Challenge France and the Historic F3 1000cc European Trophy. Swiss driver Alain Girardet claimed two demanding victories on Saturday and Sunday in a Van Diemen RF81.

Last but not least on the programma was the Spa Ardennes Challenge featuring two 60 minutes races on Saturday and Sunday. The race accepts a wide variety of Classic Sports cars, GTs, Touring and Saloon Cars, built between the 1950s and 1970s. Briton’s Cheng Lim and Phil James took two stunning victories on both Saturday and Sunday in a RAM SC.

© Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica.com