Spa Classic 2023
Two weeks after the 6 Hours of Spa, I was back. This time for the Spa Classic. I'd already attended a historic race weekend in Donington last month, but with more racing classes and two to three times the size of the field, I couldn't resist heading out again. The day started with glorious weather and the thundering sound of the Group C sports cars. They had just started qualifying when we arrived. It was fantastic to hear these 80s/90s Le Mans cars roaring around Spa with their powerful engines.
For example, I saw a Ford GT that I saw racing in the FIA GT1 Championship at Zolder in 2011, the race where I truly became hooked on sports cars. And also the Bentley that won Le Mans in 2003, and many more famous and striking Le Mans cars.
The beauty of a historic event like this was how open it is. We decided to head to the paddock and walked right into the Classic Endurance Racing Series starting grid. It was fantastic to watch the cars arrive all around you and be literally right in the middle of it.
Arriving at the modern F1 pit lane, we could look straight into the garages where the engines of the Group C cars were being tuned and warmed up for the race.
This beautiful Porsche 904 Carrera GTS was on display in the pit lane, which of course calls for a picture.
Just before the Group C race, however, the weather changed, and as soon as the race started, it started raining heavily. So my companions went to the grandstand. But armed with my new rain suit, I headed back; after all, I had to test it. And that certainly makes for some great footage.
Even though I didn't get as much lap around the circuit as I did during the WEC , it was still a great day. Now, the countdown to Le Mans!
