The Spa Six Hours is edging ever closer, and once again we have recieved an e-mail from the organisers with more details of the race, and the cars and drivers taking part.
As we did last time, we'll run the latest release as it arrived; the passion for the event felt by the organisers shines through better that way...
No fewer than 10 Ford GT40s square up to a dozen Jaguar E-types, eight Shelby Mustang GT350s, a quintet of Shelby Cobras and a brace of TVR Griffiths on the entry list for next month’s Spa Six Hours.
The 19th edition of what has grown into the world’s top historic endurance race – principally for Pre-1966 GT and Touring cars – has attracted a magnificent international cast of competitors, including many previous winners of the Belgian classic.
Three-time victor Simon Hadfield, Shaun Lynn and Christian Glaesel are in GT40s, the German paired this time with Ralf Kelleners whose extensive long-distance racing CV include impressive stints in Sports Prototype and modern GT racing.
The Jaguar triumvirate of Jon and Jason Minshaw and Martin Stretton scored its third win in eight years last September and with back-up from Nigel Morris’ Valley Motor Sport team has the expertise to score again, albeit with a different E-type, in the model’s Golden Jubilee year.
Dutchmen Hans Hugenholtz and David Hart bagged their famous win (with compatriot Rene Herzog) in an extraordinarily quick Shelby Mustang, but this time are Cobra-mounted. A similar Ford V8 engine powers the TVR of ex-champions Jon Shipman and Mark Hales, teamed with Nigel Reuben.
Wolfgang Friedrichs and David Clark are previous winners (with Hadfield) in the German’s Aston Martin DP214 clone, but the marque’s representation is down to just two cars this time.
Other aces in the pack include Gary Pearson, Frank Stippler, Leo Voyazides, Roger Wills and Ted Williams in GT40s, former Spa 24 Hours winner Jean-Michel Martin in Belgian compatriot Marc Devis’s Cobra, Rob Hall, John Clark and Martin O’Connell in E-types and double race winner (when Chevron B6-mounted) Michael Schryver in his Lotus Elan 26R.
A Ford Mustang has taken saloon car honours for the past couple of years, but Phil Keen, Dan Cox and Mike Gardiner must fancy their chances in one of the lighter Falcon Sprints.
The race takes place on Saturday, September 24, as the focal point of Roadbook duo Alain Defalle and Vincent Collard’s magnificent historic racing festival which showcases Grand Prix cars of the 1930s to the ’80s (HGPCA and GP Masters), fabulous sports prototypes and U2TC tin-tops. Visit www.roadbook.be for full details of the unmissable programme.
If you are planning to attend the meet, don't forget that PHers can claim a discount on the gate by quoting a special discount code that will be published near to the event. If take-up is good this year, we'll look to ramp up involvment in 2012, with camping being a possibility too. Thanks to the event organisers, all PH members who visit in 2011 will receive:
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A 10-euro discount on the entry fee (15 euros instead of 25 euros per person)
- A free t-shirt "PistonHeads - Spa Six Hours"
- A dedicated hospitality area where you can sit and relax for a while when at the circuit
Tickets are only available on the gate, and cannot be purchased in advance.