Can't make LM Classic - Spa instead

[Yiliterate]

Well, it looks like I won't be able to make the Le Mans Classic next year, so I'm trying to sort out a trip to the Spa Classic at the end of May instead.

As such, can anyone recommend a good tour organiser for this event? Also, is there any advice anyone can offer who has been before (decent campsites, etc)?

Any suggestions (except those ending "...where the sun don't shine") gratefully received!

[Mark B]

Hi there, I went this year and we had a great weekend. It was similar to CLM, with track laps and some excellent racing, including Grp C and Boss F1 cars. It was no where near as big (or as good) as CLM but a great weekend none the less.

Re organisers, I can't help as I organised our group for tickets, laps, parking etc and a friend found a great local Gite that put our group up.

[Yiliterate]

Mark B said:

Hi there, I went this year and we had a great weekend. It was similar to CLM, with track laps and some excellent racing, including Grp C and Boss F1 cars. It was no where near as big (or as good) as CLM but a great weekend none the less.

Re organisers, I can't help as I organised our group for tickets, laps, parking etc and a friend found a great local Gite that put our group up.

Thanks for that. How did you sort out the laps (presume it is like the parade laps at Le Mans)? Did you do it through an owners club or independently?

Cheers

[Nick M]

Spa Classic is a nice event, and it's well organised in a similar way that CLM is with the excellent paddock access, however, the biggest differences are that:

- it's only running during the day (or early evening at best); and

- it's bloody hilly round there !!

We stayed on a nice campsite down past the Masta kink on the old circuit layout, which meant ferrying people to / from the circuit at the beginning and end of each day. We had brought bikes, but one look at the local topography meant we left them neatly secured in the 'garage' of dad's motorhome !!!

It also means that, being away from the circuit, you're largely making your own entertainment in the evening as there's no racing to go and watch, and there *is* something special about watching cars racing into the wee small hours.

We had a nice group of us so the evenings were a mix of BBQ, beer and BS, which was far from unpleasant, but it's not quite the same as CLM.

On the plus side the circuit is awesome, in the proper sense of the word !! And watching Group C cars flying through Eau Rouge is a sight to behold !

Hopefully next year it won't clash with other big historic meets which deprived it of the classic F1 cars and resulted in the BOSS cars running instead, when they could coax them into life and keep them running for more than a few moments....

Overall it's a great event and deserves to flourish - just remember it's *not* CLM and enjoy it for what it is and I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[Mark B]

Yiliterate said:

Thanks for that. How did you sort out the laps (presume it is like the parade laps at Le Mans)? Did you do it through an owners club or independently?

Cheers

I have a club registered with the organisers and arranged it direct.

[gt6]

the spa classic six hour race is another alternative in September, one race for 6 hours with the cars doing what they were built to do rather than short little races.

[gruffalo]

Yiliterate said:

Well, it looks like I won't be able to make the Le Mans Classic next year, so I'm trying to sort out a trip to the Spa Classic at the end of May instead.

As such, can anyone recommend a good tour organiser for this event? Also, is there any advice anyone can offer who has been before (decent campsites, etc)?

Any suggestions (except those ending "...where the sun don't shine") gratefully received!

I thought the Spa Classic was every 2 years like the CLM but odd years where as the CLM is even years, Spa is organised by the same people as well I believe.

[Yiliterate]

gruffalo said:

I thought the Spa Classic was every 2 years like the CLM but odd years where as the CLM is even years, Spa is organised by the same people as well I believe.

No, definitely one in 2012:

http://www.spa-classic.com/index.php?lang=en

Thanks for all the comments - I'll get in touch with my mate who organised our trip to the LM Classic last time around to see which travel operator he used, but I've found Travel Destinations are doing a camping package

http://www.traveldestinations.co.uk/races/spa-fran...

I'll also remember to pack a decent pair of hiking boots and a Snakes & Ladders set for the evenings!

[gruffalo]

Yiliterate said:

No, definitely one in 2012:

http://www.spa-classic.com/index.php?lang=en

Thanks for all the comments - I'll get in touch with my mate who organised our trip to the LM Classic last time around to see which travel operator he used, but I've found Travel Destinations are doing a camping package

http://www.traveldestinations.co.uk/races/spa-fran...

I'll also remember to pack a decent pair of hiking boots and a Snakes & Ladders set for the evenings!

Fantastic except I can't get there in 2012, if you are going the parade laps are a must.

http://vimeo.com/24476617
http://vimeo.com/25257039

[Yiliterate]

gruffalo said:

Yiliterate said:

No, definitely one in 2012:

http://www.spa-classic.com/index.php?lang=en

Thanks for all the comments - I'll get in touch with my mate who organised our trip to the LM Classic last time around to see which travel operator he used, but I've found Travel Destinations are doing a camping package

http://www.traveldestinations.co.uk/races/spa-fran...

I'll also remember to pack a decent pair of hiking boots and a Snakes & Ladders set for the evenings!

Fantastic except I can't get there in 2012, if you are going the parade laps are a must.

http://vimeo.com/24476617
http://vimeo.com/25257039

Looks fantastic - how did you get that booked? The Travel Destinations site talks obliquely about 'qualifying cars and clubs'...

By the way, what had happened to the yellow car ('Vette?) about half way through the first video, parked up just after Eau Rouge...?

[Nick M]

Yiliterate said:

By the way, what had happened to the yellow car ('Vette?) about half way through the first video, parked up just after Eau Rouge...?

We saw the car come up through Eau Rouge and then heard an almighty thump - our possibly harsh assessment was a loss of talent allied to an early application of the throttle, or maybe a lift of the throttle (hard to tell).

Car was comprehensively f**ked but the occupants seemed OK, if a little peed off.

[Yiliterate]

Nick M said:

We saw the car come up through Eau Rouge and then heard an almighty thump - our possibly harsh assessment was a loss of talent allied to an early application of the throttle, or maybe a lift of the throttle (hard to tell).

Car was comprehensively f**ked but the occupants seemed OK, if a little peed off.

Ah, something else for me to bear in mind then...!

[gruffalo]

Yiliterate said:

Looks fantastic - how did you get that booked? The Travel Destinations site talks obliquely about 'qualifying cars and clubs'...

By the way, what had happened to the yellow car ('Vette?) about half way through the first video, parked up just after Eau Rouge...?

Cold tyres and tried to be a hero up Eau Rouge, lost it and stuffed into the barriers, car a total right off with a very bent chassis. Both driver and passenger OK just hurt pride and pocket.

It was OK to go quick, I am touching 145-150MPH on the straights but not till I had some tyres and brakes under me.

I booked through fasttracktours, the owner is Longers off here, he arranged every thing for us even private parking just behind the grandstands on the old start finish straight. He mostly does TVR based groups.