Thursday 21st July 2011

Fancy A Race At Spa? Course You Do

PHer sets up one-hour race at historic Belgian circuit

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Come along to Spa and you can race this...

This is the way to go motor racing: if the race you want to enter doesn't exist, then why not go ahead and create it? Well, that's exactly what PHer Graham Walden has done.

"The One Hour Challenge for Modern and Classic Sports, Saloon and GT cars was born in the Spa Paddock in 2010," says Graham. "After entering a race during the Spa 6 hour weekend we were hooked on the place and had to come back. Looking at the availability of races it soon became apparent that there were many UK racers whose cars didn't fit into the limited opportunities available.

...this...

And so TOHCMCSSGT (not sure that one'll stick, Riggers - Ed.) was born. The event is being held with the Race and Rally Organisation as part of the October "Racing Festival", and is open to a wide range of cars. The core of the entry is, we're told, sports, saloon and GT cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s, although the earliest car is a modified 1959 Austin Healey and the Latest a TVR T350. Almost anything is eligible, in short.

"The aim is to provide an exciting race for as many and as varied cars as we can, says Graham. "This should throw up some exciting and unexpected battles along the twisting, diving and climbing tarmac that is Spa Francorchamps."

...something like this...

It should be pretty cool to watch, as well as participate in, plus there's apparently a third-party track day immediately following the race weekend (1st-2nd October), so even if you don't/can't race you could still combine a spot of racing with a wee bit of on-track shenanigans...

The race meeting itself is spread over the whole weekend, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday so as to give racers plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere (and fix any mechanical ailments). The guys will also lay on a number of fully-qualified mechanics to help out if things really go the way of the pear.

...or even one of these

The cars themselves must comply with current MSA safety requirements, and preferably have been scrutineered in the UK within the current season, to ensure that there is nothing that will cause a problem during scrutineering at Spa.

Entry fee for the one-hour race is £650 per car, with either one or two drivers per car, and the race itself takes place on the weekend of 1st/2nd October. So what are you waiting for??

If you fancy it, you can download an entry form at the TOHCMCSSGT website.

^{Pics: Mike Herring}

[RacingPete]

Looks very interesting... Good idea on a fantastic track. Really need to get my classic AH Sprite out of retirement and on to a race track and this looks perfect.

Any discounted transport options as part of the package?

[7 Sevens]

I'm there on Monday for the track day. Should arrive early afternoon Sunday so will be popping along for a watch.

[Trackstar64]

I'm planning to do this in my old BMW E30, and a friend of mine is already booked in with his Mini. It's good value for 1.5 hours track time on such a fab track. The prov. timings are pretty good too, so I might even take the wife. She gets a trip away as well then. And I've never lost in that casino!

[Riggers]

RacingPete said:

Looks very interesting... Good idea on a fantastic track. Really need to get my classic AH Sprite out of retirement and on to a race track and this looks perfect.

Any discounted transport options as part of the package?

Do it!

[Guillotine]

I'm booked...fantastic idea.

We race in the TVR Challenge normally, so it'll be great to put the car up against some other stuff.

G tells me there's allsorts registered so there BOUND to be someone to have a dice with.
Can't wait! 15 years I've been waiting for this opportunity, cheers for sorting it out.
I owe you a pint!

As a further note, there's a trackday on the Mon/Tuesday, so we're having a SPAFEST!
4 Days at Spa for around £1100!!!

[Guillotine]

How's this going? Any on here?

A

[Graham]

Racing Festival ® - 30/09 – 01, 02/10/2011
PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE #3 – 16/08/2011 – Page 1 of 1
T I M E T A B L E
FRIDAY – 30/09/20111
09.00/11.00 Collective tests Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
11.10/12.10 Collective tests Tourisme / GT
12.20/12.50 Free Practice 1 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
13.00/13.45 Free Practice 1 GT Cup Championship
13.55/14.40 Free Practice Dutch Supercar Challenge
14.50/15.20 Free Practice 2 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
15.30/15.50 Free Practice Lotus Cup Europe & UK
16.00/16.30 Qualifying Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
16.40/17.10 Collective Tests F3 Classic & F Renault Classic
17.20/17.50 Qualifying Formula Junior
SATURDAY – 01/10/20118
09.00/09.30 Free Practice 2 GT Cup Championship
09.40/10.10 Qualifying Dutch Super Challenge
10.25/10.45 Qualifying Lotus Cup Europe & UK
11.00/11.30 Qualifying www.race-at-spa.com
11.45/12.15 Free Practice F3 Classic & F Renault Classic
12.25/12.45 Qualifying GT Cup Championship
13.10 Race 1 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps 25’
14.05 Race 1 Dutch Supercar Challenge 60’ + 1 lap
15.35 Race 1 GT Cup Championship 40’
16.40 Race 1 Lotus Cup Europe & UK 20’
17.20/17.50 Qualifying F3 Classic & F Renault Classic
SUNDAY – 02/10/2011
09.10 Race 1 Formula Junior 25’
09.55 Race www.race-at-spa.com 60’
11.15 Race 1 F3 Classic & F Renault Classic 30’
12.05 Race 2 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps 25’
12.50 Race 2 Lotus Cup Europe & UK 40’
13.50 Race 2 GT Cup Championship 40’
14.55 Race 2 Dutch Supercar Challenge 60’ + 1 lap
16.25 Race 2 F3 Classic & F Renault Classic 30’
17.15 Race 2 Formula Junior 25’


The provisional Time Table has us Qualifying at 11.00 on Saturday and racing at 9.55 on Sunday.

A nice relaxing schedule and finishing with plenty of time to watch some racing before heading back to the Ferry on sunday night, unless you are staying for the track day on Monday and Tuesday.

There are Places on the grid available so drop us a line at [e-mail] if your interested



Cheers

Graham

[Guillotine]

Thats spot on for me, G.
Plenty of time to watch the rest. (we are staying for both TDs on Mon/Tues).

Couple of questions...

Are we able to get in a practice? (Don't really need it, but its extra track time )
Slicks OK?
Can you tell me what the weather is going to be?

[RobC]

Tyres are free

There is a test day before the race meeting but apart from that there is only qually. However early entries do get entered into a draw to win a slot on the test day.

Should be a great meeting, I don't know where the race is being advertised but it might be worth pushing it a bit of the various forums out there.

[martvr]

RobC said:

Tyres are free

Ooh goody, I'll get on the phone to Dunlop straight away .

[andy97]

RacingPete said:

Looks very interesting... Good idea on a fantastic track. Really need to get my classic AH Sprite out of retirement and on to a race track and this looks perfect.

Any discounted transport options as part of the package?

You could always look at the CSCC "Swinging Sixties" series & you'd be racing against cars of a similar era & technology, including other Sprites. This series is now so popular that it has vbee split in to two, so there's a seperate race for those < 2 litres.

CSCC races are all 40 mins long with the exception of the annual 1 hour race at Spa in June & the 300Km race for pre 1981 cars at the Nurburgring in September.

[RobC]

Just over a month away now, how many PH'ers are coming?

[martvr]

RobC said:

Just over a month away now, how many PH'ers are coming?

Me, me, me, me; erm sorry

[RobC]

Race and Rally site is now live - http://www.race-rally.be/2011/rf2011/page.aspx?pag...

[Guillotine]

So thats a couple of radical stylee cars in there then.

You guys must have necks like tree trunks! I did 4 laps in an SR3 a few years back and had to stop as I couldn't hold my head up! And you're doing an hour!!!

A

[RobC]

Nothing that duct tape and a strategically placed bungee strap won't resolve

Only a few weeks away now, getting a bit excited now!

Last one to the bar after the race is picking up the tab

[Guillotine]

Well thets 1 race I WON'T lose then!!!

[steve_j]

Many thanks to Graham for organising a great weekend at a fantastic circuit.
He obviously has very good connections as he managed to arrange scorching hot sunshine at Spa all weekend!

It was a bit of a shame the race ended the way it did, (crash, safety car and eventually red flagged), as there were several interesting battles developing through the field. I hope the Midget driver is OK - last I heard was that he was walking around, but had gone to hospital for a scan.

The timing info for all the races during the Spa Festival weekend, including the One Hour Challenge is available here:
http://race-rally.be/2011/rf2011/liveresults.aspx?...

If Graham can be encouraged to run it again next year, I recommend it to everyone - a friendly paddock, everyone seemed to find someone to race against on track, a classic location for racing and plenty of Stella, Leffe, Duval etc on tap in the local bars!

Steve
gofer/general dogsbody supporting car #111
www.Hangar111.com / Zazity.com Lotus Elise 111R