Small turnout at the first Spa Classic didn't deter our man Vanhoolandt from bringing back great shots. The Raidillon corner, pictured here, is the landmark of the circuit, a right turn uphill that F1 cars take flat out.
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Belgian Vincent Gaye always spectacular in his Ferrari 250 GT SWB s/n 2069GT, winner of the race for pre-66 Italians Sports and GTs.
The first Spa Classic was held at the end of May on a circuit called by some ‘the most beautiful circuit in the world’, Francorchamps in the Ardennes region in southern Belgium.
It is certainly one of the most challenging racetracks with fast corners, climbs and descents.
The Spa Classic event assembled various fields of cars like a Pre-66 Italian car race, a 2 hours Sixties endurance race, Group C racing, Boss GP race for single-seaters and Classic Endurance Racing for GT and Prototypes from 1966 to 1979. For more information on this new event go to spa-classic.com/
Giulietta SZ, another masterpiece from Zagato.
Alfa Romeo TZ, driven at the limit.
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ of German team Ellerbrock/Gläsel finished first in class in the 2 hours Sixties Endurance Race.
Ferrari 250 GT Europa of Erich Traber from Switzerland was a regular entrant in the late Ferrari Historic Challenge.
Ferrari 250 GT Boano coupé s/n 0541 GT.
A battle of two generations of Ferraris : 250 GT SWB v. 275 GTB.
Paul Knapfield won the Classic Endurance Race for Prototypes with his spectacular Ferrari 712 CanAm.
In practice, Knapfield had to choose between the 712 CanAm and this 312 PB. Lucky man!
Ferrari 250 GT SWB, s/n 3401 GT, sold last year at the Monaco RM sale for $3,188,000.
The LC2 was Lancia’s attempt to break the Porsche dominance in the World Sportscar Manufacturers Championship in the early 80’s but the car suffered reliability problems.
Iso Rivolta, that racing four passenger.
Bizzarrini 5300 GT.
De Tomaso Pantera.
Maserati Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’ of Max Werner started on pole but suffered an early failure.
Osella PA 6 were equipped with BMW or Ford engines of 1.6 or 2.0 liters.
Before building F1 cars, Ligier began its manufacturer activity with coupes (JS 1 & 2) and this sportscar (JS 3), entered at Le Mans in 1971.
Jean Rondeau remains the sole driver in the history of Le Mans to win at the wheel of a car he built himself. It was in 1980 with a machine of this type, the 379.
“Spectacular?” Looks ragged to me, especially in a $3 million car.
“At the limit?” I believe he just exceeded it.
Interesting that this is the “first” race…several years ago I was asked to present a class trophy (having won one myself in ’63) at a two-day Spa vintage race. The tickets were given away at local bars; the sprint races on Saturday were moderately well-attended but the Sunday enduro had almost no spectators. Sure surprised me–I thought any vintage race in Europe packed ’em in.
What a wonderful looking relaxed event .
If we could only get a lineup of half those cars at an Historic event in Australia it would be Christmas !
GD.