The Historic Grand Prix at Zandvoort held this year can be considered as the 10th edition as the event from last year had to be completely changed because of Covid and also the event’s name was changed into Zandvoort Race Classics and no visitors were allowed. This year the original name was back and spectators were welcomed again at circuit Zandvoort.

This fourteenth edition of the Spa Summer Classic, organized by Roadbook events, promised a multitude of races for Touring Cars and GT Cars from the 60s, 70s and 80s as well as a category of Youngtimers, until the beginning of the 2000s. The meeting also welcomed Single Seaters (Formula cars) from the 60s and 70s. and a Caterham race. The whole weekend at Spa had an European flavour, as there were racing teams from Great Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg. Most important race of this weekend is a 3-hour endurance race, on Saturday-evening, for Touring Cars and GTs from before '76.

Covid-19 made it quiet at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Belgian Ardennes for a long time. Finally the organizers of the Spa Six Hours, Roadbook (Alain Defalle and Vincent Collard) got the green light from the government for their traditional long distance race-weekend. Not only the drivers but also the spectators were eager to travel to the 7 kilometre long track. The organizers had chosen a subtitle for the event as well. The motto for the entire weekend was “Spa Six Hours - “The Sound of History”. There were 87 entries for the most important race of this event, the Six Hours race. Some grids of the other races were not as full as in previous years but that’s understandable as the majority of the teams come from the UK and travelling from the UK and back again is still an issue in the light of Covid-19.

Like last year the programme of the Zandvoort Historic Grand Prix had to be changed completely. Traditionally, over sixty percent of the drivers and teams at the Historic Grand Prix are from the UK. The reason was obvious, Covid-19 and the strict rules relating to travel to and from the UK with a mandatory 10-day quarantine. In consultation with Masters Historic Racing and the FIA, it was decided that the classes Masters Historic Formula One, Masters Endurance Legends and the FIA Historic Formula 3 European Cup, amongst others, would not be present at the originally scheduled Historic Grand Prix 2021.

The MG Magnette K3 currently owned by John and Helen Gillett is chassis number K3 030 and better known as the ex Bira car. It was manufactured in 1933/34 and was the last to leave the the factory. It was originally ordered by and painted red for the Italian racing driver Pelligrini for his entry in the 1935 Mille Miglia race.  However, Mussolini banned its import and the sale lapsed. In late 1934 or early 1935 it was purchased by Prince Chula Chakrabongse of Siam (the White Mouse Racing Team) for his cousin, Prince Birabongse (Bira).

After four months of renovation and improvement, the legendary Zandvoort track was ready for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the return of the FIA Formula 1 race was cancelled. For the same reason the Historic Grand Prix couldn’t be held in the usual way. Initially, the 9th HGP was announced as primarily a drivers event, but fortunately a few thousand spectators were also admitted, ensuring a much more pleasant atmosphere.

This extraordinary collection of photographs was taken from the Dacre Stubbs Collection of early English and Australian Motorsport images. Brighton (UK) Speed Trials 1947

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit was created in the early 20’s using the streets of the three villages Malmedy, Stavelot and Francorchamps. The Spa-Francorchamps Circuit Museum was opened to the public in 1984. Since 2002, it has been part of the ETC (Espace-Tourisme-Culture) museum complex located in the Abbey of Stavelot, which also houses the Museum of the Principality and the Guillaume Apollinaire Museum.

Located at the heart of the Belgian Ardennes forest lies one of the most beautiful circuits in the world, the circuit of Spa Francorchamps. Similar to the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Spa circuit was built into a hilly landscape in the 1920s. Although it has been adapted to modern requirements over the past decades, it has lost nothing of its appeal. For motorsport with classic vehicles, Spa-Francorchamps is also an ideal venue. The most interesting European event for nostalgic petrol heads is the Spa Six Hours weekend. This year the 27th Spa Six Hours weekend, organised by the Road Book Organisation, took place from the 25th to the 29th of September 2019. More than 650 historic racing cars are competing again in various race classes. The absolute highlight of the weekend is the long distance race - the Spa Six Hours.

The eighth edition of the Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort was again a great historic racing event for all classic car enthusiasts. During three days, races were held for twelve different race series and four demonstration runs were organised. Touring cars, GTs, sports cars and formula cars from several decades drove the 4.3 kilometre circuit in the dunes. The visitors enjoyed the rich history of motorsport in all its facets, both on the track, behind the track and in the parking areas. During the previous seven years we were a bid spoiled with lovely late summer weather and Friday was indeed a sunny day but Saturday and Sunday there were some heavy rain showers.