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Spa Six Hours 2010
Written by Guus Docen
This year it’s the 18th edition of The Spa Six Hours event. Down the years this excellent meeting has grown to be one of the most interesting and biggest historic race-events in Europe.
Attending the Spa Six Hours for the last 7 years I have experienced the changeability of the weather in the Ardennes so before taking off from Holland I looked at the weather reports and they didn’t look too promising so I was prepared for rain. Arriving Friday morning at Francorchamps it had just started raining but in the afternoon it became dry. Saturday the weather turned out fine but during the six hour race at just after eightin the evening it started to rain and it poured down heavily for the final ninety minutes of the race. Sunday was even worse as it rained almost the whole day.
Six Hours Endurance Race
The undeniable top of the bill for this meeting was the Spa Six Hours endurance race, held on Saturday from 16.00 through to 22.00hrs. The entry list for this race saw a record entry of no less than 109 cars. Every year it seems that Jaguar E Types, Ford Mustangs, AC Cobras and Ford GT40s are getting more favourable to take part in this event. MGBs, TR4s and Healeys are always entered but the previous massive participation of Porsche 911s was reduced to five cars this year. The ever decreasing number of touring cars such as Lotus Cortinas and BMW 1800 is a touch worrying.
The qualifying session was on Friday evening and Ford GT40’s set the pace. The Pole position was claimed by Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield with a lap time of 2:53.660 followed by the nr. 17 Ford GT40 of Richard Meins and Chris Lillingstone-Price. The front row was completed by the TVR Griffith of Shipman, Hales and Reuben. Former winners of this race Jon and Jason Mishaw and Martin Stretton qualified their completely rebuilt Jaguar E-Type on the fourth row. This is not their well-known Low Drag E-Type but a 1962 E-Type imported from the USA and race-prepared at Valley Motorsport. On the entry list was the name of the winner of the Indy 500 and double CART champion Bobby Rahal. Together with Tarek Mahmoud and Gregoire Audi, he managed to qualify a Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 on 38th place of the starting grid.
The race started in dry conditions at 16.30 hrs. on Saturday afternoon. A raging battle between the three Ford GT40s lasted until lap 33 when the leading GT40 of Voyazides/Hadfield had to enter the pits. So the challenge for the lead and victory became an open battle between the three GT40’s, two Jaguar E-Types and the Aston Martin DB4 GT driven by Peter Thornton, David Garrett and Adrian Willmott. On lap 54 Voyazides/Hadfield regained the lead but as it started raining heavily around eight o’clock all cars visited the pits to change tyres and so the top three order changed. On lap 85 the well prepared E-Type of Minshaw/Minshaw/Stretton took the lead followed by the two GT40s. This trio clinched the victory in the 6 Hours of Spa for the third time with the E-Type which had its racing debut just a few months before. Voyazides and Simon Hadfield finished just 1 minute and 16 seconds behind and taking third place on the podium was Richard Meins and Chris Lillingstone-Price. Fourth place overall went to the superb Aston Martin DB 4 GT (with a damaged left door) driven by Thornton, Garrett and Willmott. Bobby Rahal finished the race 66th overall.
Stirling Moss Trophy
New for 2010, Motor Racing Legends has launched a brand-new series of historic races: the Stirling Moss Trophy, inspired by the success of the one-off race of the same name at the Algarve in October last year. The series is for genuine, pre-1961 sportscars and sports-racers. The aim is to offer the most authentic historic motor racing possible, with longer, two-driver races at high-profile meetings such as the Spa Six Hours. Some very pretty and fast sports cars were entered such as Cooper Bobtails and Monacos, Jaguar D-Types, Lister Jaguars (Costin and Knobbly), Lolas Mk I, Lotus types Elite, XI, XV and XVII. It was a weekend of triumph for the small Lotus 15s because of the damp conditions. Danny Wright took first place on the podium after a sixty-one minute race on Saturday. Roger Wills and Joe Twyman finished second in their Lotus XV, and third place on the podium went to Grahame and Oliver Bryant in a Lotus 15. The pole-sitting Lister Jaguar Costin of Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson fared less well in the wet conditions and finally finished in sixth place overall. U2TC (Touring cars under 2 litres)
Just like the European Touring Car Championship in the sixties this battle was between the Lotus Cortinas, BMW 1800Ti/Tisa and Alfa GTA 1600. The qualification was on a wet track and Richard Shaw and Jacky Oliver were fastest in their BMW 1800 Tisa followed by… a Mini Cooper S driven by Nick Swift and Ron Maydon. On Saturday this one hour race was held on a dry track and within seconds the Mini Cooper was overtaken by the Cortinas, Alfas and BMWs. The most exciting battle was at the back of the field between four Lotus Cortinas. This exciting race was won by Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield (Lotus Cortina). Second place on the podium went to Richard Postins BMW 1800Ti) and the Ford Lotus Cortina of José Beltramelli finished third.
World SportsCar Masters
New 2010 is the World Sportscar Masters sixth season, this series promises most exhilarating racing from the Group 4 period of endurance racing. Covering a wide range of evocative and powerful sports cars, from Ferrari to Lola T70s, Chevrons B8 to B16, Abarths to Lola T212, all running on Dunlop period treated tyres. Forty-five cars were entered for the sixty-one minute race on Sunday The race started under aquatic conditions and the Lola T70 driven by Coplow/Stretton kept the lead for three laps. For several laps the top three places changed but on lap 13 American driver Bobby Rahal (Lola T212) showed his skills,took the lead and kept it until the end of the race. However, he was penalised with a 30 second penalty by the race control for having carried out a pitstop one lap too late ! So Jason Minshaw and the Dutchman David Hart (Lola T70) were the winners 2 seconds ahead of the Abarth Osella of the Brit Richard Evans. Despite his penalty, Bobby Rahal took third place on the podium. Arbuthnot Latham race for Historic Grand Prix Cars
Always an eyecatcher is the race for historic Grand Prix Cars, the front engined cars like the Cooper-Bristols and Maseratis 250Fs were outnumbered by the massive entry of rear engined Lotus and Cooper cars. During qualifying the rear-engined A Mc Caigs 1961 Cooper T53 was 3 seconds faster then the 1959 Cooper T51 driven by Roger Wills. On the second row was John Clarks Cooper T51 and Andrew Smiths Cooper T51. Immediately from the start of 1st race on Saturday the lead was in the hands of New Zealander Roger Wills who won the race followed by the Cooper T51 from John Clark. Third place went to Andrew Smith in his 1957 Cooper T43. The results from the second race on Sunday were exactly in the same order.
RAC Woodcote Trophy
For the RAC Woodcote Trophy, driving conditions were far from good. Apart from heavy rain there was also an oil slick left round the track from the previous race. The organisers decided to start the race with a safety car in front to enable the drivers to become accustomed to the conditions. Moving up from second on the grid to hold the top spot for eight laps was Patrick Watts in his Allard J2, until an engine problem appeared. Gavin Pickering and Spencer Marsh (Jaguar D-Type) took over the lead but they were hunted by another D-Type driven by Gary Pearson and Carlos Monteverde. The latters took the chequered flag, although the D-Type only regained the lead five laps from the end of the one-hour race. Just eight seconds later the Jaguar C-type of Will Arif and Alex Buncombe passed the white line. Despite engine problems Patrick Watts finished the race in third place. Formula Junior UK Championship race
Several Formula Junior championships are held in Europe so there is an enormous interest for racing these small and fast monopostos. The FIA Lurani Trophy is probably the most famous of these championships. This weekend at Spa it was a race for the UK FJ championship. German driver Roland Fischer won the first race on Saturday in a 1970 Tecno, David Methley finished second in a 1969 Merlyn Mk14a. It was a neck and neck contest again between Fischer and Methley during the race on Sunday but eventually it ended in Davids favour for overall victory.
Grand Prix Masters F1
Competitors of the Grand Prix Master weren’t lucky this weekend at Spa. For the first race on Saturday various competitors chose rain tyres although the track was dry at the start of the race. But shortly after the start the rain started and the drivers on slicks were called in to the pits immediately for tyre change. Fastest in practice Ron Austin (1982 Arrows A3-3) won the race followed by the Tyrrell 009 of Bill Coombs. Sunday afternoon the weather was dreadful, even rain tyres weren’t sufficient to cope with the amount on water. For this kind of racing conditions flood tyres were needed ! The race lasted just three laps as the pace car was in front for most of the laps. Once again Rob Austin claimed the victory. The sensational driving style of Bill Coombs around Les Combes was a joy for both eyes and ears !
Masters Gentleman Drivers
The last race of this weekend was the 121 minute race open to GT’s and roadsters built before 1963. An impressive starting grid with more than 70 cars such as 5 AC Cobras, 10 Jaguar E-Types, 5 Corvettes, 6 Healeys, 2 Bizzarrinis and several Morgans and Lotus Elites. During practice Gary Pearson (Jaguar E Type) was 16 seconds faster than number two on the grid Claudio Monteverde (AC Cobra). Third on the grid was the Bizzarrini A3C driven by Alberto Francioni and Fredy Barth. This race was driven on from the start a soaking wet track and it rained from the beginning to the end. From lap 1 until lap 15 Francioni/Barth were in the lead, but from lap 21 Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield (AC Cobra) climbed back up into first place. They kept the lead and took the top place on the podium. A nice surprise for Leo Voyazides who was celebrating his 62nd birthday at Francorchamps. Oliver Bryant finished second also in an AC Cobra. the English rally drivers Haddon and Lockyear (E-Type Jaguar) finished third. Until next year !
Despite the dreadful Ardennes autumn weather it was again one of the most appreciated and authentic historic race meetings this year. The millions of pounds worth of classic racing cars driven to the limit under these hazard conditions is just amazing. The Spa 6 Hours 2011 is well worth marking in your diary for next year. The weather conditions can only be better ! Videos of the weekend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVzopg28RKE&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=wE8juA2LefE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPAZTHnHrvk&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=xa4NIWGrOb8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llZBOHKIiE8&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=FxuL0oIAIYY
The undeniable top of the bill for this meeting was the Spa Six Hours endurance race, held on Saturday from 16.00 through to 22.00hrs. The entry list for this race saw a record entry of no less than 109 cars. Every year it seems that Jaguar E Types, Ford Mustangs, AC Cobras and Ford GT40s are getting more favourable to take part in this event. MGBs, TR4s and Healeys are always entered but the previous massive participation of Porsche 911s was reduced to five cars this year. The ever decreasing number of touring cars such as Lotus Cortinas and BMW 1800 is a touch worrying.
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Winner of the 6 Hours Race E-Type |
Elva GT-160 in the 6 Hours Race |
Lightweight Elans and powerful Jaguar in the 6 Hours Race |
Waiting at the petrol station during the 6 Hours Race |
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| Lotus 15 winners of the Stirling Moss Trophy |
Lister Knobbly Jaguar in Stirling Moss Trophy |
Massive entry of Lotus Cortinas in the U2TC race |
Swiftune prepared Cooper S. engine |
New for 2010, Motor Racing Legends has launched a brand-new series of historic races: the Stirling Moss Trophy, inspired by the success of the one-off race of the same name at the Algarve in October last year. The series is for genuine, pre-1961 sportscars and sports-racers. The aim is to offer the most authentic historic motor racing possible, with longer, two-driver races at high-profile meetings such as the Spa Six Hours. Some very pretty and fast sports cars were entered such as Cooper Bobtails and Monacos, Jaguar D-Types, Lister Jaguars (Costin and Knobbly), Lolas Mk I, Lotus types Elite, XI, XV and XVII. It was a weekend of triumph for the small Lotus 15s because of the damp conditions. Danny Wright took first place on the podium after a sixty-one minute race on Saturday. Roger Wills and Joe Twyman finished second in their Lotus XV, and third place on the podium went to Grahame and Oliver Bryant in a Lotus 15. The pole-sitting Lister Jaguar Costin of Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson fared less well in the wet conditions and finally finished in sixth place overall. U2TC (Touring cars under 2 litres)
Just like the European Touring Car Championship in the sixties this battle was between the Lotus Cortinas, BMW 1800Ti/Tisa and Alfa GTA 1600. The qualification was on a wet track and Richard Shaw and Jacky Oliver were fastest in their BMW 1800 Tisa followed by… a Mini Cooper S driven by Nick Swift and Ron Maydon. On Saturday this one hour race was held on a dry track and within seconds the Mini Cooper was overtaken by the Cortinas, Alfas and BMWs. The most exciting battle was at the back of the field between four Lotus Cortinas. This exciting race was won by Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield (Lotus Cortina). Second place on the podium went to Richard Postins BMW 1800Ti) and the Ford Lotus Cortina of José Beltramelli finished third.
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| Start of World SportsCar Masters Race |
World SportsCar Masters Bobby Rahal in Lola T.212 |
Lotus 18, Cooper T51 and Cooper Bristol |
McLaren M4A in HSCC race |
New 2010 is the World Sportscar Masters sixth season, this series promises most exhilarating racing from the Group 4 period of endurance racing. Covering a wide range of evocative and powerful sports cars, from Ferrari to Lola T70s, Chevrons B8 to B16, Abarths to Lola T212, all running on Dunlop period treated tyres. Forty-five cars were entered for the sixty-one minute race on Sunday The race started under aquatic conditions and the Lola T70 driven by Coplow/Stretton kept the lead for three laps. For several laps the top three places changed but on lap 13 American driver Bobby Rahal (Lola T212) showed his skills,took the lead and kept it until the end of the race. However, he was penalised with a 30 second penalty by the race control for having carried out a pitstop one lap too late ! So Jason Minshaw and the Dutchman David Hart (Lola T70) were the winners 2 seconds ahead of the Abarth Osella of the Brit Richard Evans. Despite his penalty, Bobby Rahal took third place on the podium. Arbuthnot Latham race for Historic Grand Prix Cars
Always an eyecatcher is the race for historic Grand Prix Cars, the front engined cars like the Cooper-Bristols and Maseratis 250Fs were outnumbered by the massive entry of rear engined Lotus and Cooper cars. During qualifying the rear-engined A Mc Caigs 1961 Cooper T53 was 3 seconds faster then the 1959 Cooper T51 driven by Roger Wills. On the second row was John Clarks Cooper T51 and Andrew Smiths Cooper T51. Immediately from the start of 1st race on Saturday the lead was in the hands of New Zealander Roger Wills who won the race followed by the Cooper T51 from John Clark. Third place went to Andrew Smith in his 1957 Cooper T43. The results from the second race on Sunday were exactly in the same order.
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Woodcote Trophy 1950 Allard J2 and Jaguar D-Type |
Woodcote Trophy 1952 Aston Martin DB2 |
Woodcote Trophy Porsche 356, Triumph TR2 and Osca MT4 |
Formula Junior 1970 Tecno F3 |
For the RAC Woodcote Trophy, driving conditions were far from good. Apart from heavy rain there was also an oil slick left round the track from the previous race. The organisers decided to start the race with a safety car in front to enable the drivers to become accustomed to the conditions. Moving up from second on the grid to hold the top spot for eight laps was Patrick Watts in his Allard J2, until an engine problem appeared. Gavin Pickering and Spencer Marsh (Jaguar D-Type) took over the lead but they were hunted by another D-Type driven by Gary Pearson and Carlos Monteverde. The latters took the chequered flag, although the D-Type only regained the lead five laps from the end of the one-hour race. Just eight seconds later the Jaguar C-type of Will Arif and Alex Buncombe passed the white line. Despite engine problems Patrick Watts finished the race in third place. Formula Junior UK Championship race
Several Formula Junior championships are held in Europe so there is an enormous interest for racing these small and fast monopostos. The FIA Lurani Trophy is probably the most famous of these championships. This weekend at Spa it was a race for the UK FJ championship. German driver Roland Fischer won the first race on Saturday in a 1970 Tecno, David Methley finished second in a 1969 Merlyn Mk14a. It was a neck and neck contest again between Fischer and Methley during the race on Sunday but eventually it ended in Davids favour for overall victory.
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Formula Junior 1964 Alexis HF 802 |
Grand Masters 1976 Williams FW05 |
Grand Prix Masters 1968 BRM P126 and 1983 Ligier JS21 |
Italian E-type in the Gentlemen Drivers Race |
Competitors of the Grand Prix Master weren’t lucky this weekend at Spa. For the first race on Saturday various competitors chose rain tyres although the track was dry at the start of the race. But shortly after the start the rain started and the drivers on slicks were called in to the pits immediately for tyre change. Fastest in practice Ron Austin (1982 Arrows A3-3) won the race followed by the Tyrrell 009 of Bill Coombs. Sunday afternoon the weather was dreadful, even rain tyres weren’t sufficient to cope with the amount on water. For this kind of racing conditions flood tyres were needed ! The race lasted just three laps as the pace car was in front for most of the laps. Once again Rob Austin claimed the victory. The sensational driving style of Bill Coombs around Les Combes was a joy for both eyes and ears !
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1965 GilbernGT1800 in the Gentlemen Drivers Race |
Voyazides/Hadfield won Gentlemen Drivers Race |
Second and third place for Bryant and Haddon |
1963 Morgan SLR |
The last race of this weekend was the 121 minute race open to GT’s and roadsters built before 1963. An impressive starting grid with more than 70 cars such as 5 AC Cobras, 10 Jaguar E-Types, 5 Corvettes, 6 Healeys, 2 Bizzarrinis and several Morgans and Lotus Elites. During practice Gary Pearson (Jaguar E Type) was 16 seconds faster than number two on the grid Claudio Monteverde (AC Cobra). Third on the grid was the Bizzarrini A3C driven by Alberto Francioni and Fredy Barth. This race was driven on from the start a soaking wet track and it rained from the beginning to the end. From lap 1 until lap 15 Francioni/Barth were in the lead, but from lap 21 Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield (AC Cobra) climbed back up into first place. They kept the lead and took the top place on the podium. A nice surprise for Leo Voyazides who was celebrating his 62nd birthday at Francorchamps. Oliver Bryant finished second also in an AC Cobra. the English rally drivers Haddon and Lockyear (E-Type Jaguar) finished third. Until next year !
Despite the dreadful Ardennes autumn weather it was again one of the most appreciated and authentic historic race meetings this year. The millions of pounds worth of classic racing cars driven to the limit under these hazard conditions is just amazing. The Spa 6 Hours 2011 is well worth marking in your diary for next year. The weather conditions can only be better ! Videos of the weekend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVzopg28RKE&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=wE8juA2LefE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPAZTHnHrvk&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=xa4NIWGrOb8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llZBOHKIiE8&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=FxuL0oIAIYY