-
font size decrease font size
increase font size
Spa-Francorchamps Summer Classic, June 12-14 2008
Written by Guus Docen
Just like the very exciting Six Hours meeting held at the end of September, the Summer Classic is organised by the Roadbook Organisation. This meeting was the Summer Classics premiere.Various categories of historic and classic cars took part. Grand Prix cars of the 50's and 60's, historic Formula 2 and Formula Junior, Sport Racing cars, Touring Cars and GTs, the Masters Top Hat All Series and the R&M Spirit of 9 Hours.
|
|
|
|
| 4 Hour Race, just after the start | Spinning Elva Mk 8 | Ford GT40 | Ford Shelby Mustang |
Highlight of the weekend was the Long-Distance Cup, a 4-hour race with almost 50 cars competing. Paul Knapfield and Simon Hadfield (Elva Mk8) qualified first on the starting grid.Second to qualify was the Danish equipe Ringstrom with a 1986 Swift DB2. Third were Lynn/Clark with their Ford GT40. Last year winners of the Six Hours race René Herzog and Hans Hugenholtz were placed on the fifth row with their Shelby Mustang. The Elva of Knapfield spun at Raidillon following the uphill righthander after EauRouge on lap two and finished the race seventh. The winners were Lynn/Clark in their Ford GT40 followed by the Porsche 911 of Marcy/DeVille.
|
|
|
|
| Sandford S Grand Sport 1927 | Sandford S Grand Sport 1927 | Maserati 4CM | Maserati 4CM & Cooper Bristol |
A pre war Morgan three wheeler look-a-like was parked behind the new Formula One pit building, the Sandford marque visible on the grille. Could this be a British rival to the Morgan ? The answer is almost certainly yes because it was a French marque ! In the early 1920s the Englishman Stewart Sandford moved to Paris and found a job selling Morgans. When customers began requesting more powerful Morgans ,Sandford saw an opportunity to start his own brand. These sporting cars were made from 1923 to 1936 in a facility near Paris. So this explains the British name. This 1927 type S Grand Sport is powered by a 4 cylinder 1098 cc Ruby engine with three-speed transmission, chain driven to the rear wheel and capable of a top speed of 85 mph.
|
|
|
|
| Maserati 250F-CM7 | ERA R4D cockpit | ERA R4D | Ferrari Dino |
|
|
|
|
| Alfa Tipo B | Cooper T43 | Frazer Nash le Mans | Aston Martin DB3S |
|
|
|
|
| TVR Griffith | Brabham BT28 Formula Junior.JPG | Austin A30 and Sunbeam Rapier | Mini Cooper S |
The Arbuthnot Latham sponsored Historic Grand Prix Car race featured 32 cars on the grid, seven Cooper Bristols, Coopers T45s and T53s, Lotus 18 and 24, Alfa Romeo P3, Mac Hulbert in ERA R4D,Tony Smiths wonderful Ferrari Dino and several other beautiful thoroughbreds. It can’t be said too often that the historic meetings at Spa-Franchorchamps organised by Roadbook offer a fantastic race-weekend for both drivers and visitors. My advice to all historic car enthusiasts from Belgium and surrounding countries is to make a note in their diary for 26, 27 and 28 September to visit the Spa Six Hours. Find your way to Spa-Francorchamps !
|
|
|
|
| Lotus 18 | Lotus 17 Prototype | Osca MT4 | BMW 2002 Ti |