Last year, we paid our first visit to the Spa Summer Classic. This meeting then took place in the middle of summer ( the name says it all ). For this edition, there was a change in Francorchamps’ calendar and the Summer Classic was moved from July to April.
The designation “Summer” was perhaps a bit optimistic with temperatures, which at the start of the meeting, were just above freezing at night in the Spa-Francorchamps region. After that, there was a rise to ten degrees after all.
The programme had also undergone some changes. Last year’s BMW Bimmer race was no longer on the schedule but in its place was the German “Tourenwagen Legenden” series featuring mainly old DTM and STW cars. The Spa Summer Classic was also the start for our national Belcar Historic championship. The meeting was further complemented by a 3-hour race for GTs and Touring Cars and some Dutch races such as the Colmore Youngtimer Championship and the Dutch Championship for Historic Touring Cars and GTs. With organisers from Belgium, Germany, UK and especially the Netherlands, this was still a fairly international event.
TOURING CAR LEGENDS
The name says it all: this is a series for touring cars mainly from the former DTM and STW ( e.g. BMW M3 and Mercedes 190E ). But GT cars are also allowed and so we inevitably end up with the Porsche 911. This both in Cup , GT2 and GT3 Cup versions.
With a BMW M1 Procar, there was another GT competitor. Perhaps a car that belongs more in the DRM Revival series but this M1, with its M88 engine, did provide the nicest sound of all the participating cars.
Surely this German series, not to be confused with the Golden Ära organisation, was the topper of the weekend with three races. Among the participants, we also saw many old acquaintances at the start. These included three-time Le Mans winner Klaus Ludwig behind the wheel of his original DTM Mercedes 190e Evo 2. Ex-Formula 1 pilot Christian Danner was also there with an ex DTM/ITC “Class 1” Mercedes C class.
There were even ten of these DTM Mercedes cars at the start. Almost all versions drew present like these Konig-Pilsener or Sonax black AMG factory cars.
Kärcher versions also drove along.
And even a rare Australian championship entrant in Castrol trim.
Then, at BMW, there was four-time Spa 24 hours winner Jean Michel Martin. He teamed up with the now 80-year-old Harald Grohs. Both men shared the wheel of their original 1989 ex Valier DTM BMW M3. This M3 was then sponsored by a Belgian ham manufacturer.
The other BMW of this team was then driven by Eric Van de Poele and Marc Hessel. Both 1987 BMW Juniors shared a 320is. An Italian mini version of the BMW M3.
Danish ex-WEC pilot Christiaan Poulsen signed present with a BMW M3 from his own team.
At Walkenhorst Motorsport, big boss Henri himself was at the wheel of this M3. In the GT3, they may have switched from BMW to Aston Martin but they still do the classic races with a “good old” M3 E 30.
Barro’s Porsche is allowed to start from pole with Werner’s Audi 200 Quattro next to it. But things go wrong in the first corner and both drivers collide. The Porsche remains in the gravel pit of La Source. The Audi is able to continue on its way.
Two laps later it’s the same story: De Borman takes a big hit with his Porsche and also takes Klaus Ludwig’s Mercedes with him. This one has become 50 cm narrower on the right-hand side and will obviously not participate in further activities.
After a long and somewhat chaotic safety car period, during which the safety car even drove around in fourth position among the field, there was a restart. Meanwhile, the Class 1 Mercedes of Danner and Stadler had come from the very back to take first place and drove further and further away from the rest of the field. Two laps before the end, it was over and out when the Mercedes stalled in Blanchimont. The win was there for Barros’ Ford Sierra Cosworth just ahead of Werner’s returning Audi 200 Quattro. Kristian Poulsen got to join the podium with his BMW M3.
There was a nice fifth place for Leonard Batenburg with his M-Technic BMW M3. Leonard was the busiest bee of the weekend, though. He participated, with his BMW, in eight races and three qualifications with both the Tourenwagenlegenden, Belcar and Colmore Series. We can already give it away: he also finished eight times and achieved very nice results. Sometimes a bit hectic where he only just crossed the finish line one race and where he had to go straight to the starting line of the next one.
The second race is scheduled for Saturday morning. Werner’s Audi is first off ahead of Barros’ Sierra. At the very back starts the “Class 1” Mercedes of Christian Danner. This one works its way all the way to the front on three laps and takes over the lead from Werner after a braking out manoeuvre just before La Source. Danner takes a small lead over the Audi but slows down and has to abandon the battle again. Werner drives unopposed to victory ahead of Barros’ Porsche 997 GT2 Cup, which had also made its way through the field. Bezige bei Batenburg finishes in fourth place.
For the third race held later in the day, Werner’s Audi 200 is on pole. Technical problems prevent the Audi from starting. Victory this time goes to the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of Barros ahead of the BMW M3 of Jansen and Abbring. Bezige bei Batenburg crosses the finish line in third place 0.2 sec later. Eric Van de Poele is fourth and Jean Michel Martin comes in twelfth. The super-fast Mercedes of Danner and Stadler has to abandon the race again halfway through, and for the third time of the weekend already.
BELCAR HISTORIC CUP
The level of the Belcar Historic Cup is still on the rise. After the winter period, most of last year’s teams re-registered and yet the organisers were also able to welcome a number of newcomers. In Spa, we saw a starting field of more than 50 cars. And these are not just Belgians. The Dutch and Germans are also coming to participate more and more and we even saw some English and Portuguese registrants in the guest class. All available places were taken with these. A great success for this Belgian organisation.
Among the newcomers, we finally saw the Audi 80 STW Competition make its appearance. Long announced and now this ex Pirro Audi Italia car was there for François Bouillon.
As of now, there is also the participation of two additional BMW 635 CSi models. This 1985 in Lease Plan Juma version comes from at Vink Motorsport and is driven by Dutchman Johannes Schouten.
The colleagues at Qvick Motors had another wider version with a Jim Richards’ Australian-inspired JPS BMW from their Group C era. This BMW Coupé has a widened bodywork ( like the Group 2 versions with us ) but is fitted with the four-valve BMW M 88 engine from the BMW M1. 430 horsepower is currently on the menu. The car was just finished and made its roll out at Francorchamps with pilot Juri Vannieuwenborgh at the wheel.
With a similar motorisation, the BMW 5 series E28 was also equipped. This Marlboro-clad M5 driven by Evertjan Albers of at Atrex also made its racing debut. Recently, we had another BMW 5 series in our coverage with a Group A BMW 528i. The M5 was race-ready but did not yet have all the planned evolutions. This family car is definitely an added value in the starting field.
At the St Paul Racing team, the Ford Capri 2600 RS Weslake was set aside and it was replaced by a faster 3100 RS Cosworth for Dieter Kuijl. Father and son will therefore be driving identical equipment from now on. The new Cosworth does stand in a different, ex DRM Weisberg, version.
Our by now famous Go Pro camera was allowed to drive with this new addition of the St. Paul’s team during the qualifications of the Belcar. Dieter Kuijl drove to seventh place with a time of 2.44.445. Feel free to take a look and enjoy one of the most beautiful circuits in the world and the sound of the Cosworth Ford engine.
In qualifying, Eric Qvick drove the fastest time with his Bastos/Fina BMW 320i Supertourer. The E36 BMW became slightly faster during the winters and narrowly beat Luc Branckaerts’ Corvette C4. Unfortunately, the BMW was put 35 places backwards because the start of the first race was taken by Dirk Van Rompuy who had not qualified the car.
The first race was run on Saturday afternoon. At the start, Tim Kuyl makes another attempt to get past the Corvette but on the Francorchamps straights the BMW is at a disadvantage. A long safety car period brings the field together again. Wim Kuijl, after a breakdown in qualifying, had meanwhile rejoined the leading group from the very back. It is also he who will come closest to the Corvette after the restart. But he falls 2.7 seconds short and will finish second.
German guest driver Michael Wittke finished third with his Porsche 911 Carrera RSR ahead of brand-mate Luc Moortgat with his 964 specimen. Our friend Batenberg works another great race with his BMW M3 and finishes in sixth place. Dirk Van Rompuy is able to make up twenty places with his BMW 320i STW and still finishes fifteenth.
The Belcar Historic Cup may close the meeting on Sunday afternoon with their second race. And this time there is a nice duel between the Corvette of Branckaerts and the Capri of Wim Kuijl. It lasts even into the very last corner of the bus stop where both bantams miss steering and shoot straight ahead. The Capri finds a slightly shorter route and emerges victorious. A trio of BMWs follow next with Tim Kuijl first making it through with his 325i ahead of Eric Qvick’s STW 320i. Leonard Batenburg finishes fifth, ending a very busy and successful weekend with eight starts and as many arrivals. Nice performance from both pilot and his BMW M3.
NK GT & TC incl TRIUMPH COMPETITION
The Dutch Championship for GTs and Touring Cars is to our neighbours to the north what the Belcar Historic is to Belgium. The starting field there is a little less this year though and because of this a series with Triumphs had been added.
The St. Paul team, mentioned earlier in the Belcarhistoric, is going a bit more international this year and is also taking part in this championship with both Capri’s. And the Dutch level is clearly lower than in Belcar, as both Capri’s stand head and shoulders above the rest of the starting field. In qualifying, Wim Kuijl drove ten seconds faster than the first pursuer, the BMW 30 CSL of Cees Lubbers.
As in Belcar, there are two races per meeting. The first race, after Wim’s bad luck, is won by Dieter Kuijl’s Capri ahead of Lubbers’ BMW which follows more than 2 minutes later.
With Floris Fick, another Belcar competitor finished a nice fourth. His BMW 2002 is a midfield car in Belcar but here the podium was not far off.
Lubbers’ BMW 30CSL no longer appears at the start of the second race. With no opposition, the win this time went to Wim Kuijl’s Capri. St Paul’s other Ford had dropped out after seven laps.
SUPERSIXTIES
As the name kind of says it itself, this series is for cars from the 1960s, and both GTs and Touring cars are allowed to participate. They are the type of cars that take part in the Spa Six Hours. This Dutch organisation sets up two 40-minute races for this purpose.
In both races, there is no limit to Bob Stevens’ little Lotus Elan, which gets to sit on the top step of the podium twice.
In the first race, this Shelby Cobra Daytona of Olivier Douglas is a nice second. This series does provide spectacle and plenty of door-to-door battles between the competitors.
CLASSIC SPORTS CAR CLUB
And the English had also descended en masse to the Summer Classic this time. Surely, after some difficult years with Covid and Brexit, this was a great sign for the future. The regulations for this series must not be a thick tome. If the car has four wheels, a steering wheel and a throttle you are definitely allowed to start.
This obviously makes for a very diverse starting field with, for example, a Ferrari 488 GT Challenge or a Lamborghini Uracan Trofeo at the top. A KTM, some Porsche 911s and a mob of M3 BMWs also competed. Besides this heavy violence, there were also Fiat 500 Abarths, Honda Civics, Renault Clios and several Caterhams. With 65 participants, this was certainly a fine series.
And the “fat bins” were also up against Steve Nutall’s Caterham. He won both 40-minute races. In a hotly contested first race, he was only 1 second ahead of Bird’s Porsche.
HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP ‘65
With only 15 participants, this was the least occupied series of the weekend. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be exciting. The two Ford GTs present battled each other throughout the first race and crossed the finish line side by side. The rest of the field cannot make a fist against this violence. Sanchez wins the first race. Griesemann’s other Ford GT crashed out in the second race, giving Sanchez the double.
COLMORE YOUNGTIMER TOURING CAR CHALLENGE
This Dutch organisation always provides a very large number of participants. A bit like its English colleagues, there is a very diverse starting field. Besides the ever-present Porsche 911 and BMW M3 models, we also see a number of “speciallekes” with quite a few home-made models.
The BMW 325 Compressor is one of those. And it is even the fastest of all the BMWs present too.
This ex-Transam and fire-breathing Oldsmobile is definitely one of the series’ tastemakers.
The “Group 44” inspired Triumph TR8 ( a TR7 with V8 engine ! ) is also a nice touch.
This impressive Dodge Challenger provided an American touch alongside a number of Corvettes.
And it doesn’t always have to be big machines that provide the spectacle. This little Renault Clio had economical tyre wear !
This series also provides the first lumps of the weekend. Swiss Roger Bolinger goes off track on the very first lap of qualifying and has to return to the pits with his SCCA Pontiac Transam. The Pontiac cannot be repaired and after just one lap it is straight back to Switzerland for this unlucky driver.
At the very front of the field, Walter Hoffman’s Mclaren MC1 had no measure. He won all three races of the weekend. In the first race just ahead of Hauri’s BMW 325 Compressor and Harding’s Zakspeed Escort.
In the second race, there is again little opposition for Hoffman due to a retirement of Hauri’s BMW. The Zakspeed Ford does finish third again but second place this time is for the fat Oldsmobile.
The Oldsmobile is on form this time as pilot Markus Key achieves another podium in the third race with third place. Second place this time is for an ex V8 Star “BMW” driven by Coen Vink.
The Spa Summer Classic is a very nice event with some cars you won’t easily come across at other meetings. The real car enthusiasts enjoy it and every year we see quite a few small private teams preparing and preparing their cars with a lot of passion. The collegiality between the teams is also quite high. In case of breaks or defects, they often look for a solution together. Anyone who has not yet visited the show should definitely do so next time. Admission is still free.
