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Proximus 24 hour Spa-Francorchamps GT Race and LG Super racing weekend
Or the alternative title could be: How much can you do in a week in Belgium?
2003 Spa-Francorchamps 24hr race
Spa-Francorchamps 24 hrs web site is http://www.proximus24hours.com/
Villa Trips web site is http://www.automobil-rennsport.de/
copy into Google search engine to translate web site
I have Tony and Neil giving directions from the back seat. Tony will not give up the passenger seat for anybody. He is the person you see scattering out the way old ladies so he can sit beside the coach driver. David has Ann in his Porsche, Selwyn has jumped ship and is now Tony (Z3) passenger. But it seems to make no difference to Selwyn getting his “1hr of sleep in the afternoon is worth a good six hrs at night”, because all you see when you look in the rear mirror is the top of his head as he is fast asleep when travelling 100MPH in the open top Z3. We find Horren and stop in the bus stop so Neil can pop out ask in the shop where the von Trips museum is? What luck, turn left at main < traffic lights and take the first left again signposted Villa Trips, bingo we are there. As we drive up the long driveway to Villa Trips and turn into the car park there are a lot of ADAC cars parked. We make our way up the stairs and we are greeted in English, how do know? "We don’t get many English number plates visiting here was the reply". The museum leader Mr Christopher Louis charges just 2 euros (normally 4 euros ) each to enter the Museum, but not only that he offers to take us around and explain some of the items.
Wednesday 23rd July 2003
After our group meeting up the night before, we all board our 7am ferries. After a bit of sight seeing tour we arrive at our base for the week at 3pm. There to greet us are Ann and Neil Leigh. They now run a B&B in a quiet village Moulin du Ruy, 10 minutes from Spa-Francorchamps . As most club members may know, Ann and Neil were very active in the Wessex region of the BMW Car Club and Neil’s love of Motorbikes lead him to be The BMW Club, Club Europa representative. After settling in our rooms and having our first beer of the trip we are informed by Neil that we have arrived in time to make our way to Casino square in Spa where all of the entrants and race cars of the 24 hr GT race will be lined up in the street and at 7pm they will start their engines and roar off to the race track.
We all pile into Neil’s Minibus and take the short journey to Spa, remembering the gully across the road, as Selwyn found out with the seat belt clip hitting the spot ! Also on the short trip to Spa we travel up a hill called Col du Rosier, which is on one of the eleven cycle races in the World Cup Classic series. This racecourse being the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and passes though Neil’s village, more on hill later. As we all walk past the oldest Casino in Europe the sight to great us race fans as we look down from the walkway was just fantastic. There before us were many Ferraris, Porsche’s, Vipers, Lamborghini’s, Lister Storms, Lotus Elise, Saleen's, Seat, Morgan Aero 8 and the one and the only BMW a Z3 M coupe, overall over 50 race cars and there was no “jobs worth”, “saying you can’t go there”.
Just before 7pm the main road was cleared and with the crowd standing on the pavement and up the road a little, some were even in the road as they started their engines. Standing a metre away from 50 GT racecars as they scream into life is worth the trip over just for that. They blast off to the racetrack in pairs, but they are soon down to single file as they wheel spin past the spectators. This sight reminds me of the banners that were around the Road Atlanta racetrack when we visited the BMW Car Club America Oktoberfest in 2000, they read, “Racing for the Fans”. Not like F1, which race for them selves. After all the racecars had departed we made our way over to a local hostelry for a drink. On the way back to Ann & Neil’s, we are taken on a trip around the old Spa track and also shown around the track to get accustom to the layout for tomorrow. Ann hands out our race passes and our Proximus hospitality pass with maps of the racetrack, in the mean time Neil is showing off the electric fly swatter bat and explaining the cool box and beers, time for bed.
The group now start to get into the morning routine. Tony Calvert and Selwyn Frostick are up early to switch on the coffee machine and have the first smoke of the day. Tony Pratt, David Brentnall and myself come down for a coffee outside on the Patio. Then up for a shower and brush up before breakfast, at this time Barry is still “sawing logs” as Tony calls it. Barry and Ann Gordge join us in time for breakfast. After breakfast, Neil is showing our group his Ex Grand Prix RG 500 Suzuki motorbike. Tony Pratt climbs on board and looks the part. David is interested in the cycles in the garage. David is a keen cyclist racer and there is soon a race between Neil and him up and down the quite road outside. We then take our cars in to Francorchamps and park up. We visit the two model shops and then head down the hill for the short walk to enter the racetrack at La Source corner.
We watch from the main grandstand the GT practice, we then head to the 24hr village area. They are still putting up some of the stands. A rain shower made us head to the hot dog stall to keep dry while the shower past. Due to the hot weather the ground is soon dry and we head towards the MINI Cooper Challenge pit area. Then we make our way down to Eau Rouge corner, and you have to see the steepness of the hill up to Raidillon to believe it. The television cameras do not do it justice. From there we go under the track to the main pit area in the center of the track. A look around the GT and ETTC pit areas. Checked in with BMW Team Great Britain , spoke to one of the RBM Team mechanics, and he said Andy was not likely to be here until tomorrow. We go over and check in at the Proximus privilege lounge. We are all given a mobile phone shaped rug sack and a travelling clock, which goes nicely with the Proximus mobile phone torch given to us earlier.
The lounge is situated opposite the ETTC pit area, we over look the race at the point which is used for the dummy grids for the GT and ETTC races, but it is the grid that is used for the F1 races because it is flat and not down hill as the grid is on the GT and ETTC races ( more on this later ). We check out the Bus Stop chicane, before we head back for an evening meal, which Ann has prepared. All back in the minibus and we head off to watch the night practice of the GT race cars. Night practice for the GT cars was observed at Combes, Bruxells, Copenhague and the double apex corner Pouhon. Sitting on the bank high above Copenhague corner and seeing the sun disappear below the Ardennes forest on this clear night and having GT cars flash by on full revs was fantastic. The one item that did stick out was the pinpoint lights on the Ferraris that lit up both kerbs as they rushed down between Copenhague to Pouhon. Night practice finished around 11.30pm as we headed back for a beer and bed.
Thursday 24th July
Friday 25th July
The morning starts early for David as he wants to cycle the Col du Rosier hill that is used on the Liege-Bastogne-Liege before breakfast, and he claims he did it in 21 minutes on Neil’s bike and the house number at the top is 62, just to prove he did it. We don’t believe him (only joking David), but at least he switched on the coffee before he went out. After breakfast we all jumped into our cars and head to the historical Museum at La Gleize. La Gleize was in the heart of the Battle of the Bulge in WW2. It was at La Gleize that the 1st Panzer SS Elite division commanded by colonel Jochen Peiper is stopped by the US Army. On December 23rd 1944 Pieper gets the authorization to leave La Gleize. On foot and during the night, Peiper and his 800 men succeed in filtering though American lines to rejoin their own lines.
He abandoned 135 armoured vehicles in La Gleize. We have a group photograph by the Tiger tank outside the museum. Next it was on to Stavelot to check out the Spa-Francorchamps motor museum . The museum is situated beneath the Abbey. There is a fine display of F1 and Touring cars in the museum and is worth a visit if you are in the area. Lunch was taken in the town square. After that David had to bribe the rest of the group with an ice cream on this hot day, so that we would visit a statue just outside Stavelot of the great cyclists Eddy Merckx. Nicked named the Cannibal, because of his insatiable appetite for winning, he won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege 5 times .
In the afternoon we head back to the racetrack and find our cars being directed to the organizers car park! We watch the ETTC qualifying at the Bus Stop chicane. And it is great to report that BMW Team Great Britain driver Andy Priaulx captured Pole position. This is also a home race for the RBM team who run the BMW 320i of BMW Team Great Britain, so every body is happy. I take this opportunely to make my way to the ETTC pits and to congratulate Andy and the team. Andy has been dragged of to the pressroom, but Team Manager Bart Mapaey is there and I congratulate him and the team on behalf of the BMW Car Club GB on getting Pole. With me I have some Photographs that I have taken of the car and Andy at Donington Park at the previous ETTC race. He said it would be O.K. to leave them and he will get Andy to sign them when he gets back.
After arranging a time to collect the pictures I make my way down the pits and spot BMW Team Schnitzer Motorsport Team Manager Charly Lamm doing an interview with a reporter. After he had finished the interview I ask him to sign my Photograph of all the 2003 BMW Team Drivers and Managers being interviewed by Murray Walker at Donington, which he is glad to do. I ask him if he would like to be running the BMW V8 M3s in the 24hr race, and after the Nurburgring 24hr in May debacle, he said, “Yes he would like to win the Spa 24 hr again” . I later went back and collected my signed photographs and wished the team luck for the races tomorrow. We watched the last race of the day, the MINI Cooper Challenge race of 12 laps. The only trouble when you have been watching the GT and ETTC cars practice, they seem to be travelling very slowly.
Today is race day, we park up next to the Spa-Francorchamps Racing Hotel, cost 8 Euros per car for the day. Check in at the Proximus lounge and we are informed the pit walk about is brought forward. We watch the Renault V6 and other races and settled down to watch Race 1 of the two ETTC races. They line up on the dummy grid and move to the starting grid. We check on the start on the televisions in the lounge, Andy goes from pole to tenth before they reach Eau Rouge! Later he said he left the handbrake half on. Due to the down hill slop on the start and not wishing to jump start he just did not take the parking brake fully off.
Saturday 26th July
During the break between the two 8 lap ETTC races, it was time for our GT Pit Walk about. Waving our Proximus armbands we are soon in the pit lane. The GT cars filled the narrow pit garages, time for another group picture as we make our way down to the pit exit at Eau Rouge. We reach there just in time for the start of ETTC race two. This time Andy makes no mistakes and passes Roberto Colciago on the start, and is in the lead on lap two. At this point he just seems to pull away at will. Watching the Touring cars so close to the entry to Eau Rouge it amazed the group that nearly all the cars had four wheels on the grass as they tuned to go up the hill to Raidillon.
But the good news is that he climbed back up to 6th by the finish. This means that due to the rule of reversing the first eight from race one, he would start third on the grid in race two. Race one top 8 were: 1- Gabriele Tarquin (Alfa Romeo), 2- Dirk Muller (Schn itzer BMW), 3- Jorg Muller (Schnitzer BMW), 4- Nicola Larini (Alfa Romeo), 5- Fabrizio Giovanrdi (Ravaglia BMW) 6 – Andy Priaulx (RBM BMW), 7- Duncan Hulsman (Carly BMW), 8- Roberto Colciago (Alfa Romeo).
We could also watch the race on the large TV screen opposite the pits, so we were able to keep up with all the race action. Race two top 8 were: 1- Andy Priaulx (RBM BMW), 2- Nicola Larini (Alfa Romeo), 3- Dirk Muller (Schnitzer BMW), 4- Jorg Muller (Schnitzer BMW), 5- Roberto Colciago (Alfa Romeo), 6- Duncan Hulsman (Carly BMW), 7-Paolo Ruberti (Alfa Romeo), 8- Tom Coronel (Carly BMW). Championships positions after Spa: 1st Gabriele Tarquin (Alfa Romeo) 64pts, 2nd Jorg Muller (Schnitzer BMW) 62pts, 3rd Dirk Muller (Schnitzer BMW) 58pts, = 4th Andy Priaulx (RBM BMW) and Nicola Larini (Alfa Romeo) both on 57pts. Next it was the Start of the GT 24 hour race.
We watched the start from the Proximus lounge.The cars formed up for the rolling start but as they came round at 4pm the red lights did not go out so it was a false start and at 4.10pm the race did get underway. I don’t have web space to give a full report on the 24 hr race (check out 24hr web site ). Just to say the BMW ZMcoupe lasted about 18 laps before it crashed, the other BMW powered car, The Morgan Aero 8 lasted about 4hrs. It rained most of the night, which played in to arms of the N-GT class cars. The speed of the Lister in the down pours looked fast. Time for Beer and Bed.
Sunday 27th July
It was dry when we got up so we headed back to the track. We checked in and got the latest from the race. The number 50 N-GT Freisinger Porsche 911 GT3-RS was still in the lead. Even on the drying track, they kept the lead until the finish. One spectacular accident was with the lead Lister when Campbell-Walter retook the controls and heading to Eau Rouge and the wipers not working he spun on a river of water sending the car into the barrier and flipping the car ending back on all four wheels. After the race finished at 4.10pm we watched the cars that completed the race ( 26 out 52 ) park up and the drivers make their way to the Rostrum. This was maiden victory for a N-GT winning the Spa 24 GT race. Race result: 1st N-GT Freisinger Porsche 911 GT3-RS ( Stephane Orteli/ Marc Lieb/ Romain Dumas) 479 laps, 2nd GT-1 Ferrari 550 Manranello (Fabrizio Gollin/ Luca Cappelari/ Lilan Bryner/ Enzo Calderari) 471 laps, 3rd NGT-2 Sekel Porsche (Andrea Chiesa/ Alex Caffi/ Gabrio Rosa/ Luca Drudi) 470 Laps.
With the racing finished it was time to head back for a BBQ that Neil had waiting for us. Later in the evening we took a stroll down to the village “CAFÉ” which only opens at the weekend, as the owner lives in Brussels and the café is just a hobby. One item in the bar is the leather-racing helmet of Bob Foster, who was the1950 350cc world champion on a Velocette. He earned the name Fearsome, because of his pre war exploits on amongst other bikes the AJS Porcupine, which he tamed. He was a Motorbike dealer in Poole, Dorset, acting as the importer for Moto Guzzi, for whom he also raced. Due to a weak chest he immigrated to South Africa after his retirement and after his death his ashes were placed in the rose garden in Poole. Every year the Velocette owners club have a Bob foster memorial run. I don’t know how his helmet ended up in this bar, but Selwyn tried it on and looked at home in it? He has the face of that era ( only joking ). After partaking of the strong beer it was time to once again stroll through the village, this time passing the Ostriches.
Today is Nordschleife day.Neil agreed to accompany Tony Calvert in his Z3 over to Nurburgring and on the way we stopped at a model shop on the Belgium and German boarder. We arrive at the Nordschleife car parks and they were packed with motorbikes and cars waiting for the track to open at 1pm. We had lunch in the restaurant overlooking the main straight of the Nordschleife. The track is open buy the time we finished lunched. Neil will accompany each of us around as he is a motorbike instructor at the ring, and knows it as well as anybody. I am the first to go with Neil. Barry and Ann are my passengers in the back. With Neil giving the commands, Easly Left, Slow right etc the lap passes all to quick. Next to go is Tony in his Z3, it is his first time at the ring , and you could tell by the large grin on his face that he enjoyed it. While he was out on his lap I go over to the ticket machine and place in the 14 Euros for another lap. Neil has a yearly pass so I did not have to pay for the first lap. In front of me at the ticket machine is TV Channel 4 and Eurosport Rally commentator Jeremy Hart, he was in a Sliver BMW Z8 taking people around the ring. Some other cars there were 2 new BMW M3CSL’s, Zakspeed had a GT Viper there giving rides, a Porsche racing team was there, again giving rides. Then the track was closed due to an off. So we decided to go to the Nurburgring museum and come back later when the track was reopened. On the way to the Museum we stop of at the petrol station to check out the models. While their Jeremy Hart came in to fill up the Z8, this would not be the last time we see him. I accompanied Tony Calvert around the museum, as he was the only member of our group that had not been around it. The others went to bar on the Grand Prix start and finish line and watched the Motorbike teams that were their practicing, race down the straight. In Hall 3 ( BMW ) of the museum the latest addition was the Blue 24hour Nurburgring M3 V8 taking the prime spot under the M film screen. In the car park when we are planning to go back to the Nordschleife we arrange passengers so we do not need to stop but just go up to the entrance put in your ticket and go. Neil is in with Barry in his BMW Z1. I have Tony back as my passenger, Selwyn and Ann are my passengers in the back. We drive straight up and the track is open. I follow Barry on to the track. He promised Ann that he would not go fast in the Z1, well that lasted to the first corner and he was off. The track was a busier now, and I have to keep my eyes on the mirrors. One White M3 over takes me, and Barry reports seeing it do a 360 as it exited a corner behind him. The best sight was seeing the BMW M5 ring Taxi over take me with all four wheels smoking as it attacks the next corner. Last to go is David in his Porsche. He must have done an “Andy” as his top speed was only 106 MPH. Fun time over we head back for another fine meal prepared by Ann who had stayed behind. On the trip back we pass Jeremy Hart in the Z8 looking at the map, next he passes us, we take another junction and he is again parked looking at the map next thing he is turning the Z8 around a head the other way, hope he found his way, as that is the last we see of him and the Z8. Beer and Bed.
Monday 28th July
Tuesday 29th July
Time to pop into Trois-Ponts and visit the artisan chocolate and pick out Belgium Chocolates for our box to bring home. Then it is in to Spa for the street market. After a quick look around and Barry pointing out the steering wheel covers ( thongs really, but they were displayed on a plastic round wheels and he doesn’t get out much ). It’s then time to head for Germany again and this time it is Kerpen, first to find the Von Trips museum , which Neil thinks is in Kerpen-Horren, as he has no map with him. We find Horren passing Schumacher Kart-centre , which we visit on the way back.
Brief biography of Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips: born 4th May 1928 at Horren. Debut in F1 at Italy GP in 1956, took part in 29 F1 races. Podium Finishes in his career was: won two races, two 2nd places and two 3rd places. Wolfgang von Trips died at the wheel of his Ferrari 156, 1.5 V6 on 10th September 1961 at the Italian GP held at Monza, when he and the Lotus/Climax of Jim Clark came together and in the horrifying accident von Trips Ferrari went in to the crowd killing not only him, but also 14 spectators. This race was von Trips first and only pole position and 1961 was his highest position in the F1 World championship when he came 2nd on 33pts to the 1961 champion Phil Hill on 34pts. Upstairs in the museum was not only rooms dedicated to different races and Model car rooms. The one room that stood out was the Library, the museum has over 11,000 motoring books on every subject, and there are many in the Library room, which had seats and you are encouraged to take out a book and read it. Back down to the ground level, which has a café as well as the cars. At his point a man in ADAC shirt comes over and explains that we have just missed the press conference held up in one of the rooms relating to the Historic F1 races that are going to be held in August at the Nurburgring. He was the main organiser and if we were still in Germany he could arrange for us to have tickets and get in the commentary box etc. It was an offer that Ann and Neil could take up, but we had to return to England. The museum is in a modern building and as we were being taken on our guided tour. Christopher Louis, our guide explained the castle is now own by a computer company, but he could contact them and we could take a walk around it, which we did.
After the visit we head to Schumacher Kart-Center we only have time for a quick visit as time is pressing on and we want to get to Kohl/Schnitzer in Aachen before they close at 6.30pm. We will do a longer visit next year when we come over for the Spa 24hr 2004. On the way to Aachen I point out to Neil that I think we want the next turn off, he disagrees until he realises we are not on the Autobahn he thought we were on, when I say “I told you so”, I am fired as being his driver! We take the next turn off and end up taking a long way around Aachen to Kohl’s. For club members who do not know, Kohl/AC Schnitzer is the largest BMW dealership in Germany . But we still arrive with 30mins to closing time. Time to look around the new 5 series and the row of Z4’s and take photos of the M3 with the Data logging paintwork. We then take the lift up to the Kohlibri restaurant, which is on the roof of the dealership. It’s a fine evening so we have our excellent meal outside on the balcony. Neil said it was 30 minutes from Aachen back to Moulin du Ruy, well it took David, with now Neil as his passenger 35 minutes. Beer and Bed.
Wednesday 30th July
Time to pack up a head for home. After saying our goodbyes to Ann and Neil we head over to the European Space Agency Centre that is at Saint-Hubert, next to junction 24 on E411 Namur-Luxembourg autoroute. We take the tour and the star wars type ride, which you end up in a space race. This is one of the films, where the seats move in conjunction with the action. With have lunch at the centre and leave around 2pm. We make good time and arrive in time to catch the 6.30pm ferry. Unfortunately David and Selwyn have to wait to 9pm, as they are not on a P&O ferry. So with only to thank Ann & Neil for making our trip a great success, and if any club members want a break in Belgium check out their web site www.aeaventures.com , roll on Spa 24hr 2004. Book up now with me as places are limited.
Ann & Neil Leigh’s Place is:
Ardenne & Eifel Aventures,
Glen Lee,
Moulin du Ruy 92,
Stoumont 4987,
Belgium.
Tel/Fax. 0032 80398788
Aeaventures web site is http://www.aeaventures.com/
