The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium (RACB).
It was held for the first time in 1924 over a 9.3mi circuit on public roads between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot. The present 6.9760 km circuit was inaugurated in 1979.
The Spa 24 Hours were part of the European Touring Car Championship from 1966 to 1973. The event also counted towards the World Sportscar Championship in 1953 and 1981. As on the Nürburgring, both a 24h and a 1000km race is held at Spa, as the 1000km Spa for sports car racing were introduced in 1966.
Cars entered included Russian Moskvitch and engine sizes ranged from 996 cc NSU Prinz TT to the luxurious V8-powered Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, tuned by Mercedes-AMG to the so-called "Red pig" . This heavy and fast vehicle with 6834 cc and 420hp finished only 2nd in 1971, as frequent refuelling was necessary, and tyre wear was also high.
With the participation of Swiss Lilian Bryner on the victorious Ferrari 550 of the BMS Scuderia Italia team, the 2004 race marked the first time in history that a female driver has won a 24 hour endurance race in a Gran Turismo with more than 500hp.
Results on 14km track
Year
|
Car
|
Pilots
|
Distance
|
Average
|
Notes
|
1924
|
Bignan 2L
|
Template:Country data FRA Henri Springuel Template:Country data FRA Maurice Becquet
|
|
|
|
1925
|
Chenard-Walcker
|
Template:Country data FRA André Lagache Template:Country data FRA René Léonard
|
|
|
|
1926
|
Peugeot 174S
|
Template:Country data FRA André Boillot Template:Country data FRA Louis Rigal
|
|
|
|
1927
|
Excelsior
|
Template:Country data FRA Robert Sénéchal Template:Country data BEL Nicolas Caerels
|
|
|
|
1928
|
Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 S
|
Template:Country data RUSBoris Ivanowski[1] Template:Country data ITA Attilio Marinoni
|
|
|
|
1929
|
Alfa Romeo 6C 1750SS
|
Template:Country data FRA Robert Benoist Template:Country data ITA Attilio Marinoni
|
|
|
|
1930
|
Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GS
|
Template:Country data ITA Attilio Marinoni Template:Country data ITA Pietro Ghersi
|
|
|
|
1931
|
Mercedes-Benz SSK
|
Template:Country data RUS Dimitri Djordjadze[2] Template:Country data ITA Goffredo Zehender
|
|
|
|
1932
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300LM
|
Template:Country data ITA Antonio Brivio Template:Country data ITA Eugenio Siena
|
|
|
|
1933
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300LM
|
Template:Country data MON Louis Chiron Template:Country data ITA Luigi Chinetti
|
|
|
|
1934
|
Bugatti Type 44
|
Template:Country data FRA Jean Desvignes Template:Country data FRA Norbert Mahé
|
|
|
|
1935
|
No race held
|
1936
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A
|
Template:Country data ITA Francesco Severi Template:Country data FRA Raymond Sommer
|
|
|
|
1937
|
No race held
|
1938
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B
|
Template:Country data ITA Carlo Pintacuda Template:Country data ITA Francesco Severi
|
|
|
|
1939 1947
|
No races held
|
1948
|
Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports
|
Template:Country data GBR St John Horsfall Template:Country data GBR Leslie Johnson
|
|
|
|
1949
|
Ferrari 166MM
|
Template:Country data USA Luigi Chinetti Template:Country data FRA Jean Lucas
|
|
|
|
1950 1952
|
No races held
|
1953
|
Ferrari 375MM Pinin
|
Template:Country data ITA Giuseppe Farina Template:Country data GBR Mike Hawthorn
|
|
|
World Sportscar Championship
|
1954 1963
|
No races held
|
1964
|
Mercedes-Benz 300SE
|
Template:Country data BEL Robert Crevits Template:Country data BEL Gustave Gosselin
|
3962,100
|
164,825
|
|
1965
|
BMW 1800 Ti/SA
|
Template:Country data BEL Pascal Ickx Template:Country data BEL Gérard Langlois van Ophem
|
3812,591
|
158,855
|
|
1966
|
BMW 2000ti
|
Template:Country data DEU Hubert Hahne Template:Country data BEL Jacky Ickx
|
4048,368
|
168,681
|
|
1967
|
Porsche 911
|
Template:Country data BEL Jean-Pierre Gaban Template:Country data DEU Norbert Van Assche
|
4052,883
|
168,867
|
|
1968
|
Porsche 911
|
Template:Country data DEU Erwin Kremer Template:Country data DEU Willi Kauhsen Template:Country data DEU Helmut Kelleners
|
4004,827
|
166,867
|
|
1969
|
Porsche 911
|
Template:Country data FRA Guy Chasseuil Template:Country data FRA Claude Ballot-Lena
|
4272,231
|
187,006
|
|
1970
|
BMW 2800CS
|
Template:Country data AUT Günther Huber Template:Country data DEU Helmut Kelleners
|
4252,407
|
177,183
|
|
1971
|
Ford Capri RS
|
Template:Country data DEU Dieter Glemser Template:Country data ESP Alex Soler-Roig
|
4385,100
|
182,690
|
|
1972
|
Ford Capri RS 2600
|
Template:Country data DEU Jochen Mass Template:Country data DEU Hans-Joachim Stuck
|
4498,436
|
187,431
|
|
1973
|
BMW 3.0 CSL
|
Template:Country data NED Toine Hezemans Template:Country data AUT Dieter Quester
|
4422,980
|
184,290
|
|
1974
|
BMW 3.0 CSi
|
Template:Country data BEL Jean Xhenceval Template:Country data BEL Alain Peltier Template:Country data BEL Pierre Dieudonné
|
4147,289
|
172,804
|
|
1975
|
BMW 3.0 CSi
|
Template:Country data BEL Pierre Dieudonné Template:Country data BEL Jean Xhenceval Template:Country data BEL Hughes de Fierlandt
|
4249,270
|
177,053
|
|
1976
|
BMW 3.0 CSL
|
Template:Country data BEL Jean-Marie Detrin Template:Country data LUX Nico Demuth Template:Country data BEL Charles Van Stolle
|
4087,904
|
170,329
|
|
1977
|
BMW 530i
|
Template:Country data BEL Eddy Joosen Template:Country data FRA Jean-Claude Andruet
|
4083,835
|
170,159
|
|
1978
|
Ford Capri III 3.0S
|
Template:Country data GBR Gordon Spice Template:Country data BEL Teddy Pilette
|
4315,594
|
179,816
|
|
Results on 7km track
The current version of the Spa 24 Hours is an event under the FIA GT Championship calendar, although it was previously run as part of various touring car series. Currently, the cars run fall under the GT1 and GT2 FIA classifications as well as the G2 and G3 classifications used for non-homologated racing cars of lower classes.
Year
|
Car
|
Pilots
|
Distance
|
Average
|
Notes
|
1979
|
Ford Capri III 3.0S
|
Jean-Michel Martin
Philippe Martin
|
3083,632
|
128,485
|
|
1980
|
Ford Capri III 3.0S
|
Jean-Michel Martin
Philippe Martin
|
2952,318
|
123,013
|
|
1981
|
Mazda RX-7
|
Tom Walkinshaw
Pierre Dieudonné
|
3183,952
|
132,737
|
World Sportscar Championship
|
1982
|
BMW 528i
|
Hans Heyer
Armin Hahne
Eddy Joosen
|
3132,224
|
130,808
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1983
|
BMW 635 CSi
|
Thierry Tassin
Hans Heyer
Armin Hahne
|
3333,726
|
130,808
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1984
|
Jaguar XJS
|
Tom Walkinshaw
Hans Heyer
Win Percy
|
3055,485
|
131,091
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1985
|
BMW 635 CSI
|
Roberto Ravaglia
Gerhard Berger
Marc Surer
|
3470,000
|
144,344
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1986
|
BMW 635 CSI
|
Dieter Quester
Thierry Tassin
Altfrid Heger
|
3463,060
|
144,232
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1987
|
BMW M3
|
Jean-Michel Martin
Didier Theys
Eric van de Poele
|
3338,140
|
139,908
|
World Touring Car Championship
|
1988
|
BMW M3
|
Altfrid Heger
Dieter Quester
Roberto Ravaglia
|
3532,460
|
146,929
|
European Touring Car Championship
|
1989
|
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
|
Gianfranco Brancatelli
Win Percy
Bernd Schneider
|
3338,140
|
139,130
|
|
1990
|
BMW M3
|
Fabien Giroix
Johnny Cecotto
Markus Oestreich
|
3247,920
|
135,330
|
|
1991
|
Nissan Skyline GT-R
|
Anders Olofsson
David Brabham
Naoki Hattori
|
3587,980
|
149,456
|
|
1992
|
BMW M3
|
Steve Soper
Jean-Michel Martin
Christian Danner
|
3560,220
|
148,947
|
|
1993
|
Porsche 911 RSR
|
Christian Fittipaldi
Uwe Alzen
Jean-Pierre Jarier
|
2154,904
|
144,667
|
|
1994
|
BMW 318is
|
Roberto Ravaglia
Thierry Tassin
Alexander Burgstaller
|
3625,960
|
151,047
|
|
1995
|
BMW 320i
|
Joachim Winkelhock
Steve Soper
Peter Kox
|
3612,532
|
150,531
|
|
1996
|
BMW 320i
|
Jörg Müller
Thierry Tassin
Alexander Burgstaller
|
3507,821
|
145,956
|
|
1997
|
BMW 320i
|
Didier de Radigues
Marc Duez
Eric Hélary
|
3372,680
|
140,252
|
|
1998
|
BMW 318i
|
Marc Duez
Eric van de Poele
Alain Cudini
|
3344,807
|
139,344
|
|
1999
|
Peugeot 306 GTI
|
Frédéric Bouvy
Emmanuel Collard
Anthony Beltoise
|
3428,427
|
142,588
|
|
2000
|
Peugeot 306 GTI
|
Frédéric Bouvy
Kurt Mollekens
Didier Defourny
|
3330,870
|
138,686
|
Last race for touring cars
|
2001
|
Chrysler Viper GTS-R
|
Christophe Bouchut
Jean-Philippe Belloc
Marc Duez
|
3679,104
|
152,999
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2002
|
Chrysler Viper GTS-R
|
Christophe Bouchut
Sébastien Bourdais
David Terrien
Vincent Vosse
|
3654,059
|
152,019
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2003
|
Porsche 911 GT3-RS
|
Stéphane Ortelli
Marc Lieb
Romain Dumas
|
3327,613
|
138,557
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2004
|
Ferrari 550 Maranello
|
Luca Cappellari
Fabrizio Gollin
Lilian Bryner
Enzo Calderari
|
3888,144
|
161,974
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2005
|
Maserati MC12
|
Michael Bartels
Timo Scheider
Eric van de Poele
|
4000,896
|
166,638
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2006
|
Maserati MC12
|
Michael Bartels
Andrea Bertolini
Eric van de Poele
|
4092,961
|
171,034
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2007
|
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
|
Mike Hezemans
Fabrizio Gollin
Jean-Denis Deletraz
Marcel Fässler
|
3726,660
|
155,241
|
FIA GT Championship
|
2008
|
Maserati MC12
|
Michael Bartels
Andrea Bertolini
Eric van de Poele
Stéphane Sarrazin
|
4041,885
|
168,096
|
FIA GT Championship
|
External links