Report & Gallery: Spa Six Hours 2022, The Sound Of History

By Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica

Roadbook held the 2022 Spa Six Hours ‘The Sound of History’ during the final weekend of September and first weekend of October. We defied the capricious weather conditions to enjoy the event and put together this coverage of the action.

On Friday morning during qualifying the temperature showed 2° C, on Saturday morning and Sunday rain was a prominent factor. As a result, most races were held under wet conditions.

The main event was the six-hour endurance race held on Saturday between 3:55pm and 9:55pm. A ninety-car grid including nineteen stunning Ford GT40s contested the event. Due to the changing weather conditions, the drivers were often pushed to the limit, which in turn led to many neutralizations by the safety car.

Dutchmen David Hart, his son Olivier and Nicky Pastorelli took pole position in the nr. 78 DHG Racing Ford GT40 on Friday evening. After the race started on Saturday afternoon, their GT40 drove almost constantly in the leading group. From the second part of the six hours race they increased the pace. Without a single mistake David Hart drove to his second victory in the Spa Six Hours, fifteen years after his first win with a Ford Mustang.

For the statisticians among us, a Ford GT40 won for the fifteenth time in 29 editions of the Spa Six Hours, at the same time its eleventh consecutive victory. The top three in the overall standings were claimed by Ford GT40s.

The battle for second place was between the nr. 4 Gipimotor GT40 of Belgians Emile Breittmayer, Christophe van Riet and Fred Bouvy and the GT40 of Frenchmen Olivier Galant and Nicolas Minassian. Despite a poor start the Gipimotor GT40 managed to climb up to the top of the pack. However, engine problems prevented the nr. 4 GT40 from reaching the finish line. Third and final spot on the podium went to the winners of last year’s Spa Six Hours, Oliver Bryant and James Cottingham in the nr. 1 GT40.

The first race of the weekend was the Belcar Historic Cup, presenting an impressive grid of no less than 57 cars. A typical Ardennes downpour hit the track at exactly 9:05am but the competitors of the Belgian national competition showed their skills mastering the elements. During the first race it was Erik Bruynoghe in a Porsche 964 who dictated the pace, followed by the beautiful BMW 320i E21 Turbo driven by Erik Qvick.

As the Group 5 BMW had to retire due to engine problems, Bruynoghe was able to grab victory. During the second race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon the rain was still falling. Luc Moortgat promptly grabbed the lead and cruised to victory in a Porsche 964.

The weather didn’t improve on Saturday morning by the time the Pre-66 Grand Prix cars took to the track. The Historic Grand Prix Car Association is open to front and rear engine single-seaters, reminiscent of the first decades of the Formula 1 World Championship. Under complicated conditions it was Charlie Martin, fifth on the grid, climbing to the top of the ranking to claim victory. On Sunday the drivers were treated with a rain-soaked track and Charlie Martin imposed once again in his Cooper T53 to claim his second win of the weekend.

In Masters Endurance Legends the not-so-old machines took possession of the Ardennes rollercoaster. Although the Peugeot 908 FAP HDIs of Kriton Lendoudis and Steve Tandy started from the front row it was Belgian driver Christophe d’Ansembourg in his Lola-Aston Martin who was soon in the lead. Brake problems forced the Belgian to give the lead to Tandy who won the first race.

D’Ansembourg didn’t appear during the second race on Sunday that started behind the safety car due to tricky conditions. This gave way to the Peugeots of Tandy and Lendoudis, however it was Steve Brooks who took over from Tandy and grabbed victory.

Twenty-five classic sports cars from the 50s gathered into the Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy had a single sixty-one minute race on Saturday afternoon. In rainy conditions both Tony Wood and William Nuthall dominated the race in their Lister Knobbly, winning the Stirling Moss Trophy. Rudi Friedrichs won the Woodcote Trophy in a Jaguar C-Type.

The historic single-seaters from Formula Junior should of course not be missed and as always they enjoy a great deal of popularity at historic meetings. Although the Lotus cars dominated qualifying, it was Stuart Roach in his Alexis Mk. 4 who drove to victory, beating Italian Manfredo Rossi di Montelera in his Lotus 22. The Italian was in a league of his own during Sunday’s rain-soaked race beating Stuart Roach.

Fans of the Cosworth-powered Formula 1 cars from the seventies and eighties were treated to tasteful races. During the first race Belgian Christophe d’Ansembourg crossed swords in his ex-Carlos Reutemann Williams FW07C with British driver Steve Hartley in an ex-John Watson McLaren MP4/1. The duel for every inch lasted from start to finish and no matter what Hartley tried, d’Ansembourg didn’t make a single mistake and claimed victory.

On Sunday d’Ansembourg was unfortunately absent. Due to a rain-soaked track, the race was started behind the safety car. Three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner drove to victory in a Lotus 87B after a short but fierce battle with Michael Lyons.

The grid of both the Masters Pre-1966 Touring Cars and the Grand Touring Cars of the Masters Gentlemen Drivers were combined into a single grid. Their single race opened the final day on Sunday morning under the pouring rain.

The Grand Touring Cars race lasted ninety minutes with Rhea Sautter and Andy Newall crossing the finish line first in a Jaguar E-Type. Under aquatic conditions Dutch driver Olivier Hart, who won the Spa Six Hours on Saturday, continued his successful weekend by bringing the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA home with another victory.

The powerful prototypes from the Masters Sports Cars Legends had to cope with extremely tricky conditions on Sunday morning. Tom Bradshaw benefited from the absence of David and Olivier Hart and Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen (both Lola T70 Mk.IIIB) and drove his Chevron B19 straight to victory. Finally the Pre-War Sports Cars, from the twenties and thirties, was won by Gareth Burnett in an Alta Sports from 1939.

Shortly before the start of the main event on Saturday afternoon a tribute was paid to Belgian driver Jean Blaton, also known under the pseudonym ‘Beurlys’, who passed away in December 2020. Relatives and friends gathered at the foot of the Raidillon for the scattering of the ashes of Blaton who participated fourteen times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

We can’t wait for the 2023 edition of the Spa Six Hours to be held in September or October. A big thank you goes out to Alain Defalle and Vincent Collard from the Roadbook Organisation for another immaculate event!