MADE IT TO THE SPA SUMMER CLASSIC AND BACK

[BILKO]

Just like to start by thanking some of you guys for recommending the Spa D'Or campsite, really nice place (well compared to MB it was. lol) also loved Malmady beautifull little town for a wonder around.
 
started off on a Thursday morning a tad early  for my likeing (7.15 am   ) had to be at the tunnel for 9.50.
Met a nice bunch of bods at the tunnel calling them selves "the Bermondsey 250" , they drive around Europe in cars that they have bought for a max of £250, to raise money for a childs burn unit. they were all in fancy dress i.e Bjorn Borg, Arabs, SWAT, Batman & Robin etc .
We did 763 mile all in all (there and back) and used 23.5 gallons of petrol so works out about 32.5 MPG (hell of a lot better than i expected from a TVR). Mainly sticking to between 65-75 on the motorways and having some nutty blasts around the mountain roads near the race track   .
We were lucky enough to bluff our way past security on the gates at the Spa race circuit, who after a bit of initial confusion due to them knowing no English and us knowing no French, they actually gave us a 3 day free entry and parking pass for the inner paddocks in with the proper racers, can only think they thought we were there to race  and after all who are we to argue with security    .
For the trip back, we got to the Tunnel and they must have thought we were all together, as they put us with 2 Porsches, Caterham 7, another Chim and a GD Cobra owned by a bloke called Jim from Reading who had been on a 2000 mile drive (His journey started with the ferry to Bilbao on Friday and finished on monday at the tunnel) through Spain, France and finished at the Nurburgring .
Unfortunatly the guy we went to cheer on and was racing his Ram Cobra in the Ardennes challenge started 2nd on the grid but suffered clutch failure 3/4 of the way through the main race whilst leading it, never mind he's back over there again for the September classic so better luck next time  .

here's a few links to the vids we took

Cheng racing at Spa                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OctgAyZMgoE

single seaters from 50's & 60's                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTFl1EwPjRk

mixed cars that ran                                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYs6WNVlzQ

1946 long lost footage                             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVMJndX2Uuo

and here's a few pics

[BILKO]

pic 1 is our guy being pushed down the pitlane after his clutch went it's the closest he managed to get to the podium this time. lol

pic 2 all of us pushing the 4.5 ton fully loaded (spare wheels, jacks, tools etc) crew wagon up a slope after the ignition amp went just before they were leaving the circuit to head home, hows your luck.

[hgb]

When was that at Spa, Bilko ? Looks like quite a fun weekend. I usually go to the 6hr classic weekend. I believe that's in September this year but need to look that up properly... our was it just that ? 

Thanks very much for the pictures and videos. LM is one thing but the classic stuff is yet another, great fun too and you get a lot closer to the racing bits. 

[BILKO]

hi hgb, this event took place on July 3/4/5 from what i can gather it's exactly the same as the Sept 6hr event just less well attended. couldn't have been more than 20 members of the public in the grandstands and a few less cars on the start line. We had the whole circuit to our selves, no queues and no hastle, bloody brill  .

the Spa 6hr classics being held on sept sat 26/sun 27 but will probably have practice on the fri 25th if it's the same as the July summer classic. Me & the wife are planning to go down to this on the thursday again and come home on the monday

[Gordonwr]

Along with Monza one of the best circuits !! I've seen it change a lot from my first G P there on the old circuit in 1970 to the present circuit and although I can't get to the classic I'll be marshaling at the GP in August.
Looking forward to it, as always !!