Spa 24 Hours

"Coupe du Roi" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Copa del Rey (disambiguation) or King's Cup (disambiguation).
Spa 24 Hours
Blancpain Endurance Series
Venue Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
First race 1924
Duration 24 Hours
Most wins (driver) Eric van de Poele (5)
Most wins (manufacturer) BMW (22)

The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event for cars held annually in Belgium since 1923 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It is currently sponsored by Total S.A..

History

Alfa Romeos after triple win in 1930

The Spa 24 Hours was conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans was run. It debuted in 1924 over a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) circuit on public roads between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot, under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium (RACB). The present 7.004 kilometres (4.352 mi) circuit was inaugurated in 1979.

The Spa 24 Hours was part of the European Touring Car Championship from 1966 to 1973, again in 1976 and from 1982 to 1988 (with the exception of 1987 when it was part of the inaugural World Touring Car Championship). The event also counted towards the World Sportscar Championship in 1953 and the World Endurance Championship in 1981. As on the Nürburgring, both a 24h and a 1000 km race is held at Spa, as the 1000 km Spa for sports car racing were introduced in 1966.

Cars entered have spanned from the Russian Moskvitch and models with sub-1 liter engines such as the NSU Prinz TT to the luxurious V8-powered Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. Tuned by Mercedes-AMG, the 6834 cc and 420 hp (313 kW) so-called "Red pig" finished as high as second in 1971.

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 was part of the winning team of a 24-hour endurance race in a Gran Turismo with more than 500 hp (370 kW).

The best manufacturer wins the Coupe du Roi (King's Cup), which is not necessarily the race winners. The cup is won by the manufacturer with the most points, accrued by cars that are made by the same manufacturer.[1] For example, Australian car manufacturer Holden won the Coupe du Roi in 1986 despite their cars finishing the race in 18th, 22nd and 23rd positions outright.[2]

Results on the 15km track

The original 15 km track layout
Year Car Pilots Distance Average Notes
1924 Bignan 2L France Henri Springuel
France Maurice Becquet
1925 Chenard-Walcker France André Lagache
France René Léonard
1926 Peugeot 174S France André Boillot
France Louis Rigal
1927 Excelsior France Robert Sénéchal
Belgium Nicolas Caerels
1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 S Russia Boris Ivanowski[NB 1]
Italy Attilio Marinoni
1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750SS France Robert Benoist
Italy Attilio Marinoni
1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750GS Italy Attilio Marinoni
Italy Pietro Ghersi
1931 Mercedes-Benz SSK Russia Dimitri Djordjadze[NB 2]
Italy Goffredo Zehender
1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300LM Italy Antonio Brivio
Italy Eugenio Siena
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300LM Monaco Louis Chiron
Italy Luigi Chinetti
1934 Bugatti Type 44 France Jean Desvignes
France Norbert Mahé
1935 No race held
1936 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A Italy Francesco Severi
France Raymond Sommer
1937 No race held
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Italy Carlo Pintacuda
Italy Francesco Severi
1939
1947
No races held
1948 Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports United Kingdom St. John Horsfall
United Kingdom Leslie Johnson
1949 Ferrari 166MM United States Luigi Chinetti
France Jean Lucas

Results on the 14km track

The quicker 14 km track layout
Year Car Pilots Distance Average Notes
1950
1952
No races held
1953 Ferrari 375MM Pinin Italy Giuseppe Farina
United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn
World Sportscar Championship
1954
1963
No races held
1964 Mercedes-Benz 300SE Belgium Robert Crevits
Belgium Gustave Gosselin
3962,100 164,825
1965 BMW 1800 Ti/SA Belgium Pascal Ickx
Belgium Gérard Langlois van Ophem
3812,591 158,855
1966 BMW 2000ti Germany Hubert Hahne
Belgium Jacky Ickx
4048,368 168,681 European Touring Car Championship
1967 Porsche 911 Belgium Jean-Pierre Gaban
Belgium Noël Van Assche
4052,883 168,867 European Touring Car Championship
1968 Porsche 911 Germany Erwin Kremer
Germany Willi Kauhsen
Germany Helmut Kelleners
4004,827 166,867 European Touring Car Championship
1969 Porsche 911 France Guy Chasseuil
France Claude Ballot-Lena
4272,231 187,006 European Touring Car Championship
1970 BMW 2800CS Austria Günther Huber
Germany Helmut Kelleners
4252,407 177,183 European Touring Car Championship
1971 Ford Capri RS Germany Dieter Glemser
Spain Alex Soler-Roig
4385,100 182,690 European Touring Car Championship
1972 Ford Capri RS 2600 Germany Jochen Mass
Germany Hans-Joachim Stuck
4498,436 187,431 European Touring Car Championship
1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Netherlands Toine Hezemans
Austria Dieter Quester
4422,980 184,290 European Touring Car Championship
1974 BMW 3.0 CSi Belgium Jean Xhenceval
Belgium Alain Peltier
Belgium Pierre Dieudonné
4147,289 172,804 Trophée de l'Avenir
1975 BMW 3.0 CSi Belgium Pierre Dieudonné
Belgium Jean Xhenceval
Belgium Hughes de Fierlandt
4249,270 177,053 Trophée de l'Avenir
1976 BMW 3.0 CSL Belgium Jean-Marie Detrin
Luxembourg Nico Demuth
Belgium Charles Van Stalle
4087,904 170,329 European Touring Car Championship
1977 BMW 530i Belgium Eddy Joosen
France Jean-Claude Andruet
4083,835 170,159 Trophée de l'Avenir
1978 Ford Capri III 3.0S United Kingdom Gordon Spice
Belgium Teddy Pilette
4315,594 179,816 Trophée de l'Avenir

Results on 7km track

7km modern track

The current version of the Spa 24 Hours is an event under the Blancpain Endurance Series calendar, although it was previously run as part of the FIA GT Championship featuring GT1 and GT2 machinery, and by various touring car series. Currently, the cars run fall under the FIA GT3 and GT3 Cup classifications.

Year Car Pilots Distance Average Notes
1979 Ford Capri III 3.0S Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Philippe Martin
3083,632 128,485 Trophée de l'Avenir
1980 Ford Capri III 3.0S Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Philippe Martin
2952,318 123,013
1981 Mazda RX-7 Belgium Pierre Dieudonné
United Kingdom Tom Walkinshaw
3183,952 132,737 World Endurance Championship
Trophée de l'Avenir
1982 BMW 528i Germany Hans Heyer
Germany Armin Hahne
Belgium Eddy Joosen
3132,224 130,808 European Touring Car Championship
1983 BMW 635 CSi Belgium Thierry Tassin
Germany Hans Heyer
Germany Armin Hahne
3333,726 130,808 European Touring Car Championship
1984 Jaguar XJS Germany Hans Heyer
United Kingdom Tom Walkinshaw
United Kingdom Win Percy
3055,485 131,091 European Touring Car Championship
1985 BMW 635 CSi Italy Roberto Ravaglia
Switzerland Marc Surer
Austria Gerhard Berger
3470,000 144,344 European Touring Car Championship
1986 BMW 635 CSi Austria Dieter Quester
Germany Altfrid Heger
Belgium Thierry Tassin
3463,060 144,232 European Touring Car Championship
1987 BMW M3 Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Didier Theys
Belgium Eric van de Poele
3338,140 139,908 World Touring Car Championship
1988 BMW M3 Germany Altfrid Heger
Austria Dieter Quester
Italy Roberto Ravaglia
3532,460 146,929 European Touring Car Championship
1989 Ford Sierra RS500 Italy Gianfranco Brancatelli
United Kingdom Win Percy
Germany Bernd Schneider
3338,140 139,130
1990 BMW M3 Evolution Germany Markus Oestreich
France Fabien Giroix
Venezuela Johnny Cecotto
3247,920 135,330
1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R Sweden Anders Olofsson
Australia David Brabham
Japan Naoki Hattori
3587,980 149,456
1992 BMW M3 Evolution United Kingdom Steve Soper
Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Germany Christian Danner
3560,220 148,947
1993 Porsche 911 RSR Germany Uwe Alzen
Brazil Christian Fittipaldi
France Jean-Pierre Jarier
2154,904 144,667 Race stopped after 15 hours due to the death of King Baudouin[3]
1994 BMW 318is Italy Roberto Ravaglia
Belgium Thierry Tassin
Germany Alexander Burgstaller
3625,960 151,047
1995 BMW 320i Germany Joachim Winkelhock
United Kingdom Steve Soper
Netherlands Peter Kox
3612,532 150,531
1996 BMW 320i Germany Jörg Müller
Germany Alexander Burgstaller
Belgium Thierry Tassin
3507,821 145,956
1997 BMW 320i Belgium Didier de Radigues
Belgium Marc Duez
France Éric Hélary
3372,680 140,252
1998 BMW 318i France Alain Cudini
Belgium Marc Duez
Belgium Eric van de Poele
3344,807 139,344
1999 Peugeot 306 GTI Belgium Frédéric Bouvy
France Emmanuel Collard
France Anthony Beltoise
3428,427 142,588
2000 Peugeot 306 GTI France Didier Defourny
Belgium Frédéric Bouvy
Belgium Kurt Mollekens
3330,870 138,686 Last race for touring cars
2001 Chrysler Viper GTS-R Belgium Marc Duez
France Christophe Bouchut
France Jean-Philippe Belloc
3679,104 152,999 FIA GT Championship
2002 Chrysler Viper GTS-R France Christophe Bouchut
France Sébastien Bourdais
France David Terrien
Belgium Vincent Vosse
3654,059 152,019 FIA GT Championship
2003 Porsche 911 GT3-RS France Romain Dumas
France Stéphane Ortelli
Germany Marc Lieb
3327,613 138,557 FIA GT Championship
2004 Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello Italy Luca Cappellari
Italy Fabrizio Gollin
Switzerland Lilian Bryner
Switzerland Enzo Calderari
3888,144 161,974 FIA GT Championship
2005 Maserati MC12 Germany Michael Bartels
Germany Timo Scheider
Belgium Eric van de Poele
4000,896 166,638 FIA GT Championship
2006 Maserati MC12 Belgium Eric van de Poele
Germany Michael Bartels
Italy Andrea Bertolini
4092,961 171,034 FIA GT Championship
2007 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Italy Fabrizio Gollin
Netherlands Mike Hezemans
Switzerland Jean-Denis Délétraz
Switzerland Marcel Fässler
3726,660 155,241 FIA GT Championship
2008 Maserati MC12 Germany Michael Bartels
Italy Andrea Bertolini
France Stéphane Sarrazin
Belgium Eric van de Poele
4041,885 168,096 FIA GT Championship
2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Belgium Anthony Kumpen
Belgium Kurt Mollekens
Netherlands Mike Hezemans
Netherlands Jos Menten
3915.236 163.128 FIA GT Championship
2010 Porsche 997 GT3-RSR France Romain Dumas
Austria Martin Ragginger
Germany Jörg Bergmeister
Germany Wolf Henzler
3789.164 157.832 FIA GT2 European Cup
2011 Audi R8 LMS Germany Timo Scheider
Belgium Greg Franchi
Sweden Mattias Ekström
3817.180 158.898 Blancpain Endurance Series
2012 Audi R8 LMS ultra Italy Andrea Piccini
Germany René Rast
Germany Frank Stippler
3565.036 148,543 Blancpain Endurance Series
2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Germany Bernd Schneider
Germany Maximilian Götz
Germany Maximilian Buhk
3950.256 164,594 Blancpain Endurance Series
2014 Audi R8 LMS ultra Germany René Rast
Germany Markus Winkelhock
Belgium Laurens Vanthoor
3691.108 153,732 Blancpain Endurance Series
Red flag (1 hour)[4]
2015 BMW Z4 GT3 Netherlands Nick Catsburg
Germany Lucas Luhr
Finland Markus Palttala
3754.144 156.423 Blancpain Endurance Series
2016 BMW M6 GT3 Austria Philipp Eng
Belgium Maxime Martin
United Kingdom Alexander Sims
3719.403 ? Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup

See also

Notes

  1. Ivanowski was a Russian national, but in exile since the Russian Revolution
  2. Djordjadze was a Russian national, but in exile since the Russian Revolution

References

  1. Vincent Wouters (27 July 2015), Spa Post-Race Notebook, SportsCar360
  2. Gricey's King's Cup Story (Spa 1986)
  3. "1993 Spa 24 Hours". touringcarracing.net. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  4. "28 Jul 2014 - Belgian Audi Club Team WRT takes home win after nail-biting finish". total24hours.com. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
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