Spa 2010, arguably the highlight of our Ferrari season, captured the attention of a sizeable number of competitors.  25 drivers had entered for Classic along with 13 in the Open series:  a total of 38 Ferraris in the combined races. We were pleased to welcome two guests to our number:  in PFO, Belgian driver Christophe Van Riet brought along his 360 Challenge car whilst the Dutchman, Jan Gijzen, entered his delectable 275GTB4 in Group 1 of the Classic series. 

In the Open series entry we had Cliff Fox (whose proud claim is to be the maker of the finest fishing equipment in the world) for his very first race ever.  Cliff’s 430 Challenge car is prepared by FF Corse, who also look after Leon Price’s similar car.
 
I believe I am correct in saying that the notion of racing a 456GT is unique.  Never before, so far as I can recall, has the world seen one of this tipo on the circuits. Clearly pilota Paul Brooks and Foskers enjoy a challenge and Foskers have managed to make an impressive reduction in the 456’s weight by over 500kg.  Enormous brakes allow it to stop adequately and when we first saw it emerge from the paddock it is fair to say we were just as impressed as clearly Paul was infectiously enthusiastic.

Most of the Ferrari contingent had settled in to their positions in the paddock by teatime on Thursday and were ready for the first essay onto the track: an optional 25-minute free testing session starting at 09.35 hrs on the following day.

Friday dawned fine and warm, in pleasant contrast to the dull and unpromising weather of the previous couple of days; Spa weather can never be trusted.  This test proved useful despite the huge number of cars – around eighty – taking part.  Most drivers, especially those at the wheel of Fiat 500s and little Alfas, used their mirrors properly and there were no instances of heart-in-the-mouth avoidances.

The first qualifying session, of 20 minutes, got underway on time just after midday. The timesheets confirmed that Leon Price had the quickest Ferrari at Spa.  His time of 2:40.620 was some six seconds faster than Mick Dwane in his 360/Ch, with the Belgian Van Riet snatching third from Hathaway. In Classic, it was Gary Culver (Gp4 328GTB) who claimed pole with 2:56.542, about half a second in front of Ben Cartwright’s Gp3 car.  Third was Ben’s brother, James (Gp4 328GTB).  Q2 followed after a break of two-and-a-half hours.

Race One

Saturday and the Ferrari race was the second event of the morning, timed for 09.35, so shortly after 9 o’clock the cars were summoned to the collecting area of the paddock, on the inside of La Source hairpin.  The weather conditions were perfect, with the circuit bathed in warm sunshine from a cloudless sky. 

All was well for the pace car lap but the start itself was just plain chaos.  The three red lights on the gantry lit up in turn, they went out, and then . . . nothing.  Pole man Price in the 430/Ch didn’t move (he seemed to be waiting for three more non-existent lights to come on, as in Formula 1) and the other front row man, Mick Dwane (360/Ch) , looking at Price, was unsure whether to move or not.  The experienced Hathaway made a good getaway from row 2 but behind him it was mayhem as some cars made electrifying starts only to be baulked by stationary cars ahead. 

Eventually we all headed for the first corner, La Source, in some disarray but mercifully without any bent machinery.  At the end of lap 1, Price had recovered from his start line dilemmas and created a useful lead over Dwane and Hathaway, with the Belgian Van Riet in close attendance, in fourth.  The first of the Classics, Tomlin (328GTB) was in a glorious 6th spot overall and hanging on to the tail of John Shirley’s F355.  Hounding Tomlin was the high-speed trio of Culver, Jim Cartwright and brother Ben C. It was Spa racing at its very best.
      
Hard battles were being fought all the way through the field.  Hart, Evers and Edge were locked in combat behind the Open cars of Mike Reeder (F355) and Brooks (456GT).  Moseley R, in the slightly unfamiliar (Dad’s) 328, was having a fine dice with Fisk. 
      
By lap 4 it was clear that Leon Price, barring unforeseen circumstances, would be destined for the top step of the podium, his 430 being a couple of seconds a lap quicker than his nearest pursuer, Dwane.  The leading pair were now pulling clear of Hathaway and, just behind, Van Riet.  Tomlin was still in charge of Classic but not being given an easy time by Culver and Jim C.
      
Lap 5 saw Hathaway and Van Riet make light contact at Stavelot and Culver, after a slight mistake from Tomlin, take over the lead in Classic with Jim C now slotted into 2nd.  Brooks was driving the Fosker 456 with all his old skill, making good use of the cars prodigious straight line speed to keep ahead of the flying 328 of Ben C.  Ray Ferguson, obviously enjoying his return to this great circuit, was keeping his colourful but immaculate Mondial ahead of Richard Fenny’s Gp2 308GT4, which in turn was leading the warring pair of Gp1 Ferraris, the GT4s of Moorwood and Whittaker.
      
Finally the chequered flag came out to greet Leon Price, who crossed the line some 10 seconds ahead of Mick Dwane.  Van Riet took third, well ahead of 4th man Hathaway.  Mike Reeder, in 5th, was the winner of Class C1 just ahead of John Shirley’s similar car.
      
In Classic, Gary Culver showed just what a class driver he is by setting a new lap record for the circuit in claiming victory from the similar Gp4 328GTB of Jim Cartwright, the interval at the end being 4 seconds.  Third placed David Tomlin was a further 3 seconds in arrears with his Gp3 winning car.  Chris Butler edged Peter Everingham out of 4th spot by a margin of 7 seconds.  Our Dutch guest, Jan Gijzen, was the winner of Gp1 with his glorious scarlet 275GTB4.

Race Two

Spa, I suppose, wouldn’t be Spa without the intervention, at some point, of rain.  It’s what one expects and what one usually gets.  After countless times of racing at this majestic track, it is difficult to remember the very few occasions when the weekends have been totally dry. And so it was for Race Two on the Sunday.  Heavy overnight rain had thoroughly soaked the track although a fresh breeze made things look more promising as we assembled in the paddock in advance of the 10.25am Ferrari race.  With a bit of luck, we optimistically thought, the tarmac might even have dried out.
      
The Classic line-up for R2 was the same 19 cars that had completed R1 the previous day, but with Peter Moseley now at the wheel of his own 328GTB while son Richard became a spectator.  In Open, Vance Kearney had taken over from Darren Laverty in the black F355 while Cliff Fox made the grid after missing Race One due to an upset stomach.
      
The problems encountered at the start of R1 had made your reporter put his thinking cap on again.  In consultation with the organisers, it was decided to have a 10-second interval between the dispatch of the Open cars and the release of the Classics.  It meant that although there may be more lapping of the slower Classic Ferraris it would hopefully eliminate the bedlam of the previous day’s start.  The arrangement was that the lights would come on a second time for the start of the PFfc cars. A briefing in the paddock explained the method, and everyone seemed to be content with the new starting format.
      
That early morning optimism about the possibility of a dry race proved to be ill-founded.  As the Ferraris collected up at La Source it started to rain.  And as we sat there waiting to be released down the pitlane the drizzle turned into a proper downpour. 
      
The correct choice of tyre engaged some drivers’ thoughts – not the Classic brigade since there is no alternative to the treaded List 1B Pirellis.  But the Open pilots had to make the difficult call between wets and slicks, and as the puddles formed in the paddock it was clear that slicks would be a bad selection.
      
After some delay we moved off behind the pace car. Our hearts sank  when the oil flags were shown at every marshals’ post around the circuit. The modified starting procedure worked well and this time there were no dramas.  Pole setter Leon Price immediately got into trouble at Eau Rouge and spun out of contention to 8th place, and the baton was taken up by Mick Dwane who seemed to be relishing the tricky conditions.  Hathaway, on slicks, found the going impossible and pitted at the end of lap1.
      
Meanwhile, after the 10-second pause, the Classic series cars launched themselves, with a confident Gary Culver taking the initiative from Ben Cartwright, David Tomlin, Chris Butler and Martin Hart, the latter looking particularly impressive in the foul conditions.  Peter Everingham no doubt startled himself as well as his near neighbours when he touched the slippery kerb at Raidillon and rotated, fortunately ending up facing the right way.  Fisk was another driver who spun but continued unabashed.

On lap 2 it was clear that Dwane, in the temporary absence of Price’s faster 430, was in charge and pulling away from second placed Reeder, with Kearney ready to pounce, in third.  Then, after a little gap, it was Van Riet in the 360 drawing away from Edge who held 5th spot.
      
Meanwhile an interesting duel was developing between the Cartwright kids, with Jim strongly challenging Ben although Tomlin was tracking the pair of them.  In 5th, Butler was increasing his lead over Evers while yours truly was enjoying a tremendous dice with Peter Fisk (328GTB) and Jan Gijzen’s powerful 275GTB4.  A lack of effective grip caused Ferguson to retire his Mondial t on lap 3.
      
At half distance Dwane was confidently in overall control, with the battling F355s of Reeder and Kearney vying for second place.  Then it was Van Riet ahead of a fast recovering Price.
      
The situation in Classic was mostly unchanged.  Culver looked as if he could deal with any potential challenger from the pursuing group of Jim C (now just ahead of Ben), Tomlin and Butler.  Evers spun at the exit to Bus Stop while Swift squeezed past Jenkins as the two 308s braked for the chicane.  Moorwood was demonstrating his wet weather skills and keeping well ahead of the Gp2 car of Fenny.

A lap later Jenkins got his own back on Swift when he slipped past under braking for Les Combes but the pair continued as if welded together, determined to catch Gijzen just a few metres ahead.  William got past and then yours truly followed suit.  Pouhon seemed to be a good place to take the position but in order to do so one had to get off the racing line.  I clipped the slippery white line and kerb on the outside of the second part of the corner, and before you could say ‘b*gg*r’ the 308 had snapped round and was travelling backwards at 100mph.  I had time to contemplate a million euros-worth of 275GTB4 heading straight for me.  Fortunately Jan Gijzen is a very capable pilot and a calamity was avoided.

Now we were into the closing stages of what had been a very eventful race.  But more drama was to come.  On lap 6, Reeder and Kearney, who had been at each other’s jugulars for most of the time, had a coming together.  The result was that Reeder continued, albeit at a somewhat reduced pace, while Kearney headed for retirement.  And then, on the very last lap, at Rivage, the unfortunate Evers spun into the barriers, causing severe damage to the bodywork of his previously unmarked white 328.
      
The chequered flag brought the damp proceedings to an end.  An ecstatic Mick Dwane waved acknowledgement, taking a maiden overall PFO victory from Christophe Van Riet by under three seconds, with third placed Leon Price a further 7 seconds behind.  Cliff Fox made up for the disappointment of the previous day by claiming 4th with a thoroughly competent drive.  David Edge, to his great delight, came in ahead of the delayed Reeder to snatch a Class C1 victory.
      
Gary Culver stamped his authority on the Classic race, heading his nearest rival, Jim Cartwright, by no less than 14 seconds.  Jim was just a couple of seconds ahead of his brother in the Gp3 winning Ferrari.  The best of the Mondials was Martin Hart’s, who finished ahead of Didier Benaroya’s cabriolet version, with Jon Goodwin a couple of places behind. 
      
William Jenkins once more proved to be the pick of the Gp2 drivers with Swift again taking the runner-up position some 10 seconds behind at the end.  In Gp1, Jan Gijzen repeated his win of the previous day although this time William Moorwood wasn’t far adrift.
      
Thanks to the hospitable Anthony Cheshire, his FF Corse truck’s awning provided shelter from the rain for the awards presentation.
      
Reflecting on our 2010 sojourn to Spa, it was a shame that one or two drivers experienced some damage to their Ferraris in one form or another but for the majority the race meeting will be long remembered for another fantastic event at the world’s finest motorsport arena.

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