Spa 24 Hours 2008

[Ayreon]

We are going to this race for the first time this year and would welcome any information from people who've been before. We're staying in Spa and have booked a hire car - what is the parking/traffic situation like on race weekend? Does it get very busy? Unlike the 1000km last August....

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by Ayreon

We are going to this race for the first time this year and would welcome any information from people who've been before. We're staying in Spa and have booked a hire car - what is the parking/traffic situation like on race weekend? Does it get very busy? Unlike the 1000km last August....

You'll certainly get a parking spot, but you'll have to walk a bit. I usually camp/park opposite the Francorchamps Racing Hotel. There's always enough space, the people are nice and the prices modest. From there it's just a few minutes of walking to La Source. There are also parking areas near the hotel. Of course there are lots of people around, but it never seemed really badly jammed.

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by Ayreon

We are going to this race for the first time this year and would welcome any information from people who've been before. We're staying in Spa and have booked a hire car - what is the parking/traffic situation like on race weekend? Does it get very busy? Unlike the 1000km last August....

Hello! Well, we did it for the first time last year, and yeah, this asking people thing is the best thing to do. How do you plan to get there? we booked a mid afternoon ferry and drove, but ended up getting to spa at 5am and getting bugger all sleep. Its worth getting a morning ferry if youre drving from calais.

Make sure you try the chips. f**k me, never has such food graced British shores. Oh, and the Stella is good on tap. if you didnt spot it during the 1000kms, try to get on top of the pits (eau rouge side) and watch a few stops, you'll find the late entries (and no FIA GT entries) are there- ie laa, and they run a tight shop, a great stop to watch. Also, like all GT racing, you can sneak right up to pit box, or even pitlane, without rasing too much hell.

Best to stick around the front of the circuit at night, there's no lighting pretty much at all on the far side, and walking through the trees can be pretty "hazardous".

Hope that hasn't already been covered or nothing. Oh, and take time to stop at a coffee shop in town, the tour de france will be on. It's amazing the attention that is paid to the event, and people watching is even better abroad.

Oh, and we were hardcore- we paid for a parking ticket and slept in the car, only booking a Formule 1 in Liege on the way back. I tell you, i got NO sleep. Bleary eyes!

[Splendid Cat]

Originally Posted by Ayreon

We are going to this race for the first time this year and would welcome any information from people who've been before. We're staying in Spa and have booked a hire car - what is the parking/traffic situation like on race weekend? Does it get very busy? Unlike the 1000km last August....

There is loads of parking. If you can't get near the circuit the most you'll have to walk is a mile. But it's all very pretty. It is busy without being congested and with access to all of the circuit and the hilly nature you can get great views - unlike Le Mans.

[Tim the Grey]

I still had the car park ticket in the windscreen less than 2 weeks back.
10 Euro, for a spot in the woods above the Start line. For the weekend. Including camping? Bargain!
Though it was a pain navigating a 1 in 3 wooded slope at 4AM with no torch!

Thoroughly reccomended. Just watch for overcharging in the paddock cafe...

[werner]

If you want to sleep, camping is the best option. There are several campsites near the track. Traffic on the way in is fine, because it's very much spread out over the weekend. After the race you will have a traffic-jam all the way to Verviers (about 10-15km) If you are a good navigator though, you may fid some C-road avoiding the main route. Last time (2 years ago) that worked very fine, although luck was a big factor. If you have the time you can better stay a few hours, drink a beer or 2 (exept for the designated driver offcourse) have a meal and drive home. BTW I like the Maes beer better than the Stella.
2 years before I was also able to drive a lap on the track on my rented bike. That gives you a very good impression how steep Eau Rouge is. And the long straight is not flat either. But after Les Combes I drove almost as fast as the racecars :-)
The best thing was that at the end of the lap, I entered by accident the parc fermé, whitch apparantly wasn't so 'fermé' at the backside. Although accidentally there, I offcourse didn't leave until told by a marschall :-)

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Thoroughly reccomended. Just watch for overcharging in the paddock cafe...

HAHAHA

That made my weekend- he got completely done over by the coffee shop owner in the paddock, but thatnkfully the guys with the view of eau rouge (behind the startline grandstands) were really cool, and were nice to us. Sat under that awning, watching the cars fly up Eau Rouge, hiding from the rain... Beautiful. I wish I was still there

[Ayreon]

Thank you for all the information. We're really looking forward to this, especially after Silverstone last weekend! We'll probably try and park fairly close then stay at the circuit the whole time, maybe sleeping in the car for a couple of hours. That seems to work at Le Mans. If it's really cold and wet we can always nip back to our hotel at Spa for a few hours - but I think we'll try and keep going and then crash out on the Sunday night, as we don't travel back to England until Monday.
We'll have our camping stove so if anyone fancies a cup of tea.....

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

is LAA entring 1 or 2 Corvettes for this year Spa 24H ?

[The Badger]

Both , with Beretta & Gavin on the squad ..... possibily more ? Be great to see Fellows and O'Connell too .

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by Ayreon

Thank you for all the information. We're really looking forward to this, especially after Silverstone last weekend! We'll probably try and park fairly close then stay at the circuit the whole time, maybe sleeping in the car for a couple of hours. That seems to work at Le Mans. If it's really cold and wet we can always nip back to our hotel at Spa for a few hours - but I think we'll try and keep going and then crash out on the Sunday night, as we don't travel back to England until Monday.
We'll have our camping stove so if anyone fancies a cup of tea.....

Where are you guys coming from?

[Ayreon]

We'll be in Switzerland (walking holiday ) at the end of July so we're going to travel by train to Luxembourg on 1st August, where we'll pick up a hire car. Then the plan is to drop off the hire car on Monday and Eurostar it back to London, then home to Bath. Slightly complicated but worth it.