After the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, it is now the track of Spa-Francorchamps that will host the European Classics Series for the second round of the 2016 championship. And after the Sunday Ride Classic the Bikers’Classics will take in the circuit for an endurance race featuring a perfect mix of conviviality, “vintage” mechanics and team spirit.
This Classic endurance, spiced with an ECS sauce, is one of the most accessible motor races. No need for an ultra modern hyper sports bike to line up on the start grid and savour the joys of endurance racing. A “young classic” bike, well kept and with a minimum of preparation will do the trick. And the participation fee is only 1.450 euros for 2 or 3 riders, “endurance” box included. A reasonable budget for a 4-hour evening race that will take place on the most beautiful track in the world, in front of thousands of spectators.
And should you fear not to have the same level as the ECS stars, rest assured : for the fourth season, the European Classic Series have new regulations with the purpose of pleasing amateur racers. They now have their own ranking within the Classic category.
As to the machines, the top teams have bikes with impressive performances, real “modern bikes disguised as classic machines”. But the “classic performances” from machines of the amateur riders rest quite impressive too. There will be three categories of motorcycles : Maxi Classic, Classic 1000 and 750 TT. These categories distinguish themselves mainly by their year of construction and their displacement.
In the Maxi Classic category, the bikes have to be built before December 31st 1982. Their displacement is unlimited. In the Classic 1000 category, the bikes can be slightly older (built before December 31st 1981) with a displacement limited to 1.000cc (750 for the bikes with 4 cylinders and 4 valves). And finally there is the 750 TT series, meant for 750 cc bikes with 2 valves, built before December 31st 1985.
Besides a few minor differences (brakes, suspension, tyres…) the technical regulations are quite permissive which allows some freedom and helps to keep the costs low. A real opportunity for fans of old bikes looking for a convivial competition.
We repeat that the 4 Hours of Spa Classic will take place on Saturday the 2nd of July. The start will be given at 20:00 hours in a fantastic atmosphere. There will be two qualification sessions and a night session on Friday and minutes before the start a warm-up session. In short, the 4 hours will be much more than just 4 hours of race… Not registered yet ? One good advice : don’t hesitate any longer.
