A field of cars more sumptuous than ever for the Spa Six Hours Endurance

The thirtieth anniversary edition of the Spa Six Hours is just around the corner! From September 27 to October 1, Roadbook will be offering fans of historic racing an exceptional cocktail, but also a revamped format. The purely sporting debates will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, meaning that the Spa Six Hours Endurance, the meeting's flagship race, will be the final firework display!

And with around... a hundred crews ready to battle it out, there's no doubt that the Spa Six Hours Endurance 2023 will be as hotly contested as ever! Winner on 15 occasions in 29 editions, the Ford GT40 will once again be the car to beat, as there will be... 20 of them at the start! With a host of big names, such as Alex Brundle (Martin Brundle's son), who will team up with Gary Pearson in the #2, Andy Priaulx (former World and European Touring Car Champion), who will accompany Miles Griffiths and Gordon Shedden (BTCC cador) in the #14, Jimmie Johnson (seven-time NASCAR champion), Dario Franchitti (three-time Indy 500 winner, four-time IndyCar champion) and Marino Franchitti in the #32, and Nicolas Minassian (two-time Le Mans 24 Hours podium finisher), who will accompany the excellent Olivier Galant in the #88!

The world of historic racing has become a speciality for some, as demonstrated by the number of strong crews also lining up in Ford GT40s! Last year's winners, David Hart, Olivier Hart and Nicky Pastorelli, will once again make common cause in the #8, as they prepare to cross swords with Nikolaus Ditting and Sam Hancock (#3), Jason Wright, Michael Gans and Andy Wolfe (#6), Craig Davies, Chris Ward and Andy Newall (#7), Richard Meins and Chris Lillingston Price (#9), Shaun Lynn, Maxwell Lynn and Andrew Haddon (#10), Andy Willis and Rob Hall (#15), Kyle Tilley, Martin Stretton and Nicolas Minassian for a second time (#18), Oliver Bryant and James Cottingham (#21), Christian Glasel and Seb Perez (#24), Tony Wood and Will Nuthall (#25), Marcus Graf von Oeynhausen and Belgian Nico Verdonck (#30), Maxime Guenat, Dominique Guenat and Yvan Mahé (#50), not forgetting Belgian Olivier Muytjens, who will be joining Brice Pineau and Greg Audi (#20). In other words: the crème de la crème of historic meetings!

The competition will once again come from the Jaguar E-Type and the Shelby Cobra and Cobra Daytona. As for the British feline, Emanuele Pirro (five times winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans) will team up with the Katarina Kyvalova in the #34. Also worth watching are Halusa's father and son, Martin and Lukas, who will be joined by Britain's Alex Ames (#17), Armand Mille, Yves Scemama and Guillaume Mahé (#31), Jon Minshaw, Jack Minshaw and Phil Keen (#33), John Clark (on a Lightweight version, #39), Belgium's Vincent Gaye and Joe Twyman (semi-Lightweight, #71), William Paul and Rory Butcher (idem, #173), but also Steve Osborne, Rob Smith and Chris Ward (#188).

To honour the image of Carroll Shelby, we can count on Jeremy Cottingham and Harvey Stanley (Cobra Daytona, #36), Michael Hinderer, Christian Traber and Lando Graf Von Vedel (#Cobra, #43), Alexander Kolb and Frank Stippler (winner of the 24 Hours of Spa and the Nürburgring, Cobra, #65), and so on.

Over the distance, watch out for those diabolical Colin Chapman children, the Lotus Elan 26Rs, some of which feature strong crews, with Michael Schryver, Will Schryver and Marcus Weller in a Shapecraft version, Lando, Alexis and Christian Graf Von Vedel (#46), Roderick, Patrick and Rory Jack (#63), Katsu Kubota, Andy Middlehurst and Richard Bradley (#70), Simon Evans and James Littlejohn (#75), Nick Matthews and Miles Griffiths (#472), or Sam Tordoff, John Tordoff and Andrew Jordan (#600)!

In addition to these legendary cars, there will be a host of other must-sees, including the Gilbern 1800 GT, Shelby Mustang 350 GT, Aston Martin DB4 GT (including the famous DP214), TVR Griffith and Grantura, Ginetta G4R, Ford Mustang, Falcon Sprint (with Vanina Ickx in #100!) and Galaxie 500XL, Porsche 911 2 litres, MG B, Morgan +4, Marcos 1800 GT, Triumph TR4, and even an Abarth 1000 TC! So there's something for everyone...

Qualifying for the Spa Six Hours Endurance takes place on Friday between 7.15pm and 8.45pm, while the 30th edition of this prestigious race gets underway on Saturday at 3.50pm, finishing at 9.50pm...

There's going to be some sport!