The past Spa 24 Hours was the Belgian classic’s centenary edition. This book is an interesting look back at the very first running of the race, in 1924.
Historically, the Spa 24 Hours has a history that dates back almost as far as the Le Mans 24 Hours, which feted its centenary edition last year. Truth to be told, the Belgian 24 Hour race has known more ups and downs than the race at the Sarthe circuit, with interruptions for over a decade in the fifties and sixties.
German territory
In the book ‘Spa Francorchamps 24H, 1924’ authors Claude Yvens, Christophe A. Gaascht and Serge Dubois copied the well-known formula of the Le Mans yearbooks to offer a very complete rundown of events, as they happened in the weekend of 19 and 20 July, 1924. The decisions leading up to the race are well-documented and fascinating at once.
The track we have come to know so well at first ran on a part that used to be German territory, before Germany was ordered to cede it to Belgium as post-war damage repair payments. However, the new ‘cantons’ were not yet ratified as Belgian territory. Hence, the participants passed a customs office after crossing the Eau Rouge river, and another one near the Masta corner. And it wasn’t decided until the last minute to run clockwise – up the hill then – instead of the other way around. Initially, organisers weren’t so sure about running at night. But a massive operation brought 200 spotlights and lamps – and a separate electricity supply – to the Spa circuit.
All competitors and manufacturers are entitled to their own presentation. Yvens and team managed to source unseen pictures, often from glass plate negatives. The picture quality of the book is a bit of an up and down affair, but with a topic now a century in the past, this is simply what you can expect. Already, many of the pictures are stunning reproductions to which you find yourself staring at for some time. It’s easy to get lost in Spa history. The book even has a lap chart of the race!
Instant classic
In the end, the first edition of the Spa 24 Hours already contained all the elements that made the race a classic: rain, fog, the occasional power outage… and a fantastic battle for the lead. Ultimately, Belgians Henri Springuel and Pierre Becquet crossed the line first in their 2-litre Bignan 11 CV Sport. Important, officially, there was no overall winner, only class winners were awarded.
If you want to brush up on your racing history, ‘Spa Francorchamps 24H, 1924’ is a very budget-friendly addition to your shelf. The book costs around €21, which is as budget-friendly as they come. It contains 104 pages and the texts are both in French and English. The quality of the English translation overall is good, but not excellent.
All in all, for die-hard race fans looking for ever more info, this (soft cover) book is interesting. Hopefully, others will follow, and why not, older yearbooks on the Le Mans races as well?
Authors: Claude Yvens, Christophe A. Gaascht, Serge Dubois
ISBN: 9782960353204
Publisher: MGBX Media
Pages: 104
Price: €20
Available here.
