The 'old' Spa

As you may know the current Spa is a trimmed version of the original.

I was justwondering if anyone had any useful stories about the history of the old circuit that they'd like to share or any pictures (they're own or otherwise)

As far as i'm aware the original circuit used public roads so I'm assuming that these can still be driven, is this the case?

Yes, You can visit the old track and mostly go by your own car. Remeber. Spa was a very speedy circuit and even less save than the Nürburgring Nordschleife.In 1968, the Alan Mann Ford 3FL was faster than Formula I cars, and I remeber this 1000km race in 1968, which was so rainy, that the cars had water-clouds in behind of nearly 100 meters, and different cars had engine-truoble by wetness (so the Marcos-Brabham prototype, which they drilled holes in the floor pan to get the water out ).
The track was very slippery, and the drivers were struggeling especially on the straights and in the full-speed bends. Beside the track were walls, elektic pylons and other dangerous items, only protected by a pressed straw.
Or can you imagine a Porsche 917 in the dry (1970)in a four-wheel drift at speed of nearly 300km/h.
The track today is still a fast one, but not comparable with the old layout.

You can just about drive all of the old track, as the roads are still in use. The Masta kink is no longer there though, it has become a roundabout.

the masta mini roundabout sponsored by roundabouts belguim.com

You can guess what I'm going to say Paul. ;)

Buy yourself a copy of Grand Prix Legends and you can drive the full old Spa as it was in 1967 in a 1967 vintage F1 car.

Falling short of the real thing, I guess, but as far as virtual reality goes, the experience is awesome. Forget your modern day F1 sims, GPL is where its at.

:laugh:

I guess I'm gonna have to get the game at some point aren't I!

You know it makes sense!

Ok then, just wait until the student loan clears! ;)

Originally posted by paulzinho
Ok then, just wait until the student loan clears! ;)


Jeez - I didn't know you were that hard up Paul? :eek: £4.99 mate!

Ah but don't forget the steering wheel and pedals!

Yes, there is that, I suppose.

Just stop eating for a few days.....


(Or buy a few less CDs!!)

Now then Aysedasi, having got my steering wheel working with GP3 what sort of specs am I going to need to run GP Legends? I tried running it once before but it did'nt like my PC, despite it being being 1ghz etc
What would you recommend?

:laugh: I've only bought 1 CD, I spend too much on karting!

Originally posted by ghinzani
Now then Aysedasi, having got my steering wheel working with GP3 what sort of specs am I going to need to run GP Legends? I tried running it once before but it did'nt like my PC, despite it being being 1ghz etc
What would you recommend?


You should run OK with 1Ghz. I used to run it OK with a 333 celeron and 16 meg Voodoo.

What kind of graphics card have you got?

(If you can run GP3 with full eye-candy, you shouldn't have too much trouble with GPL.

Let me know your full specs.

For some great stories of the old Spa, it's always worth reading back through Nigel Roebuck's weekly columns on autosport.com

Simply click on the latest 'ask nigel' off the home page, then go to bottom of the page of one of his answers and click on 'back to list'.

This gives you all the Ask Nigels for the last six months and there should be quite a few good old tales of the old Spa among that lot, usually based on interviews with the drivers who raced on it or recollections of great moments, such as Henri Pescarolo's outright lap record there (over 160mph, I think) in the Matra sportscar.

I think it was in one recent interview that Roebuck recalled an interview with one driver (Tony Brooks, I think) who said he needed to take the Masta kink flat out for the first time in his life if he had any hope in hell of catching the driver in front on the last lap of one particular F1 race. He didn't quite catch him, but by daring himself to take it flat he gained about 200 yards! A bit like Rouen, where entering the opening section of downhill sweepers, some drivers used to scream into their helmets as they dared themselves to take the whole lot flat without a single lift ...

What a brave bunch this current lot are, eh?

Thats what I like to hear!

Imagine that, screaming at yourself to do it... that takes balls! Big ones!

Saying that I'm always shouting at myself going into the last one at Lydden, One day I'm sure I'll have a nice big one there when grip runs out before bottle, as a pose to now where bottle runs out before grip. I wan the old days back cos I'm young and missed out on all the real circuits!!

Jeesh, the idea of drivers screaming as they go flat out at Rouen is terrifying. I still fall off those curves in 3rd if I'm not careful in GPL. As for the old Spa, wasn't it something like 80% of the time the driver had his foot flat to the floor - so different to the point n'squirt go-kart tracks of F1 these days. :rolleyes:

Quite right. Imagine, then, the slipstreamers on the Reims road circuit in the 1950s&60s and around the original Monza layout, sans chicanes. Or, indeed, the Monza banking, at 160mph, when the car in front might flick up a tiny stone at your face or, if you were lucky, your tiny windscreen that would be shattered instantly (I believe this happened to Stirling Moss one year so mercedes installed a button in the dash which, if pushed, flipped up the reserve)!

Or the mid 1980s, one-lap qualifying tyres, low tanks, boost turned right up, around the original Osterreichring or Zandvoort or Brands Hatch ...

Then compare them to the current lot of 'tricky, high speed' venues.

Crying yet?

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
some drivers used to scream into their helmets as they dared themselves to take the whole lot flat without a single lift ...


I still do that in every qualifying session. Regardless of track it worth at least a second to me!

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
Quite right. Imagine, then, the slipstreamers on the Reims road circuit in the 1950s&60s and around the original Monza layout, sans chicanes. Or, indeed, the Monza banking, at 160mph, when the car in front might flick up a tiny stone at your face or, if you were lucky, your tiny windscreen that would be shattered instantly (I believe this happened to Stirling Moss one year so mercedes installed a button in the dash which, if pushed, flipped up the reserve)!

Or the mid 1980s, one-lap qualifying tyres, low tanks, boost turned right up, around the original Osterreichring or Zandvoort or Brands Hatch ...

Then compare them to the current lot of 'tricky, high speed' venues.

Crying yet?

All the time when I see the state of F1 today.

As for the pop-up windscreen, only Mercedes would have thought of that in the 50s! Enzo would probably have decided the extra weight was too much of a penalty and that his drivers should just get on with it...

Having driven the old spa on GPL, well, it was an awesome track

Try going into the first part of turn 8 (really long right hander after a slight left right kink, you go under a "Barhdal" sign as you turn in)

You have to shut your eyes and hope for the best!

ITS A GAME - please sense bitterness as my system can't handle it - its steam driven you see.

I seriously suggest the lot of you who have so far posted on this thread visit this week's 'ask nigel' on www.autosport.com and read his recollections of David Purley. Just amazing ...

Originally posted by ss_collins
ITS A GAME - please sense bitterness as my system can't handle it - its steam driven you see.


Dump it and buy a new one - you know it makes sense..... ;)

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
I seriously suggest the lot of you who have so far posted on this thread visit this week's 'ask nigel' on www.autosport.com and read his recollections of David Purley. Just amazing ...

Is that the story about Chimay?? he loves wheeling that one out! great story tho, my bedtime ritual if I cant sleep is to get old Autosports and read 5th column and get all nostalgic about the good old days!

There's some nice pictures in this weeks Autosport!

As for autosport.com, I haven't used it since they wanted registration details.....