Even (very) good things come to an end

After the first demonstration series, the GP drivers completed their final tryouts before the parade in the afternoon. Between the GP3 session and GP1/2, a photo session which brought together all the world champions present was organised on the starting line of the old stalls.

At the opening of the grand parade, one could admire John Surtees in his 1960 Lotus 18. He visibly had a lot of pleasure sitting at the driving wheel of his old car showing off his talent to the many spectators present: age does not seem to hold sway over his driving!

Then came the GP3 Parade, consisting for the most part of bikes dating from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. These are real, extremely rare museum exhibits and they went around the Ardennes race track as if they were made yesterday!

Before the send-off of the GP 1 & 2 Parade, Mr Jean-Claude Marcourt, Minister of the Economy, Employment, Foreign Trade and of the Patrimony of the Walloon Region had the opportunity to make two circuits at the back of a Yamaha R1 driven by Randy Mamola! Following this experience, he said: ‘This is one of the most powerful moments I have had the good fortune to experience! What astonished me is the feeling of tearing away when he opened the throttle wide. And you quickly understand that you are 15 cm off the ground in the turns. It’s pleasant! I had a great sense of security, especially when I understood how to position myself on the bike. I sat behind a great pro who knows how to please his passenger and who does in a very natural manner what we find to be perfectly supernatural!’

The champions of the Parade 1 & 2 then won the respect of all the spectators by turning almost as quickly as if they participated in a race. It was a moment of magic among us all. This was a trip back in time that the drivers gave us!

After the last demonstration series, the second leg of the 4 Hours of Spa Classic finished off a memorable week-end like a cherry on the cake.
From the very first circuit, bike no. 70, driven by Tom de Kimpe and Piet Sonck was the victim of a fall caused by a little collision that was not serious but obliged it to stop in the pits due to a problem with fueling. While it was still in the first circuit, bike 63 of the Dafy Moto team driven by Yannick Vautier and Pierre Eric Denis had to drop out due engine failure – a cracked engine block. Shortly thereafter, the breakdown of a screw on the speed selector obliged number 44, which was out in the lead, to leave the race and return to its stall.

The safety cars left after 10 circuits following a spectacular but not serious fall of bike number 97 driven by Eric Misera and Philippe Mosbeux, who were certainly unlucky since they had had to leave the first round of the competition just three circuits from the finish.

Though the last third of the race seemed to proceed calmly, the Triumph Rob North , No 8 – victorious last year – slowed down greatly just 4 circuits from the finish due to a broken speed selector. Its driver ended the test in 4th.

Bike no. 88 won the second leg of the competition on a p+m F1 Kawasaki driven by Lea Gourlay and James Clark. This team led the race from the second to the final circuit. Second place went to no. 67 driven by Adrie Ridder and William de Ridder at the handlebars of a Suzuki GSX. The podium of winners was rounded out by bike 8 of the Peppo racing team, a Triumph Rob North driven by Sandro Baumann and Roberto Germann. At the end of the two rounds of the competition, the ranking of the first three was identical to that of the second race.