1000 km Spa
The 1000 - km race at Spa -Francorchamps is a long-range sports cars race at the Circuit de Spa -Francorchamps in Belgium.
The event
The 1924 first conducted 24 - hour race at Spa -Francorchamps in 1963, complemented by a 500 - km race that counted for the World Sportscar Championship. Since 1966, the distance is 1000 km, as at the races at the Nürburgring and Monza. The race on the very fast 14 -km stretch was ceased in 1975, after 1979 the shortened 7- km variant was opened, and from 1982 again extended the 1000 km race, now for Group C rules. From 1989, new rules reduced the distance to 480 km, before all the sports car races were set. Since 2003, the classic in the Ardennes is back in the program. First, in a common races held the British GT Championship and the FIA Sportscar Challenge, followed in 2004 by the inclusion in the racing calendar of the newly founded Le Mans Endurance Series. Since then, the championship race is an integral part of the long-distance race series of ACOs. The most successful vehicle in the 1000 km race with four overall victories so far, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel engine. Most recently in 2010 won the car the so far shortest 1000 km run for re- recording in 2004. Through several safety car periods, a race interrupted by a power failure and the onset of rain against the race crossed the previously completed time, the 6- hour mark and led thus, according to the rules of the Le Mans Series race to a premature end. With the 2011 season, the run was converted to a 6- hour race, but kept still the distance of 1000 km in the name. 2011 started both the Le Mans Series together as the fledgling Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and presented with 54 participants, the largest ever field since the resumption in 2003.