Behind The Scenes – 2010 Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours
By OR Staff, Photography courtesy of Spa-Francorchamps
Held for the first time in 1924, the 86-year old 24 Hours of Spa race is one year older than the Le Mans endurance race, although not as famous. The track itself, the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorhamps, is known as one of the most technically tricky tracks on Earth, due to its fast and blind nature.
Much of the track’s reputation is derived from the Eau Rouge section, which is an incredibly fast and steep uphill left-right-left combination with a blind peak. A very long straightaway follows Eau Rouge and only the fastest drivers have the brass to keep their foot in it and maximize their straightaway top speed.
The winning car, inheriting the lead after the demise of BMW Motorsport, was the BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Driver Romain Dumas also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, a feat which has not been done since 1949.
The Italian racing team is no stranger to the world of professional motorsport, having competed in Formula One during the early 1990s with such drivers as JJ Lehto and found success in both rally racing and touring car racing.
