In the search for manageable events with a lot of character, there are always surprises to be found. For example in Zolder in East Belgium, where there has been a small permanent race track since 1963. It has quite a history, by the way: Formula 1 has raced on the circuit in Flanders ten times since 1973. Formula 2 was an even more frequent guest. A tragic moment is also associated with Zolder: Gilles Villeneuve died here during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix after a collision with Jochen Mass. An eventful history indeed.
Today, the really big names no longer come to Zolder, nor do the crowds of spectators. This makes the annual festival for classic car fans, which attracts mainly active fans at the end of July, all the more appealing. Those who come to Zolder are right in the middle of it all: Once again this year, many racing teams and visitors from Belgium, the Netherlands and many from Germany (and even some from Switzerland) traveled to this weekend on July 20 and 21, which felt like a successful get-together with friends: cordial, uncomplicated and full of enthusiasm. With prices of 35 euros for a day ticket (and 50 euros for the weekend), the prices also remained at a reasonable level by today's standards. Above all, the immediate proximity to the protagonists - in the paddock and at the Concours - is considered an attractive plus in Zolder. There are neither overcrowded parking lots nor long distances.
The program included two days of action on the almost four-kilometre-long race track. The focus was on the Youngtimer Trophy with several one-hour races. Because the more than 75 registered vehicles were too many for one race, the organizers split the field into two races. Porsche 911s and BMWs clearly dominated the faster field. The somewhat more popular field saw eight Opel Kadett cars from different years in the first ten places. "Zolder is still pure racing," says Stefan Eckhardt, one of the people behind the Youngtimer Trophy racing series. "Nothing is anonymous here, it's exactly as it was when the series started over 30 years ago."
The Youngtimer Trophy was supplemented by several races with GT and touring cars between 1966 and 1981, the "Battle of the Dwarves" with a wonderfully wild mix of Fiat 500 Abarth, NSU TT and Simca 1000 Rallye; and last but not least, the Belcar Historic Cup with its impressive starting field. The "Belcar" brand stands for the Belgian Touring Car Championship, and in the historic format, several Ford Capri RS 3100s with Weslake and Cosworth engines, Corvette ZR-1s, Porsche 911 RSRs, Ford Escorts, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes delivered some very engaging scenes on the tarmac in Zolder.
Elegance before speed
Right next to the paddock, a group led by Belgian classic car expert Jan Bové once again organized a diverse Concours d'Elegance - with no less than seven classes and almost 50 cars, most of which are at home in Belgian or Dutch collections. The jury, headed by Leo Van Hoorick, curator of the "Autoworld" museum in Brussels, chose a Lancia Astura built in 1935 as the "Best of Show".
This unique roadster was once designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont at Pinin Farina on the order of a Swiss customer. Its bodywork had been extensively modified over more than 50 years in Switzerland. The vehicle later found its way into Peter Kaus' legendary Rosso Bianco collection and finally to its current owner, the Dutchman Piet Janssen. After ten years of extensive reconstruction, the now extremely elegant design won first place in Zolder. After Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este, this was the Astura Roadster's third appearance at a Concours d'Elegance - and its first victory. At Pebble Beach in 2021, the roadster had already taken second place in the class for pre-war Pinin-Farina cars.
The jury paid tribute to the Miller 91 built in 1927. The monoposto once driven by Pete DePaolo in the Indianapolis 500 is an extremely impressive design: beneath the compact, extremely slim bodywork is an inline eight-cylinder engine measuring just 1.5 liters, which - with a powerful supercharger - is said to deliver up to 300 hp at 7000 rpm. When Ettore Bugatti once saw it, he is said to have been not only deeply impressed, but also extremely inspired. The only thing he didn't want to adopt was the front-wheel drive, due to the fact that an oval course is less demanding on a chassis than driving on a winding course.
The current owner of the Miller, Belgian collector Erwin Beerens, had the opportunity to take an acoustically enjoyable demo drive on the Grand Prix circuit before the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday afternoon. The later Concours winner of the GP class was also there: an Arrows A8 from 1985, which was once driven by former Formula 1 driver Thierry Boutsen.
Another Belgian racing legend took a seat in the cockpit for the demo run: Christine Beckers, now 80 years old, once drove rallies, mountain and circuit races - and even the Dakar Rally several times. The owner of Arrows, Adriaan De Maegt, is one of the biggest collectors and restorers of historic Mononposto racing cars in Belgium.
The Historic Grand Prix Zolder 2024 offered many charming opportunities to immerse yourself in the racing and collector scene for all those who prefer proximity to distance, who want to feel passion and good humor. Nobody missed the big stage here, on the contrary.
