Rendezvous this weekend for the new era of the Commemoration of the Circuit des Ardennes
This time, it's here! After many months of preparation, the Royal Automobile Club de Spa is getting ready to return to the Place McAuliffe in Bastogne, this time as part of the Commemoration of the Circuit des Ardennes. An event which Pierre Delettre and his teams have decided to make a permanent fixture. On Friday July 11, Saturday July 12 and Sunday July 13, a new era will begin for an event that is first and foremost the guardian of a jewel in the crown of motor racing heritage...
The first motor race in the world to be organised on a closed circuit, in the form of a loop, the Circuit des Ardennes was set up between 1902 and 1907. It is quite simply the predecessor of what was to become the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which recently celebrated its centenary and enjoys a worldwide reputation!
In setting up the Commémoration du Circuit des Ardennes, the successor to the association of the same name, R.A.C. Spa could count on a perfect knowledge of the region, the fruit of its annual organisation of the Legend Boucles @ Bastogne and the Balade des Legend Boucles Bastogne. On the other hand, the public of “very old cars and motorbikes” was a discovery...
As you might expect, this handover may have left some people sceptical," comments Pierre Delettre on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club de Spa. Even though we organise the Balade des Legend Boucles Bastogne every year, in the eyes of many people we remain first and foremost the organisers of the Legend Boucles @ Bastogne, and this “competition” image may have made some people sceptical. In the end, we presented a field of over 130 cars, including countless “pre-war” cars! It's a satisfactory score, which will above all enable us to demonstrate our know-how in terms of management, but also in terms of the event's decoration...".
The Place McAuliffe will be more vintage than ever - with an original old-fashioned garage provided by Roadbook Events and an authentic barrel organ on Sunday - and will even be the setting for a bal musette on Saturday evening, festive stops on the Place du Fays in Saint-Hubert on Saturday and on the Place de la Liberté in Habay-le-Neuve on Sunday, but also a main street in Bastogne closed to traffic on Sunday afternoon to present to the public all the vehicles taking part in this first vintage under the aegis of the R. A.C. Spa, there will be plenty of new features...
As for the line-up, it's a quality one, with the presence of such renowned marques as Bugatti, Hotchkiss, Impéria, FN, Cadillac, Citroën, Jaguar, Riley, Amilcar, Aston Martin, Alvis, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Bentley, UNIC, Peugeot, Chrysler, Singer, De Dion, Salmson, Chevrolet, Daimler, MG, Lotus, Hillman, Renault, Triumph, Porsche, Renault, etc. The oldest of all will be the 1909 UNIC Georges Richard, while the most “recent” will be the 1975 Peugeot 604 saloon. So there's something for everyone!
As for the motorbikes, the Gillet, BMW, BSA and Ariel brands will be represented, not forgetting the very local 1947 MT 125cc so dear to the Thiry family of Habay-la-Neuve! As for local hero and Dakar driver Jérôme Martiny, he will be leading the Saturday caravan from the cockpit of a Messerschmit KR 175, the famous two-seater tandem tricycle dating from the early 1950s! It's a great way to bridge the gap between cars and motorbikes!
On Saturday, participants will head for Saint-Hubert via Tenneville and Sainte-Ode, before heading for Libramont, Vaux-sur-Sûre and returning to Bastogne's Place McAuliffe shortly before 4pm. On Sunday, the rally heads for Habay-la-Neuve via Vaux-sur-Sûre, Fauvillers and Léglise, before returning via Martelange to take part in the presentation of all the vehicles in the main street of Bastogne from 1pm...
Older crews who wish to do so can opt for a more concentrated route, in order to preserve their engines. A special roadbook has been prepared for them! On Saturday, there will be a break at the Vaux-sur-Sûre town hall, and on Sunday, crews will be able to take a breather at the Michamps microlight aerodrome.
The entire route, as well as the list of entrants, will appear in the official programme, which will be on sale from Friday at the Place McAuliffe in Bastogne at the democratic price of 10 euros.
On Sunday afternoon, during the Circuit des Ardennes Commemoration Parade in Bastogne, a formal prize-giving ceremony will be held. It will give the public an opportunity to appreciate one last time the look and sound of these beautiful cars of yesteryear...
Last but not least: the weather forecast for next weekend is more than promising, with the sun clearly on its way.
In short, we haven't finished talking about the Circuit des Ardennes...
Commemoration of the Circuit des Ardennes 2025 / Categories
Autos from the first hours up to 1917
Autos between 1919 and 1930
Autos between 1931 and 1941
Autos between 1942 and 1976
Motos from the first hours up to 1927
Motos between 1928 and 1960
Infos : https://circuit-ardennes2025.racspa.be/home
Questions : info@racspa.be
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