Historic Endurance Opens Season with Elite 3 Hours of Spa Grid

The 2026 season of the Iberian Historic Endurance begins with the 10th edition of the 3 Hours of Spa, an event that has become a benchmark on the international classic racing calendar and which, every year, attracts a large and impressive grid to the race that headlines the Spa Summer Classic programme in Belgium.

The international significance of the event, co-organised by Race Ready and Roadbook and boosted by the scale of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, once again draws remarkable numbers and, as ever, a grid made up of some of the finest examples of competition cars built up to 1976 for the GT and Touring categories.

For this tenth anniversary edition of the race, more than one hundred and twenty drivers from fifteen different nationalities have accepted the challenge of racing at one of the most iconic venues in world motorsport, on a grid that will feature around sixty cars, representing sixteen different manufacturers.

Last year’s winners, the Danish pairing of Palle Pedersen and Alexander Weiss, were the final entrants to register and, once again at the wheel of the same Ginetta G4R, they will attempt to become only the second duo in the event’s history to win it twice. In a race where only cars from English-speaking marques have prevailed so far, Shelby Cobras and Lotus Elan 26Rs are always strong contenders for the top positions.

In a race of this nature, only a perfect combination of factors allows one to dream of victory. Speed alone is no guarantee of success. From the teams’ side, the pressure is high, as strategy must be flawless and the reliability of the cars cannot undermine the effort of all involved. For the drivers, striking the balance between outright pace and avoiding mistakes or overdriving is a golden rule, as is adhering to the strategies set out by their teams.

However, the most memorable aspect of the 3 Hours of Spa is above all the spirit of camaraderie within the paddock. Despite the intense on-track battles, there is always a clear sense that drivers and teams support one another until the very end. The crowd applauding the podium ceremonies of each class after the races has always been proof of this.

Beyond the overall victory and class honours, the Index of Performance standings – one of the key distinguishing features of the Iberian Historic Endurance – will award the winner a coveted and exclusive Swiss Cuervo y Sobrinos timepiece, symbol of a golden era of pleasure, sensations and beauty. This classification rewards performance relative to a car’s age, engine capacity and type, thereby favouring older and smaller-engined cars and encouraging diversity and participation from less powerful machinery.

The Belgian round traditionally enjoys an enthusiastic presence of several Portuguese drivers, who do not miss the opportunity to race at one of the world’s most acclaimed circuits. This year, nine cars will depart from the western shores of Portugal bound for the heart of Europe, three of which will be shared by father-and-son pairings.

With the biggest unknown of the weekend always being the weather conditions in the Ardennes region, the format of the 3 Hours of Spa remains identical to previous years, featuring a single qualifying session with a maximum duration of 45 minutes, scheduled for Saturday at 16:10 (local time), while the main race will take place on Sunday, starting at 10:50 and running for a maximum duration of 180 minutes.

SPA 3 HOURS – HALL OF FAME (2016–2025)

2025 P. Pedersen/A. Weiss - Ginetta G4R

2024 B. Barker/G. Shedden - Lotus Elan

2023 A. Jordan/J. Todorff - Lotus Elan

2022 C. Van Riet/F. Bouvy - Shelby Cobra

2021 C. Van Riet/F. Bouvy - Shelby Cobra

2020 Não se realizou

2019 W. Graham/D. Pittard - Lotus Elan 26R

2018 O. Bryant/G. Bryant - Ford GT40

2017 G. Gomes/J. Claridge - Lotus 47

2016 M. Whitaker/N. Reuben – TVR Griffith