The date and the regulations are definite! Proudly announcing the 50th edition of the Legend Boucles de Spa 2008®. Check off the first major Belgian motorsport event of the 2008 season in your diary, none other than the Legend Boucles de Spa®, being held during the weekend of 16th and 17th February. Not only was this date confirmed by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium but two members of the RACB have already registered, and on top of that at the wheel of a Porsche; a smart little wink to celebrate this fiftieth edition of the reputable Boucles, far more historic than one can image. One thing is for sure, the organisers have not been slouching on their laurels this last year. In 2007 it was a dream come true for the numerous spectators, with its exceptional entry list, fabulous cars and reputable names at the start. However this did not stop the organisation from working hard; improving and refining certain points, not forgetting that at the back of their minds the unique spirit and great atmosphere of the Boucles remain the main pillars for its on-going success. The event must remain open to all, be it as a professional, amateur or gentleman driver. “After the first year (2006), we soon realised that we could improve on the safety aspects, and at the beginning of this year we were able to prove that we had reached the safety level of a classic rally. However on request from various competitors we have now also re-evaluated the sporting concept and noticed that for the majority of competitors the event could be somewhat sportier, without influencing the low financial registration fee”, an ever enthusiastic Pierre Delettre commented; “I must emphasize that we are involved in a Historic rally, and that the rental cost of the spectacular and winning Porsche Gr.4 of Marc Duez cost a mere €4000. It goes without saying that I want to avoid any cost escalations and retain the regularity aspect of the event. On the other hand to differentiate the fastest competitors and avoid any “marking time” during the event we have revised the regulations somewhat here and there.” 80 km/h for the Legend, 50 km/h and secret checkpoints for the Classic In fact the average speed for the competitors on the Regularity Legend (the low numbers) – has been increased from 70 to 80 km/h. “However the average speed for the liaison routes will be substantially reduced”, the organiser continued. The route has also become far more technical, with a few new additions and last but not least all entrants will be served up two surprises between Spa and Marche. (but this remains a well kept secret...). “It goes without saying that the classics such as the Clémentine are on the books, and the show stages of the Redoute and Stoumont. But to stop the heroes from earlier years and today’s young wolves from bringing out their old pace notes, there are a few changes and some additional checkpoints. We want to further explore the secret character of the rally, reducing the speed aspect whilst increasing the improvisation angle as also the importance of teamwork.” The changes to the Regularity Classic are in a similar light, where the average speed remains at 50 km/h, but on the route – entirely in the style of the Monte-Carlo Historic – there will be some secret checkpoints. Therefore there’s no sense in going flat out and then braking hard just before the checkpoint line. Pass it on to the others! Licences at democratic prices to keep the rally accessible for all! The RACB also solved a second major point of discussion: the licences. As with the first edition of the Legend, the licence relating to the participation in the 140 km Regularity Test for the Regularity Classic (50 km/h),will be included in the registration fee (€800 per participating team). For the drivers and navigators competing in the Regularity Legend Boucles de Spa, there are three possibilities: Option 1: for all those holding an RACB-licence or a foreign NSA there is no supplement for this event. Option 2: for all those who have held an RACB, VAS, ASAF or an NSA licence the last twenty years, but who have not applied for 2008 can, upon the payment of €50, obtain a weekend licence provided that medical approval has been obtained from a qualified physician. Option 3: for all those who have never held a licence, they need to comply with the necessary formalities and follow an RACB-course in order to obtain a licence. The wearing of a helmet and overall remains recommended for the 50 km/h and it goes without saying that this is obligatory for the 80 km/h, however the FIA-homologation ‘post 2000’ for the helmet and that of after 1986 for the overall suffices, on condition that the equipment is in a sound state. There are therefore no unnecessary investments to be made. The cars, depending on their year of construction, are divided into four categories and category 4 – from 1/1/1982 through to 31/12/1986 – remains reserved for the ‘real’ competition cars. Cars registered for the Regularity Legend Boucles de Spa, must conform to the safety norms as described in supplement K. Registration forms and all additional and useful information are to be found on the www.race-rally.be website. In order to guarantee a smooth running and timing the organisation will be limiting the number of registrations to the first 200, and are presently discussing matters with various top Belgian and foreign teams. But we will come back to this in a following communiqué. In the meanwhile we wish you all a fantastic end of year and some great holidays. Let the dream of a historic fiftieth edition of the Legend Boucles de Spa® begin!