Heats
1978 Zolder GPZ 
1977 Spa 600 km  Go  
1978 Nivelles 
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Spa 600 km

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Date: 7/5/1978
Track length: 14.100 m
Attendance: 2.830
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Spice/Pilette
Fastest lap: Craft in 4.23,3 = 193,057 kmh

Distance: 600 km (Group 1B)
Average speed: 176,077 kmh (Production), 173,310 kmh (Group 2-5)
Weather: Rain
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1978 Cars

 

An advantage for the Michelin runners at the start of the 600 km race: it rained, and the Dunlops of the Camaros and the Spice Capri were supposed to be inferior. But the more heavy and softly-sprung BMW 530 of Braillard took over after the start, accompanied by the Racing City 7 BMW coupé of Bourgoignie. The latter took the lead after further half a lap, while Braillard got company of Bell and Nève, both BMW.
The first pit stops did not change the order despite the slick pit work of the Luigi team; but the second stop, when the rain had ceased promoted the Luigi car to the front after a perfect stop. Regout, who had taken over from Bourgoignie, had to come in again to tighten a wheel and he now had a fight with the Belga Capri of Tricot.
Seven laps before the end Regout was second again and closing on Xhenceval, Braillards team-mate. He seemed to have just enough laps left to take the lead, but an extra stop (he was waved through by his frantic team) gave the victory to the Luigi BMW of Braillard/Xhenceval.

Production
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1 6/7? Luigi Racing Lotto
BMW 530i		 Willy Braillard, B
Jean Xhenceval, B
 2985 L6 +2500 43 laps, 3:26.54,8        
2 2 12 Racing City 7
BMW 3.0 CSi		 Claude Bourgoignie, B
Hervé Regout, B
 2985 L6 +2500 43 laps, 3:27.16,9 4      
3 3   Belga Team
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Jean-Michel Martin, B
René Tricot, B
 2993 V6 +2500 43 laps, 3:27.43,6        
4 4   Power Castrol
BMW 530i		 Patrick Nève, B
Henri Pescarolo, F
 2985 L6 +2500 43 laps, 3:28.50,5        
5 5   Luigi Racing Lotto
BMW 530i		 Jo De Gheldere, B
Jean-Pierre Rouget, F
 2985 L6 +2500 43 laps, 3:30.33,1        
6 6   Joosen Racing
BMW 530i		 Eddy Joosen, B
Derek Bell, GB
 2985 L6 +2500 43 laps, 3:30.34,3        
7 7   Belga Team
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
Teddy Pilette, B
 2993 V6 +2500 42 1      
8 8    
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
Alain Corbisier, B
 2993 V6 +2500 42 3   4.43,3  
9 9   Joosen Racing
BMW 530i		 Dirk Vermeersch, B
Raymond Van Hove, B
 2985 L6 +2500 42        
10 10    
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Thierry Carpentier, B
Claude Lamine, B
 2993 V6 +2500 42        
11 11    
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jeff Allam, GB
Stuart Patterson, GB
 2993 V6 +2500 41        
12 1   Belgian VW Club
VW Scirocco GTI		 Bernard De St. Hubert, B
Francis Polak, B
 1588 L4 1600 40        
13 2   Richard Lloyd Racing Ltd.
VW Golf GTI		 Richard Lloyd, GB
John Fitzpatrick, GB
 1588 L4 1600 40        
14 3    
Audi 80 GTE		 André Hardy, B
Oscar Kessler, B
 1588 L4 1600 40        
15 12 10?  
BMW 3.0 CSi		 Erwin Van den Broeck, B
Jean-Paul Rieu, B
 2985 L6 +2500          
  1   KWS Autotechnik Team
Ford Escort II RS 2000		 Rudolf Doetsch, D
Hartmut Bauer, D
 1993 L4 2000          
  2   Alfa Geleen
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV		 Hub Nijsten, NL
Christine Beckers ("Christine"), B
 1962 L4 2000          
      Eumig Film Racing Team
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Henny Hemmes, NL
Loek Vermeulen, NL
 5736 V8 +2500   2      
       
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 +2500          
       
Ford Capri ?II 3.0S		 Holman “Les” Blackburn, GB
 2993 V6 +2500          
      Luigi Racing Lotto
BMW 3.0 CSi		 Michel Paulus, B
 2985 L6 +2500          
       
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Huub Vermeulen, NL
Arthur van Dedem, NL
 5736 V8 +2500          
       
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Jacques Cleutjens, NL
Man Bergsteijn, NL
 2993 V6 +2500          

Group 2-5
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1    
Porsche 934		 Willy Braillard, B
 2993 tc B6 +2000 10 laps        
2 2 18?  
BMW ?3.0 CSL		 Patrick Nève, B
 3196? L6 +2000 10        
3 3 11  
BMW 3.0 CSL		 Jean-Marie Baert, B
 3196 L6 +2000 10        
4 1    
Audi 80		 ? Franz Dubois, B
   L4   10        
5 4    
BMW		 Erwin Van den Broeck, B
   L6 +2000 10        
6 5    
Mercedes		 Jean Wansart, B
   L6 +2000 10        
7 6    
Porsche Carrera RS		 "Alex", B
   B6 +2000 10