24 Hours of Spa (motorcycle race)

The 24 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps Motos (previously called 24 Heures de Liège moto) is a motorcycle endurance race held annually since 1971 on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium and is part of the Endurance FIM World Championship. From 2024, the race has been run in 8 hours format.[1]

FIM Endurance World Championship
VenueCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Location50°26′14″N 5°58′17″E / 50.43722°N 5.97139°E / 50.43722; 5.97139
First race1971
Duration8 hours
Previous names24 Heures de Liège, 8 Heures de Spa (2024–present)
Most wins (driver)France Christian Lavieille (4)
France Jacques Luc (4)
Most wins (manufacturer)Japan Honda (12)

History

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The inaugural event took place on August 28 and 29, 1971 on the Zolder circuit. The competition took place on two different circuits:

When the Bol d'Or moved from Bugatti Circuit to Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of 1977, the ACO created the 24 Heures Moto. The race became one of "the classics" of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Liège, the 8 Hours Of Suzuka, and the Bol d'Or.

At the end of 2001, the three 24 Hour classic races (Le Mans, Liège and the Bol d'Or) withdrew from the Endurance World Championship to create the Master of Endurance (an Endurance competition consisting on the 3 races that was held between 2002 and 2005). Le Mans and Bol d'Or returned to the Endurance FIM World Championship in 2006, but 24 Hours of Liége didn't while the track had lost FIM homolgation.

After twenty years of interruption, the race returned renamed as 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship calendar with a ten-year contract.[2]

Winners

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24 Hours of Spa winners[3]
Year Riders Bike
Rider 1 Rider 2 Rider 3
1971United Kingdom Clive BrownUnited Kingdom Nigel RollasonBSA
1972France Georges GodierSwitzerland Alain GenoudHonda
1973United Kingdom John WilliamsUnited Kingdom Charlie WilliamsHonda
1974France Jean-Claude ChemarinFrance Gérard DebrockHonda
1975France Roger RuizFrance Christian HuguetJapauto
1976France Jean-Claude ChemarinFrance Christian LéonHonda
1977France Jacques LucFrance Pierre SoulasHonda
1978France Jacques LucBelgium Jack BuytaertHonda
1979France Jacques LucBelgium Jack BuytaertHonda
1980France Marc FontanFrance Hervé MoineauHonda
1981France Jacques LucFrance Pierre-Étienne SaminSuzuki
1982France Jean-Claude ChemarinSwitzerland Jacques CornuSwitzerland Sergio PelandiniKawasaki
1983Switzerland Jacques CornuFrance Thierry EspiéBelgium Didier de RadiguèsKawasaki
1984France Gérard CoudrayFrance Patrick IgoaFrance Alex VieiraHonda
1985France Hervé MoineauBelgium Richard HubinFrance Jean-Pierre OudinSuzuki
1986France Gérard CoudrayFrance Patrick IgoaFrance Alex VieiraHonda
1987Belgium Richard HubinBelgium Michel SiméonBelgium Michel SimulSuzuki
1988France Hervé MoineauFrance Bruno Le BihanFrance Thierry CrineSuzuki
1989France Alex VieiraBelgium Stéphane MertensUnited Kingdom Roger BurnettSuzuki
1990 Race cancelled
1991Belgium Stéphane MertensFrance Dominique SarronFrance Christian LavieilleSuzuki
1992United Kingdom Terry RymerUnited Kingdom Carl FogartyFrance Jehan d'OrgeixKawasaki
1993United Kingdom Steve ManleyUnited Kingdom Simon BuckmasterUnited States Doug TolandKawasaki
1994France Adrien MorillasFrance Jean-Louis BattistiniFrance Denis BonorisKawasaki
1995France Jean-Michel MattioliBelgium Stéphane MertensBelgium Michel SiméonHonda
1996Italy Piergiorgio BontempiFrance Stéphane CoutelleUnited Kingdom Brian MorrisonKawasaki
1997France Juan-Eric GomezUnited States Doug PolenAustralia Peter GoddardSuzuki
1998France Christian LavieilleUnited States Doug PolenFrance William CostesHonda
1999Portugal Telmo PereiraFrance Michel GrazianoFrance Bruno BonhuilSuzuki
2000France Jean-Marc DelétangFrance Fabien ForetAustralia Mark WillisYamaha
2001France Christian LavieilleUnited Kingdom Brian MorrisonFrance Laurent BrianSuzuki
2002France Christian LavieilleUnited Kingdom Brian MorrisonFrance Laurent BrianSuzuki
2003France Olivier FourFrance Sébastien GimbertFrance Nicolas DussaugeSuzuki
race not held
2022[4][5]Germany Markus ReiterbergerUkraine Illia MykhalchykFrance Jeremy GuarnoniBMW
2023[6]Italy Niccolò CanepaGermany Marvin FritzCzech Republic Karel HanikaYamaha
2024[7]Italy Niccolò CanepaGermany Marvin FritzCzech Republic Karel HanikaYamaha
2025[8]France Alan TecherFrance Corentin PerolariHonda

By manufacturer

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Wins Manufacturer Year
13 Japan Honda 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2025
11 Japan Suzuki 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
6 Japan Kawasaki 1982, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996
3 Japan Yamaha 2000, 2023, 2024
1 Germany BMW 2022
France Japauto[9] 1975
United Kingdom BSA 1971

See also

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References

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  1. "Spa's EWC eight will be great". fimewc.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  2. Delisse, Alexis (14 May 2018). "Endurance : les 24 Heures de Spa de retour en 2022". moto-station.com..
  3. Glon, Vincent. "Les Courses d'endurance en Belgique - Les 24 Heures de Liège". racingmemo.free.fr..
  4. Gauthier, Stéphane (6 June 2022). "EWC 2022 : 24 heures de Spa Motos". racingforever.com..
  5. "RACE REPORT: JAPANESE JOY MADE IN FRANCE AS YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL WINS EWC 24 HEURES MOTOS". fimewc.com. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022..
  6. Pascual, Nicolas (18 June 2023). "EWC 24H Spa-Francorchamps : le YART-Yamaha triomphe en Belgique !". paddock-gp.com..
  7. "Spa EWC glory for YART and Aviobike". fim-moto.com. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  8. "F.C.C. TSR Honda France is back on top winning the 8 Hours of Spa Motos". fim-moto.com. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  9. Cathcart, Alan (7 July 2022). "The history of Japauto". Bike Review. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
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