Track day at Spa-Francorchamps

TL;DR Weather was good

Like last year, the first 'official' event of the season was the track day organized at Spa-Francorchamps. We Love Curves and House of Speed sharing a box with their customers on that open pitlane day, where 80 cars would be allowed to run freely from 9 to 12 then 13 to 18 (that's 8 hours total).

We had our usual healthy breakfast (read fatty and salty) and left home just after 10am. We reached Spa-Francorchamps 40 minutes later, and were allowed to enter the paddock area with the Caterham.

I think we drove there with the half-hood on. Weather data report a minimum of 10°C that day, with a maximum of 17.5°C.

The track was still a bit wet from the early morning but drying rather quickly. A pair of HoS Caterhams (the yellow 340R SV and the new racing 420R one) and a pair of Agile SCX were on demonstration.

HoS prospects and customers could have a lap or two as a passenger, or sometimes as a pilot. We stayed in the box and at the starting line wall for a bit, then had a walk around the circuit. From the F1 stand we walked down to Eau Rouge where Porsches and a GT40 were really making the show up climing up Raidillon. We then cut short to Double left, then up to Blanchimont along the karting circuit, where motorcycles were racing. Going up to Chicane we got some nice vantage point, with an Elise 250 cup having a blast in there.

Back to the pit in time for lunch at "The Pit Bar Restaurant". We moved up there earlier than later, just in time to get a table. All the while still trying not to get any spoiler about the F1 GP in China that happened early in the morning, and that we would be watching in the evening. The place is nice, with an actually tasty canteen-style buffet. You pay 35€ for your empty plate and access to the buffet; with tokens for 2 drinks included.

We were lucky to secure a table for 6, with a fellow 485FE owner and his son and 2 spare seats for the HoS pilots -- that finally came in with a queue too long for their taste and reversed course.

After that, we joined the box area for a bit, I removed the half-hood from my 170, and finally left just before 16:00. We took another scenic road and reached home by 16:40 --then watched the China F1 GP, after such a race and all the drama related to tyres strategies, what a pity to have both the Ferrari disqualified, not that I really care for them-.