One of the world’s most hallowed twice-around-the-clock endurance races will now have an extra 60-minutes of action added onto its duration as organisers of the Spa 24 Hours have announced that this year’s event will run across 25 hours.
Conceived only one year after the inauguration of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this year’s annual pilgrimage to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit had been postponed amid the global pandemic.
However, the race’s new date of 24-25 October coincides with the end of Central European Summer Time on the continent and therefore clocks will go back by one hour at 03:00 on Sunday morning.
But instead of having an offset finish, the chequered flag will still fall at the same time on Saturday and Sunday.
Ultimately, this means drivers will race the 2-3 am slot twice in a one-off 25 hour enduro.
“When we had the new date and someone pointed that the clocks changed that weekend, I thought why not race for the extra hour?” series boss Stephane Ratel told Autosport.com.
“In these troubled times it is good to do something different and it could be good promotion for the event if, fingers crossed, we can welcome fans.
“People will remember in 30 years the time that Spa lasted an extra hour.”
The event will still be called the Spa 24 Hours and will act as a round of the GT World Challenge Europe and Intercontinental GT Challenge.