Photo by Henny Ray Abrams
When road racing fans hear the name Spa-Francorchamps it conjures up images of some of the most iconic and picturesque racing landscapes in the history of motorsport. The classic Belgium circuit had deep roots in motorcycle racing going back to the early 1920s when the public road between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelotwas were first used for racing.
The original circuit was nine miles long and was among the fastest and most intimidating race tracks in the world. In the late 1970s the course was shortened to four miles.
This 1988 photograph shows the most famous part of the circuit, Eau Rouge, at the start of the GP. Eau Rouge is the low-point on the circuit where a stream crosses before climbing steeply up Raidillion.
As this photo proves the Belgian Motorcycle Grand Prix was hugely popular. It was one of the tracks that GP fans from across the world would come to witness.
Unfortunately, Spa, with its high-speed corners with little run-off room, was a very dangerous circuit for motorcycle racing. In 1990 the final Motorcycle Grand Prix was held there, with Wayne Rainey taking the victory en route to his first world championship.
