The earliest predecessor of the modern event, a minor sports car race called the Coupe de Spa, was held in 1953 — the same year the Spa 24 Hours counted towards the inaugural World Sports Car Championship. The race grew through the 1950s and 1960s, joining the World Sportscar Championship in 1963 under the name Spa Grand Prix and expanded to 500 kilometres.
From 1966 onwards the Spa Grand Prix name was dropped and the race was run over 1000 kilometres, joining the Nürburgring and Monza events as one of the major distance races in the European calendar. However, the traditional 14-kilometre circuit over public roads presented severe safety challenges, and the event was discontinued after 1975.
The race was revived in 1982 after Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was rebuilt and shortened to approximately 7 kilometres, restoring it to the World Sportscar Championship calendar. The 1000 km format continued until 1990, when declining WSC interest led to its cancellation. A further revival came in 1999 as part of the SportsRacing World Cup, running to a timed format. The race returned to the 1000 km format in 2003 as part of the FIA Sportscar Championship and the British GT Championship, then moved into the Le Mans Series from 2004.
From 2012 the race became a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, reformatted as a six-hour event.
The 1985 running produced one of the most tragic incidents in the race's history. The event was originally scheduled for 1000 km but was shortened to five hours after a collision between Stefan Bellof and Jacky Ickx at Eau Rouge. Bellof died in hospital following the accident, and officials ended the race at the five-hour mark having covered 848 km.
The 2019 edition was stopped early due to snowfall — a rare occurrence on the WEC calendar that illustrated the unpredictable weather conditions that can affect Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit well known for its microclimates.
Jacky Ickx holds the record for most victories at the race, having won five times across 1967, 1968, 1974, 1982, and 1983. He is one of only two drivers to have won the race on both the original long-circuit and the current shorter layout, with Derek Bell being the other.
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, host of the 6 Hours, is one of the most beloved and replicated circuits in sim racing. Its combination of high-speed sectors through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, the long Kemmel Straight, and the technical infield section at Pouhon and Blanchimont provide a comprehensive test of driving skill across all disciplines. The circuit appears in virtually every major racing simulation, and endurance racing at Spa is a staple of organized online leagues and sim championships.
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