The first edition of the Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien will take place on 15thand 16th of May
Although Michael Bartholemy’s company TheEvent was forced to give up the second edition of the Ostbelgien Classic last December, the Eupenois had declared that it was only a step back to better take a leap… and that the fans of the event highlighting East Belgium shouldn’t have to wait a whole year before seeing each other again and sharing their passion for vintage cars and regularity events. The inaugural Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien is set to take place on the weekend of 15th and 16th May!
“Rather than lamenting our plight and the health crisis, we decided to move on,” explains Michael Bartholemy. “As announced, a new event was in planning, the Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien. It’s a tribute to the famous 12 Heures de l’Est, but also to the valley of the Gueule, named after the little river of about 50 kilometres that originates between Köpfchen and Lichtenbusch, on the border with Germany, and ends at the mouth of the Meuse, not far from Maastricht. La Calamine will be the centre of the race and it will last 12 hours, as it will take place on Saturday, 15th May between 2pm and 8pm, as well as on Sunday, 16th May between 8am and 2pm.”
The Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien will be an open road regularity event for vintage cars, including Youngtimers up to 1996. “There will be regularity tests (RT), time controls (TC), second time controls (STC), as well as both sporty and original show events on private grounds,” says Frank Frankenberg. “The event will be placed under the sporting authority of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium.”
“We are using the same ingredients that made the first edition of the Ostbelgien Classic a success, namely a 430 kilometre-long quality route in the ‘Classic’ category designed by Joseph Lambert and Eric Chapa,” continues Michael Bartholemy. “Timekeeping will be entrusted to JB Time Concept, the Bailly family structure, while the Tripy technology, which has largely proved its worth, will be given preference. In parallel to this contest, a ‘Leisurely Ride’ category (called “Balade”) will allow those who wish to take advantage of an identical route, but reduced to 320 kilometres, to do so without any notion of time average. Thus, there will be something for everyone.”
Should the pandemic restrictions still apply in mid-May, the organisers have already planned to make the Göhltal Classic – 12H Ostbelgien a contactless event. And should the public not be welcome due to the pandemic, TheEvent is already working on quality live streaming which will allow viewers to enjoy the atmosphere of this kind of event intended for enthusiasts.
The first winners of the Ostbelgien Classic, Daniel Reuter and Robert Vandevorst, who are among the best in the regularity category, are already lined up. They have the firm intention to continue their momentum. Now everyone else is on notice!