After Le Mans and the Nürburgring, the journey heads to the Ardennes for one final test: the 24 Hours of Spa. As 72 Hours of June reaches its final chapter, Michael Jolley returns to where the idea first sparked and discovers that even after two weeks of racing, sleepless nights, and endless walking, there’s still magic to be found under the Belgian sky.

72 HOURS OF JUNE: LE MANS | NÜRBURGRING | SPA

No time to rest before Spa-Francorchamps. I arrived in Brussels on Monday night, and by Wednesday morning I was off again to the final race of this monster month. Just enough time to charge a couple of batteries and repack my camera bag.

Wednesday morning, I left my hotel, and one train and a bus later, I found myself in the magnificent Ardennes forest—the backdrop for the ‘greatest GT race in the world’. With no track action until Thursday, I had time to set up my tent, find some food, and relax for the evening.

Thursday morning I was, just like in Le Mans, awoken by the sound of racecars. The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa acts as Round 5 of the GT World Challenge Europe calendar, and having attended Round 2 at my local circuit, Brands Hatch, earlier in the year, I knew I was in for a treat. We were also treated to the entry of a couple of guest cars—most notably the WRT #46 driven by Valentino Rossi (ex-MotoGP), Kevin Magnussen (ex-F1), and René Rast (ex-Formula E). As a fan of all three, this was the ultimate line-up. Little did I know I’d be lucky enough to meet both Kevin and René later in the weekend.

Being an SRO-organised event meant we got a brilliant support package. The McLaren Equipe Trophy and Lamborghini Super Trofeo gave some lower-ranked drivers the spotlight, and the European GT2 Series treated fans to some louder, higher-powered engines.

Thursday was, as always, a practice day—which meant a full day of exploring the track. The crowd had gathered primarily at the bottom of Eau Rouge and the top of Raidillon—totally understandable given that they host some of the most famous corners in the world. The view from the fan area was spectacular, with cars creating sparks as they flew up the steep incline, over the crest, and disappeared down the Kemmel Straight.

I continued my exploration up to La Source, down past the Bus Stop, and all the way round to Pouhon. By this point, it had started raining—a welcome change from the blazing sun of the previous two weeks. The rain made life tricky for those on slicks, and even sent a couple of cars spinning. I made my way back up to Les Combes and down again to Eau Rouge.

Similar to Nürburgring, Spa opened its paddocks to the public on Thursday and Friday, with Saturday and Sunday reserved for paddock ticket holders. The ticket upgrade was very reasonably priced—just €20—and definitely worth it. I wandered the paddock and happily bumped into the kind folks at the merch stand. Having attended GTWC and British GT events numerous times, I’ve become quite acquainted with the merchandise crew, and it was nice to see a familiar face after a few weeks of solo travel.

The paddock at Spa is clearly built just as much for fans as for teams: a bar wall filled with motorsport memorabilia and a timing screen, a mini food court, and even a stage. At night, the party ramps up with DJs and live bands. It’s as if the organisers saw the Nürburgring and decided to match the vibe—cover bands at the paddock stage, DJs at the bar, and top producers on the main stage made for an incredible celebration. And with screens all over the circuit, you never miss the action, no matter where you are.

Friday brought hot weather—and an even hotter atmosphere. Just when I thought nothing could top my favourite moments so far, something did. While wandering the paddock, I bumped into both René Rast and Kevin Magnussen. As I mentioned before, these are two of my favourite drivers, and it was an absolute honour to meet them both.

Qualifying brought an intense couple of hours, with lap times dropping as drivers got to grips with the circuit. Ultimately, it would be the Garage 59 McLaren that took pole for the big race.

After qualifying, fans were treated to a GT4 race—the first of their two-hour-long sprints. Two Audi R8 GT4s shared the podium with the Ginetta of Ethan Gialdini rounding it out. If there’s anything I’ve learnt over the past three weeks, it’s that rest is essential before one of these marathons. I headed to bed for what I hoped would be a good night’s sleep—until I arrived back at the campsite (just next to Les Combes) and found it had transformed into a club. Spa really is the prestige of Le Mans combined with the atmosphere of the N24. I partied for a bit, then headed to bed, ready for the final race of what I’ve dubbed ‘Motorsport Month’.

Saturday morning, the sun was shining and the cars were out for their warm-ups, engines echoing through the Ardennes. It was time for one final marathon.

I watched the start from the exit of La Source, with a perfect view down the straight and up through Eau Rouge. After roasting in the sun for a couple of hours, I moved to the covered grandstand on the inside of Eau Rouge—where, to my surprise, I bumped into someone from the Select Motor Racing tour. He hadn’t tackled all three races, but was doing Nürburgring and Spa. We spent most of the day together, heading up to the Bus Stop Chicane to catch the early evening action. With its heavy braking zone and tight layout, the chicane offered great overtaking and a few spins—we were happy with our spot for a while before heading to the Raidillon grandstand.

The Raidillon grandstand has one of the most incredible views in motorsport. You can see the cars come out of La Source, all the way up through Eau Rouge and Raidillon. At night, it’s something magical—headlights getting closer and closer until they flash past and disappear into the dark. By 3 a.m., it was packed with fans wrapped in blankets, some wide awake, others fast asleep on the floor. Whether it was the partying or just the fact I’d now done three 24-hour races in three weeks, I was shattered. Knowing I had a long night of travel ahead after the race, I decided to head to my tent for a short nap.

Waking up around 9 a.m., I was ready to catch the final seven hours of action. I headed back to the Raidillon grandstand to find a very different picture than at Nürburgring—this place was full of life. Fans were excited, families were introducing their children to motorsport. I sat there in awe. One kid waved a tiny Porsche flag at every car. It was adorable. Speaking of flags—there was one guy in the start-finish grandstand waving a massive Goodsmile Racing flag every time the car went past. I was curious to see if he was still there, so I ventured up to the restaurant and bar across from the grandstand—and sure enough, he was.

That bar is an excellent viewing spot, with a balcony overlooking the finish line. I stayed there for the rest of the race with one mission: to get a photo of the winning car crossing the line. With an hour left, it could still go to several teams—but in the end, it was Grasser Racing’s Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 that took the win. With Lamborghini set to replace the Huracán with the new Temerario GT3, it felt like a fairytale ending. After capturing my dream photo, I headed to the podium to soak up the last few moments of this unforgettable journey.

The drop of the chequered flag at Spa also marked the end of my European racecar adventure. After three weeks of trains, buses, tents, and photo gear, I was ready for my own bed. But what a journey it’s been.

I’ve made memories that will last a lifetime, met fans from across the globe, and seen a ridiculous number of racecars. I’ve been lucky enough to visit three of the most iconic circuits in Europe, and this once-in-a-lifetime trip is something I’ll never forget. Given the chance, I’d absolutely do it again—maybe with a car next time, as dragging a month’s worth of kit across Europe on public transport isn’t exactly easy.

As I finish this article, I reflect on the past three weeks knowing every second was worth it. It may have been exhausting—but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Just for the thrill of the racing. Just for one more sunset over Eau Rouge.