Preview Belcar Historic Cup 2026

Spa Summer Classic: strong grid for the Belcar Historic Cup

Next weekend, as part of the Spa Summer Classic, the 2026 season of the Belcar Historic Cup will get underway. The entry list - still provisional - currently features 52 cars, a figure expected to grow in the coming days. All signs point to another outstanding season, with a field that is as appealing as it is diverse, showcasing top-tier historic machinery. The opening round takes place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps before the series heads to Circuit Zolder for the New Race Festival.

The calendar includes six race weekends, each featuring two races - making for a total of twelve contests. The nine best results will count toward the allocation of six national titles. The Belcar Historic Cup is structured around two main groups: cars holding an FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP) and those competing with a National Technical Passport (NTP). Each group is further divided into three classes, resulting in six distinct platforms.

Platforms 1 and 2 are reserved for pre-1982 cars, respectively FIA (HTP) and non-FIA (NTP). Platforms 3 and 4 cover cars from 1982 to 1990, again split between FIA and non-FIA entries. Platforms 5 and 6 are dedicated to cars built between 1990 and 1999, also divided by FIA and non-FIA status. A Ladies Trophy will once again reward the female driver who scores the most points.

The drivers set to defend their 2026 titles are Dieter Kuijl (Ford Capri, Platform 1), Juri Vannieuwenborgh (BMW 635 CSi, Platform 2), Bill Cutler (BMW M3 E30, Platform 3), Luc Moortgat (Porsche 964 RS, Platform 4), François Bouillon (Audi 80 Quattro Competition, Platform 5), and the duo Qvick/Van Rompuy (BMW E36 GTR, Platform 6).

Erik Qvick and Juri Vannieuwenborgh have opted for a partial campaign and will only appear sporadically. Bert Theunissen's BMW 325i Jägermeister will also be absent, although the ATREX driver could return behind the wheel of a BMW 2002. Luc Branckaerts' very quick Corvette C4 will miss Spa, but the former champion has not ruled out appearances at other rounds—the American machine is race-ready. Ruud Boffin's BMW E36 will likewise make occasional outings.

At Spa Summer Classic and the New Race Festival, several Portuguese drivers will join the field, alongside an Italian and a number of German competitors. Regular entrants will need to stay sharp, as not all of these drivers are entered in the guest class.

There is also plenty of positive news. The St. Paul ERU Raceteam is expanding with two new full-season drivers: Audrey van Ham will contest the entire campaign in a Ford Capri RS 2600 Weslake, while Dirk De Bock continues with the BMW 325i. Within the same team, one of the long-awaited BMW 3.5 CSi 24V cars has finally been delivered and is expected to debut at Spa in Platform 1, likely in the hands of reigning champion Dieter Kuijl. Jan Van Elderen is not yet ready with his Porsche 911 RS IROC for Platform 1 and has therefore switched to a Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 entered in Platform 3. Gust Van Haelst will start the season at Spa with a Mazda RX-3 before moving to a faster Mazda RX-7 later on.

At LM Racing, stability prevails, with Luc Moortgat defending his title in the Porsche 964 RS. His main challengers include Erik Bruynoghe, who has widened and further improved his Porsche 964 in a bid to challenge Moortgat's dominance, and Samuel Verheggen, whose Mercedes 190 AMG Evo2 - already competitive last season - has been further upgraded over the winter. Also within LM Racing, Ilaria Stalliviere will defend her Ladies Trophy title in a Renault Clio Williams.

Evertjan Alders returns to the ATREX team with a BMW M5 E28, while Sidney Dieleman is aiming higher after swapping his BMW 325i for a BMW M3 E46 BMW Motorsport. Dominique Holvoet will compete internationally with his FIA-spec Toyota Celica, while in the Belcar Historic Cup he will drive the Toyota MR with which he claimed the Belgian Procar -1600cc title in the mid-1980s. Ronald Thienpont is also back, this time with a Mercedes SLC 450 powered by a 5-litre engine.

The entry list is therefore well-stocked, and it is also noteworthy that the Belcar Historic Cup will once again feature during the Spa Six Hours weekend, a benchmark event for historic racing machinery.

Calendar
24–26/04 – Spa Summer Classic (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, BEL)
02–03/05 – New Race Festival (Circuit Zolder, BEL)
31/07–02/08 – Historic Grand Prix Zolder (Circuit Zolder, BEL)
28–29/08 – Assen Classic Grand Prix (TT Circuit Assen, NLD)
25–27/09 – Spa Six Hours (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, BEL)
17–19/10 – Westfalen Trophy (Nürburgring, DEU)