Ratel: IMSA Clash ‘Doesn’t Justify’ 24H Spa Date Change

Photo: JEP/SRO

Stephane Ratel says the clash with the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa and Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen ‘doesn’t justify’ a date change for SRO Motorsports Group’s blue-ribboned event in the future.

The two endurance races will coincide for the first time this weekend, with neither SRO nor IMSA having changed the date of its race despite pressure from several manufacturers and drivers that are typically involved in both.

More than 30 drivers and at least three teams are affected by the overlapping events this year, which has forced manufacturers such as Porsche and BMW to rely on non-works drivers for some of its cars in either or both races this weekend.

While originally set to clash in 2024, IMSA moved the date of it Michelin Endurance Cup round one week forward to prevent the overlap, in a deal believed to be have been largely orchestrated by CrowdStrike founder and CEO George Kurtz, whose company became the title sponsor of the Belgian endurance classic the previous year.

The two events were again set to clash last year, but the Watkins Glen race was again moved up by one week, officially to accommodate for live network NBC coverage of the race.

The 24 Hours of Spa has held the same date, on the last weekend of June, for the last four years, ever since Formula 1 took over its traditional end-of-July slot in 2023.

“We’ve been maintaining that date,” Ratel told Sportscar365. “I regret it but what can we do, unless we change?

“But we would need other reasons to change than just the clash with IMSA.

“It’s regrettable and we would prefer to not have the clash and we’ve lost a couple of cars. We won’t have the 74 cars we had last year.

“But I don’t think it really justifies for us to change the date.”

With IMSA having already confirmed its 2027 schedule, and having maintained the same date for Watkins Glen, and Ratel indicating there will be no change for his race, it appears the clash will again happen next year.

The 2027 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and Intercontinental GT Challenge schedules are expected to be released on Friday during SRO’s annual press conference at Spa.

While initially opposed to the the F1-induced date change, Ratel said he’s come to embrace the end-of-June date, in what’s expected to deliver a record attendance number this weekend, surpassing last month’s FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

“It’s a date that works well,” he said. “We’ve really had a surge in public attendance. It’s really, really progressing fast and well. The new date has most probably contributed to the growth.

“The end of July, if you look in broad terms, in Belgium, it’s the heart of the summer when people go on vacation, come back from vacation, many people are not there.

“While at the end of June, it’s before the vacations and everybody is still there. The schools aren’t closed yet, so in fact, it’s a very good date.

“For the moment we try to stay there.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John