PRESS RELEASE

 

Liège June 4 2004.

The a.s.b.l. AUTO MOTO CLUB RAC JUNIOR LIEGE and MOTO REVUE, co-organizers of the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE, ascertain : following the official recognition by the F.I.M. early November 2003 of the "MASTER OF ENDURANCE" 2004, of which the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE constitute the Belgian round, the circuits on which the three constitutive heats of the "MASTER OF ENDURANCE" happen must be inspected and approved by the F.I.M.
  1. as from November 19, 2003, at a first meeting with the President of the managing Company of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit (I.S.F.) they informed that in order to allow the organization of the 33rd edition of the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE on July 1st to July 4th 2004 on the said circuit it was compulsory that such was approved by the F.I.M. for the World Endurance Championship. We therefore insisted on a request from the I.S.F. for inspection by the F.I.M. responsible.

  2. further to this request a first inspection has been carried out on January 10, 2004, and various unavoidable improvements have been asked to insure the riders' security.

  3. on February 11, 2004, during a meeting between the organizers of the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE, the I.S.F. and the circuit promoting Company, an homologation file has been handed over with the full details of all the measures requested by the F.I.M. to approve the circuit.

  4. after the second meeting on February 18, 2004, the President of the I.S.F. proposed some improvements of the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps that they agreed to realize as far as they met the requirements of the F.I.M.
    Such proposals, translated in matter of plans by the M.E.T. (Ministry of Equipment and Transports) were submitted on February 24, 2004 to the surveyor of the F.I.M. who agreed on such.

  5. on March 22, 2004, a new inspection was carried out by the F.I.M. which confirmed the approval of the plans of the alternative laying out to obtain the homologation of the circuit, fixed the program of the works to be carried out and the intermediary inspections sessions, but also the final date of inspection and approval on June 27, 2004.

  6. just after this March 22, 2004, the responsible people of the I.S.F. did not act on a voluntary manner to make sure that the required works were carried out in the decided delays and that the circuit could be in such a configuration to receive the approval from the F.I.M.

  7. after a lot of mails to the managers of the I.S.F. reminding the need to confirm their willing to rapidly realize the required works for homologation of the circuit an ultimate letter was sent to them on May 28, 2004, stating that if the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps was not approved by the F.I.M. it should be impossible to organize the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE 2004, Belgian heat of the "MASTER OF ENDURANCE", on such circuit.

  8. on this 2nd of June, we were finally informed by the I.S.F. that these will not carry out the foreseen works and hence will not put the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps in such a configuration as to obtain the F.I.M. approval on next June 27, 2004.
    ce 2 juin 2004, ils ont enfin été informés par l'I.S.F. que celle-ci ne réaliserait pas les travaux prévus et donc ne mettrait pas le circuit de Spa-Francorchamps en condition pour qu'il puisse être homologué par la F.I.M. le 27 juin prochain.
As a result the A.M.C. RAC JUNIOR LIEGE a.s.b.l. and MOTO REVUE are placed in the impossibility to organize the 33rd edition of the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE, Belgian heat of the "MASTER OF ENDURANCE" 2004, on the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps on next July 1, 2, 3, & 4.

The organizers of the 24 HEURES DE LIEGE highly regret this situation at a so short delay before the foreseen dates for the event, being taken in consideration the utmost human and financial investments done by the teams to take part to this race but also the willingness and availability of all the voluntary fellow-workers without whom it would be impossible to put such an event on the rails.

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