It's one of the most iconic race circuits in the world and now, for the first time in 20 years, top-flight motorcycle racing is set to return to Spa Francorchamps in Belgium.

World Motorcycle Endurance Series Returns to Spa!

Over the years, many of the great old race tracks have either been completely ruined by remodelling or abandoned altogether in favour of soulless cut-and-paste tracks. Despite that depressing thought, however, there are still tracks that retain their original layout

and atmosphere, even if mainstream racing has long since disappeared.

The Nurburgring in Germany is the most famous example of that: for a few dollars, you can take your superbike or your camper van around for a lap or two. There are still some national races held there but Formula 1 and the World Endurance Series have long since moved elsewhere.

There is one circuit, however, that despite being emasculated, remains one of the best circuits on the planet and still hosts Formula 1 and World Endurance to his day. That track is, of course, Spa Francorchamps, lying in the forests of the Ardennes in Belgium.

Once upon a time, it was a fearsome flat out blast of around 8.5 miles, with very little in the way of protection between the racers and farmhouses, trees, and all the other roadside paraphernalia.

By the early 1970s, safety was becoming a serious concern and Spa was one of the victims, along with the Nurburgring later in the decade. However, unlike many race tracks that were deemed too unsafe, Spa was remodelled, cutting a large chunk of it off and linking up the remaining sections with a new layout. Amazingly, the track lost none of its challenge and charm, and it remains a favourite of every driver who has raced there.

Recently, significant work has been undertaken to bring the circuit up to standard for motorcycle racing in terms of safety - run-off areas, gravel traps, and so on. It's paid off as, in June, the motorcycle Endurance World Championship will return after a 20-year absence for a 24-Hour race.

The Le Mans 24-Hour Motorcycle Endurance Race has just taken place and SPa will be the second round in the series. While the Le Mans race uses the short circuit as used by the MotoGP crowd and not the full 8-mile track as used for the car 24-Hour classic, the race at Spa will use the full-fat version of the track, which will make it a much more interesting challenge for the riders and spectators alike. The thought of plunging down to Eau Rouge before heading out into the countryside in pitch black lighting conditions will separate the men from the boys.

To give you an idea of what it looks like from the seat of a motorcycle, take a look at this helmet cam footage from NIccolo Canepa in practice for the race. Now put that on repeat for 24 hours and let us know how you feel!

For interest's sake, here's a video of how the track used to look before it was shortened.