1988 was the last time a 1000km race was held at Brands Hatch, a race won by Martin Brundle and Andy Wallace in a Jaguar XJR-9. This race perhaps wasn’t quite the glorious Group C level but Paul Golding’s brave decision to resurrect a 1000km race for the Lotus Elise Trophy and Lotus Cup Europe race series was a gamble that at times looked crazy but turned out a spectacular success. The 519 lap 9 hour marathon was absolutely nail biting from start to finish with no team comfortable at any point until the chequered flag.

The track-club Elise R with Marcus Jewell, Greg Noble and Ramon Piñeiro on board took a giant killing overall podium and a class win against 18 other production class cars (a field of 28 Production Class cars and Lotus Cup Europe cars started). With the track-club run Perrys team taking fourth overall and second in class it was a spectacular result for the team in their third season of Lotus racing. Indeed were it not for an off in the first hour then overall victory would have been achieved. Each and every track-club prepared car took the chequered flag an achievement itself regardless of the spectacular race result.

Congratulations to all of the track-club run drivers – Marcus Jewell, Greb Noble, Remon Pinerio, Ken Savage, Martin Roberts, Eugene O’Brien, Simon Jones, Nigel Ayres and Paul Chase Gardener who all completed the 1000km