We're pleased to be able to bring you full details of the 2009 Lotus Cup Europe race calendar:-

Brands Hatch Grand Prix   1-3 May Zandvoort   23-24 May Hockenheim   20-21 June Donington Park Grand Prix   15-16 August Dijon Prenois   4-6 September Spa Francorchamps   2-4 Oct Le Mans   24-25 October

The 2009 Lotus Cup Europe series visits seven circuits in five countries between the beginning of May and end of October, and amazingly, Lotus have won Grand Prix’ at five of them. Admittedly the two that eluded them – Donington Park and Le Mans – only hosted a Grand Prix once each during the years that Team Lotus was contesting the World Championship.

Lotus Cup Europe kicks-off at Brands Hatch (1-3 May) as a support race to the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. This is the largest event at Brands in 2009 and will be the final round of the A1GP 2008/9 season so competitors will get a rare opportunity to race on the challenging Grand Prix circuit. With the British Grand Prix alternating between Brands Hatch and Silverstone, Lotus first won here in 1964 when reigning World Champion Jim Clark took a clean sweep of pole position, fastest race lap and outright victory. Four years later, in 1968, Graham Hill had taken over as Team Lotus No. 1 following the untimely death of Jim Clark, he and Jackie Oliver making it an all-Lotus 49 front row, but UV joint failure led to retirement for Hill, leaving the way clear for Jo Siffert to win at the wheel of his Rob Walker-run Lotus 49.

Two years later and it was the turn of Jochen Rindt to cross the line first in a Gold Leaf-liveried Lotus on the way to his posthumous World title. 1972, and again the race was won by a Lotus driver destined to be World Champion at year-end; this time it was Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, and this was to be the last Lotus GP victory in Kent.