The Editor is old enough to have first experienced endurance racing at Brands Hatch in 1968, for the BOAC 500 (aged 11). I can still remember sitting on the bank at Hawthorns in the middle part of the race, watching the Ickx / Redman GT40 drifting into the fast right hander: at that point of the race, with a couple of hours or so still to run, there was time to lap it all up: it didn’t seem to matter what the order was, it was an experience just to be there. Into the closing hour, that small boy perked up as his beloved Ickx struggled to old off the Porsches, and succeeded. It was a brilliant day all round, and was probably largely responsible for him sitting here writing these words now.

Two hours at Snett. should capture much of the atmosphere of that Brands Hatch day: endurance racing comes to the British GT Championship! The big cars of old were just too expensive to race for two hours: a four year old figure of £6,000 sticks in the mind as the cost of running a 911 GT1 for an hour, so add in inflation and some practice and qualifying and it would cost in the order of £30,000 to race a 911 GT1 this weekend. The alternative cars of 2003 are perfect for the job: just look at the Cunningham / Robinson Morgan at Donington. Finish it on Friday, race it on Sunday, finish seventh. Perfect. Reliable, cost-effective cars. Drivers who want to race them for more than a few minutes. Up to 20 cars at Snetterton – with driver changes, refuelling, tactics….and more sunshine? It’s 75 degrees today, as the British spring continues to amaze us. But the forecast is much colder for the weekend.

The entry for each race is already looking as though the regulars are going to be just that: no one wants to miss out on the fun in store! And the regulars are going to grow in number. Phil Hindley has a second 911 out this time, with the third due at the third race, at Knockhill. With the debut of the Paul Whight Lotus Sport Elise – a rather special Lotus this - that should make eight Cup Class runners, and up to 12 of the bigger cars.

The Moslers, the Tuscan Rs, the Xero Corvette, the ladies in the CMS Viper, the Master Ultima – all suitably snarly and growly, and quick enough to grace any GT race anywhere. And then there are the Le Mans-bound TVRs. Both still have work to be completed (as of Wednesday), but the plan is that both will test on Friday, both will race on Sunday (Barff / Stanton and Caine / Jordan).

Martin Short therefore takes over with Tom Herridge in the blue and white Mosler – and they’ll be looking for revenge. Shaun Balfe and Jamie Derbyshire will be looking for their dream start to continue. The Glenn Eagling Marcos should return, after a huge workload for the team during the period since the Donington engine calamity.

The two minute refuelling stops can take place at any time during the race, but independently from the driver change stop (Wrong! In the two and three hour races, driver changes and refuelling can take place at the same stop. Thanks Martin Short.). A driver cannot drive for more than 90 minutes, but most pairings will stop at about an hour, won’t they?

The pit stops will inevitably confuse the order, but David Addison and co. will perform their usual excellent role in sorting it out for the spectators.

Now then Goodwin, why is it that I get to go on Saturday, and you get the raceday?