Sidcup’s Thomas Grainger was delighted to finish the Legends Racing season with a victory at Brands Hatch last week.

The 21-year-old, who has been racing competitively since the age of 13, has endured a difficult season and had failed to win a race before the final event of the year.

However, Grainger was determined not to suffer a winless campaign and stormed to victory at the Swanley circuit.

“The race started almost three hours late because of a spill on the track, but the race went really well for me,” he said.

“I started in third and by the second corner managed to move up into second place.

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“I was following the leader around for a lap and to be honest thought he was getting away from me. But I managed to keep up with his pace and then pass him on the next lap.

“It was a difficult day to lead because of the problems on the track. Those behind were able to watch the driver in front for clues about the track and at the front that’s not possible. But I managed to keep them at bay.”

Grainger, a former pupil of Hurstmere School, has previously competed in national and world championships.

The racer finished in the top 10 of the 2011 Go-Karting World Championships but has since concentrated on Legends Racing, which involve pre-war cars capable of reaching speeds of 140mph.

“My winning time was around 1.6 seconds which in Legends is massive,” Grainger added.

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“It was a big win, I’ve won a lot of races before but I hadn’t won a race all year.

“I said to my parents I am not going to go a whole year without a win – I may have left it late but thankfully I got there.

“It was the most relieved I have ever been after a win. It is a really hard, competitive championship so the victories mean a lot.”

Legends’ events can draw audiences of over 20,000 and Grainger said he was overwhelmed by the atmosphere at the iconic track.

He said: “Brands Hatch was amazing, the atmosphere was great. It was a real pleasure to have so many people watch me race.”

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