Video: 2025 Earl Howe Trophy full race | 82MM

17th April 2025

Russell Campbell

The Earl Howe Trophy at the 82nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport celebrated the 95th anniversary of Lagonda’s overall victory at Le Mans in 1935 with an exclusively British grid, made up of Aston Martins, Bentleys, Talbots, Frazer Nashes and of course, Lagondas.

Patrick Blakeney-Edwards got a good start off the line, piping pole-sitter Gareth Burnett as the flag dropped and spearing up the middle of the track, but his lead didn't last long, Burnett finding the momentum to power past the leader into the first corner.

Burnett continued to break away from the second-placed driver, who himself pulled an impressive lead from the chasing tightly packed trio of Christoff Cowen’s #1 Vauxhall 30-98, Alan Brown’s #71 Invicta S-Type and Robert Blakemore’s #75 Aston Martin Speed Model in third, fourth and fifth place respectively.

2025 Earl Howe Trophy highlights | 82MM

Brown had climbed from seventh on the grid away from the line and was doing his best to keep Cowens honest. His efforts were rewarded when he swept past, but the pair would keep sparring, driving their pre-WWII machines almost like modern touring cars as they traded third place.

With Cowens ahead, Brown was left to deal with Blakemore’s 1936 Aston Martin Speed Model, while further behind, the battle for sixth was just as intense, with a group of four tightly packed cars all in contention.

Burnett may have been leading the race by more than seven seconds by lap eight, but could he – and, perhaps more importantly, his machine – hold on? Watch the race in full here to find out.