GB3 front-runner Max Esterson has been crowned as the winner of the 51st Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.
Esterson won his heat and the semi-final at the event, and was leading the Grand Final when it was red flagged on the fourth lap after a thunderstorm hit the Kent circuit.
The torrential rain, combined with thunder and lightning meant racing couldn't restart, and Esterson's victory follows his runner-up placing at least year's event.
The American was classified ahead of Joey Foster and Jordan Dempsey, and had led every racing lap in the curtailed final, having started from pole position.
Despite the shortened nature of the final, there had still been plenty of drama as Esterson built a decent lead on the first lap only to be chased down by Foster and Dempsey, with the trio covered by half a second at the end of the second tour.
But the rain, which had been threatening for much of the afternoon, came down suddenly on lap three, with two cars spinning off into retirement at Druids, and another pirouetting on the Brabham Straight.
With multiple cars requiring recovery, and the rain showing no sign of abating, the red flags were shown, and when the weather worsened with flashes of lightning and crackles of thunder, the event was halted.
"I qualified first, led every lap of the heat, every lap of the semi and obviously every lap of the final!" Esterson said afterwards. "It was super tricky and unfortunate that it had to end, but you couldn't see a thing, so it's the right call. But I think the whole team deserves it, after finishing second for the last two years, we couldn't do another second!"
Formula Ford Festival Final result:
1. Max Esterson, Ray GR18, 2 laps
2. Joey Foster, Firman, +0.318s
3. Jordan Dempsey, Spectrum 011C, +0.555s
4. Thomas Schrage, Ray GR18, +2.541s
5. Brandon McCaughan, Van Diemen JL13, +3.954s
6. Chris Middlehurst, Van Diemen LA10, +3.997s
7. Niall Murray, Van Diemen BD22, +4.813s
8. Lucas Romanek, Van Diemen JL13, +5.047s
9. Jeremy Fairburn, Spectrum KMR, +5.361s
10. Morgan Quinn, Van Diemen RF99, +5.683
Click here for full results.
The next major event at Brands Hatch is the British Truck Racing and Fireworks extravaganza on 5-6 October. Tickets are available in advance priced from £25, with free admission for children aged under 13. Click here to book or for more information.