Rory Smith defeated reigning Formula Ford Festival champion Jonathan Browne to claim the coveted crown at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

The B-M Racing driver could only qualify fourth for the grand final but passed polesitter Browne at Clearways at mid-distance to grab a lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Smith, who had leapfrogged Scottish pair Ross Martin and Neil Maclennan in the early stages of the 20-lap thrash, became the first driver to win the event in a Medina chassis.

National champion Maclennan - who was arguably the pre-event favourite - crashed at Paddock Hill Bend not long after passing Browne for second on lap 12.

His stricken Spectrum sparked a safety car, piling pressure on Smith who was set to have Browne breathing down his neck for the final few tours.

But he produced an excellent restart on a damp track, edging clear of the Low Dempsey Racing-run Ray entrant at the start of the three-lap dash.

Although Browne closed up on his rival, Smith held on and won by more than half-a-second on what was the 49th running of the prestigious event.

Chicago's Bryce Aron had looked set to score a podium finish, but fell to fifth, losing out to final podium finisher Matt Cowley and fourth-placed man Chris Middlehurst, both run by the Team Dolan squad.

British GT star Cowley had climbed from 10th on the grid, recovering from a slow start in semi final two to finish third for the second year in a row.

In the support races, West Kingsdown's Rod Birley claimed two wins in the 25-strong Classic and Modern Motorsport Club events.

The Ford Escort WRC driver has faced technical issues in his four-wheel-drive machine this season, but took two strong wins, beating BMW M3 pilot Paul Watson in both encounters.

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