While Jenson Button was winning the Formula One world championship in Brazil, potential F1 stars of the future were fighting it out for the Formula Ford Festival trophy at Brands Hatch in Kent.
See the hi-res Formula Ford Festival 2009 picsBlog: Following in Button's footsteps
Button won the title in 1998, while Brazil race winner Mark Webber also won the Festival in 1996. Other past winners have included Eddie Irvine, Anthony Davidson and Johnny Herbert.
Chrissy Palmer won this year’s Festival in a thrilling final, which was led in the early stages by Liroy Stuart. Stuart had started third, but led going into Paddock and looked to be on course for the victory.
But Palmer never let him get away and he finally got his man on the Cooper Straight on lap 13 when Stuart got out of line at Graham Hill bend. Stuart immediately grabbed the lead back, but ran wide out of Clearways and Palmer then stuck in a series of fastest laps to take the victory.
2009 Formula Ford title winner James Cole could only managed third place.
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