On a scorching day in Kent, with the home hero starting on the front row of the grid, the stage was set for an epic 80-lap battle between the fastest touring cars in the world.

But the crowd, who had watched the football at the track the day before, would have to endure another rollercoaster ride of emotions. Trackside’s Keith Collantine was there.

The hugely popular Brands Hatch track is an ideal venue for the spectacular 470 bhp Audi A4s and Mercedes C-Classes. The short Indy track allows the spectators to see more of the action and get closer to the cars than they can at Formula One races.

Touring car racing has always been popular in the UK and it was a Briton who won the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) last year – Gary Paffett, who is now a test driver for the McLaren F1 team. With Paffett gone, Green and fellow Briton Susie Stoddart were the focus of the crowd’s hopes.

In qualifying on Saturday Heinz-Harald Frentzen supplied the drama with a massive high-speed crash at the quick downhill Paddock Hill bend.

Crowd favourite Green was pipped to the pole by championship leader Tom Kristensen, with Frentzen third despite his crash. The lap times revealed how incredibly close the cars were – Frentzen was ahead of Mathias Ekstrom by three thousandths of a second.

The DTM is popular because the cars are powerful and nimble and because of this it attracts arguably better drivers than the World Touring Car Championship.

Two-times F1 champion Mika Hakkinen, seven-times Le Mans victor Kristensen and F1 winners Frenzten and Jean Alesi are among the stars that draw the fans.

On race day the sun scorched and the crowd buzzed with anticipation. Union flags fluttered in the stands and a bagpipe band wheezed by the start/finish line. The grid girls lined up by the cars, except by those of Susie Stoddart and Vanina Ickx, which were flanked by men in kilts.

But it would be a tough afternoon for the fans in the stands. Green shadowed Kristensen at the start, but after the pit stops had begun to drop back from the flying Dane.

Green suddenly came around in the lead on lap 63 and the stands erupted in applause. Kristensen limped into the pits after apparently suffering a failure at the front left of the car.

This left Green coasting to what would be his first ever race win – a dream result in front of his home crowd. But the race had a final sting in the tail.

With twelve laps left, Green slithered wide at Graham Hill bend and Ekstrom zapped past into the lead. His tyres well worn, Green had no way to respond.

It was a let down for the crowd, and a crushing blow for Green. His crestfallen look on the second step of the podium told the story of the race.

Racing round-up

Formula One – Indianapolis, United States

Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) struck a vital blow against championship leader Fernando Alonso (Renault) as the championship moved into its second half. He took a straightforward win in America while Alonso could manage only fifth.

Seven cars were eliminated in a first-lap collision triggered by Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren-Mercedes). The stewards studied video replays of the incident and consulted the drivers involved, but took no action against anyone.

World Touring Car Championship, Curitiba, Brazil

Britain’s Andy Priaulx (BMW 320si) took his fourth win of the season for BMW. It gives him a three point lead in the championship over fellow Briton James Thompson (Seat Leon) although Thompson is yet to win a race this year.

Indy Racing League, Kansas Speedway

2005 champion Dan Wheldon (Ganassi) threw everything he had at Sam Hornish Jnr (Penske) but the Englishman had to settle for second at the flag – by 0.079 seconds.

Helio Castroneves finished sixth despite several stops to fix his rear wing after a crash, but still lost the championship lead to Hornish.