Louis SHarp has closed in on the British Formula 4 Championship after winning the opening race at Croft overnight before finishing 11th in the reverse-grid Race 2.
Sharp started the event in fine form, setting the fastest two laps in qualifying to take pole for races one and three.
The Rodin Carlin driver was put under pressure in the opener by fellow front-row sitter James Higgins but was too strong, delivering a master-class performance to take the win by 3.768 seconds.
Championship leader William Macintyre pressured Higgins for second but would relent to hold third and maintain a 15-point advantage over Sharp.
Having won the opener, Sharp started dead last in Race 2, from grid 19, directly behind Macintyre and Higgins. An early Safety Car prevented the field from pulling, and Sharp would march towards the top 10 once racing resumed.
He would only get as high as 11th, given the short nature of the 20-minute race, but Macintyre failed to make as much ground and finished 16th.
One further race will take place at Croft tonight, which begins at 12.45 am with Sharp on pole. Just eight points separate the top two in the championship, making for a thrilling title battle as the season heads towards its final three rounds.
Header Image: British Formula 4