Donington 1: Kerr crowned champion

Kerr needed only to finish ahead of pre-season title favourite James Courtney to take the title, and he did just that, as Courtney followed him home a distant fourth.

Kerr started from pole position, but a perfect getaway from Fortec Motorsport's Heikki Kovalainen, who started third on the grid, gave him the inside line for Redgate while Kerr scrabbled wide and dropped behind front-row starter Bruce Jouanny.

Kerr and Courtney ran nose-to-tail during the early stages of the race, the Australian being understandably aggressive in his desperation to take the championship battle into Sunday's final round.

However, after Kerr had weathered the early attacks, he soon opened up a large cushion to his rival and only a driver error or mechanical problem could prevent him from becoming the first British champion in the series since 1999.

Although Kovalainen allowed Jouanny and Kerr to close in on him during the closing laps, neither looked likely to launch a serious challenge, and the Frenchman crossed the line 1.329 seconds behind the race-long leader.

Michael Keohane took fifth place, ahead of Richard Antinucci and Rob Austin.

In the scholarship class, Robert Dahlgren took an easy victory, ahead of Monaco-born Clivio Piccione and team-mate Billy Asaro.