Andy Priaulx's triumphant homecoming as World Touring Car champion turned into a damp squib when he threw away victory at Brands Hatch.
The Guernsey-born driver arrived in Kent with a narrow championship lead, but that brought with it a hefty weight penalty and he found the going tough on a wet track.
He dragged his overweight BMW to a gutsy eighth place in race one, passing arch rival Dirk Muller on lap 11 after hounding the German for several laps, to claim pole position for the reverse-grid second race.
With pouring rain at the start of the race, he made a perfect getaway and led for two laps before the safety car was brought out.
When racing resumed on lap six, Priaulx braked too late for Paddock Hill bend and ploughed through the sodden gravel to drop down to 11th place and out of the points.
He braved the treacherous conditions to battle back to eighth place but still left his home round with just two points after the worst weekend of his season.
While Priaulx was struggling with the conditions and a heavy car, title rival Yvan Muller took a bumper points haul away from Brands Hatch.
He won race one to lead a SEAT clean sweep of the podium, just beating team-mate Peter Terting to the line.
Yorkshireman James Thompson ensured the Union Jack flew over the podium by taking third place, although he would have been second had Terting not pushed his way past late in the race.
In the end Thompson had to hold off Newmarket-based Rob Huff, who scored the best result of his world championship career by taking fourth for Chevrolet.
Former British champions Rickard Rydell and Gabriele Tarquini were fifth and sixth respectively in SEATs.
Huff's celebrations were brief and he lasted just two corners in race two before skidding into the gravel at Druids while challenging for a podium spot, bringing the safety car out.
Chevrolet's disappointment was short-lived though and team-mate Alain Menu delivered their first win in the series, breaking his own duck in the process.
The Swiss driver crossed the line saluted by his flag-waving team and led home a quartet of former British champions.
Rydell was second, with Thompson taking another third after passing Tarquini midway through the race, leaving the Italian fourth.
Yvan Muller crossed the line fifth after demoting Dirk Muller to sixth, passing the BMW illegally while yellow flags were waving.
Scotsman Ryan Sharp won the independents' class in his Honda, finishing 13th overall to add to his 16th from race one.
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