A "speed freak's" ambition to join an exclusive handful of Brits in driving at 300mph has had his most recent attempt halted due to bad weather.

Maidstone man, Geoff Stilwell, has been aiming to join Sir Malcolm Campbell in reaching the exclusive group since he broke the record for his class in 2018.

Having gone to the Bonneville Salt Lakes in America, he ran his 7707 Lucas Oil Landspeeder at a dizzying 258.69mph – the fastest any A-class rear piston-engined car has gone.

With the record in the bag, this year Geoff set his sights on reaching the 300 club.

He said: "When we got there on Friday the surface was like a concrete road, it was perfect for racing.

"The car was set up and ready to role. We changed the gearing so it could pull harder and nothing in theory could stop us from reaching 300mph."

Everything was looking good but then the weather had a different idea and soon the heavens opened.

He continued: "There was no forecast of rain, even on our radar that we use there was nothing. It developed in the space of 15-20 minutes.

"I've never seen rain like it, it just came down so heavily.

"The salt flats are as big as Kent and all of it was flooded.

"It was the most rainfall they have had there in living memory and the water reached half way up the doors of our truck at about two-and-a-half feet deep.

"I think someone had worked out that around 147 billion gallons of water fell.

"The rain came down with such ferocity and ran from the mountains into the lake bed that it actually went under the salt and lifted it.

"There were stretches of more than 100m lifted in one slab creating salt-bergs – it was quite surreal."

This meant after racking up 5,000 miles to get there, Geoff didn't get a chance to even start his car, let alone race it.

Now he is hoping to catch the last race of the year at El Mirage in November where he hopes to push the car beyond 250mph over a mile stretch.

Ultimately, it wasn't his year to make the 300mph-mark, but he expects to be back next August in the hope of reaching his elusive target.

He said: "Someone said to me Bonneville is just one of those places.

"They call it the white dyno as you use a dyno to test your engine – but not only is it a dyno to test your engine, it tests your patience as well."