Head to heads are the feature of both finals.

There were eight different drivers who took heat wins here, and ten in junior specials, which emphasises the hugely competitive nature of them both, and as always driving standards were excellent.
With quite a few names either starting out in the classes; joining the BAS for the first time; or who have gradually improved their racecraft and are now starting making a name for themselves, it feels like we are seeing a new wave of talent emerging with several potential champions in each class.
James Bubb is one of those, and it was he who put himself top of the table in junior saloons, but it was Ollie Stevens who took the win after an exciting race.
Lewis Davies was his closest challenger and is clearly a driver to watch this season, working Stevens hard in a side-by-side and nose-to-tail encounter, and he was still on Stevens’ tail at the chequer, though the Ludlow driver deserves credit too for a confidently defensive drive.
Bubb had used an outside line in the first lap of the final and he’d run next to the leader briefly, but the line proved ineffective thereafter as he dropped from his position at the front to fourth behind Connah Urquhart, but then Bubb inherited third place again at the end as Urquhart received a green flag which dropped him to fifth.
Ben Dorsett equalled Davies’s qualifying score, but a lacklustre start in the final dropped him down to sixth place behind Chloe Hampson, who ran fifth on track but then gained a place at the end of the race thanks to Urquhart’s penalty. Kaine Salmon made it to the final by a single point but was a non-starter, which left Ella John as the last finisher on track in seventh.
In the junior specials, reigning champion Matt Owen was given a tough time in the final, but goes to round two with a surprisingly comfortable points lead.
Both Owen and Jake Bailey were top of the table, but Joey Matthews was Owen’s pursuer in the final and, like Davies had done to Stevens in the other final, stayed on his tail throughout the race. A composed and mature performance from the leader under pressure ensured Matthews stayed behind, but Matthews is also revealing himself to be a fine young driver and sits second overall in the points table.
The ARD machine of Jake Lockwood is on its third junior career now having been used by Kate and Ellie before him, but is still an effective machine, taking the Scunthorpe youngster to third overall ahead of Bailey, who is one of a few drivers using the new step-roofed Berrisford chassis’.
Kieran Stead ran with the leaders initially but finished behind Bailey, with Southern League-mates Bradley Turner and Katie Gaylard next in line.
Josh Howard was tied with Matthews after the heats, but received a black flag and took no points from the final; though because of his strong qualifying performance he still sits seventh in the table ahead of the second round.

Top: Davies revealed himself to be a hugely competitive proposition. This we already knew about Stevens, who underlined his ability with a win. Above: Owen’s title defence got off to the best start, but Matthews didn’t make it easy for him.