PERSHORE racer James Harrison narrowly missed out on the inaugural PlayStation 2 Junior Championship last Saturday when he finished just one tenth of a second behind Toby Newton.

Harrison demonstrated his electric pace to qualify first on the grid at Silverstone ahead of title rivals Newton and Luciano Bacheta.

The first of the two 12-lap races was dominated by Harrison who made a flying start and never looked back to draw level on points with Newton at the top of the Championship standings.

With the young drivers showing few signs of nerves, Harrison once again qualified quickest for the second race.

Again he made a fine start but by lap four Newton had taken the fight to the Vale driver.

Given the standard of driving it was easy to forget the average age of the drivers was 15 and it was lap nine when Newton made his move recording the fastest lap of the race and out-manoeuvring Harrison to take the lead.

Harrison immediately responded to retake the advantage on the next lap before Newton recorded a new lap record on lap 11 as Harrison did enough to stay in front.

With both drivers nose to tail throughout, Harrison kept the lead as they started the final lap. Both drivers flew round the final bend at Brooklands where, with Harrison looking to defend the outside of the track, Newton was forced to pull off a daring move, diving up the inside to take the chequered flag and sensationally win the PlayStation 2 Junior Ginetta Championship.

A philosophical Harrison said: "If you had told me at the beginning of the season that I would finish second, then I wouldn't have believed you.

"With a season's racing under my belt, I'll be doing all I can to go one better and win next season's championship. "

l NOT even an apology could help contain Dan Eaves' anger as he saw the chance of finishing second behind newly crowned Dunlop MSA British Touring Car champion Matt Neal cruelly snatched from his grasp at Brands Hatch last Sunday.

After winning the opener and then finishing runner-up in race two, the Evesham born ace had high hopes of overhauling Yvan Muller in the chase for runners-up spot.

Muller, however, had other ideas and a multi-car pile-up early in the decider eliminated three of the biggest names in the championship - Eaves, Muller and Plato.

"I've watched the replay on television and he definitely did it on the purpose," a disgruntled Eaves moaned. "The in-car footage shows that he had plenty of time to brake. He told me that he was unsighted but he's an ex champion and surely he was capable of stopping the car and preventing the shunt.

The driver of the day at the Kent circuit was undoubtedly Matt Neal who was finally crowned BTCC champion.