The second annual Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship kicked off on Friday, Feb. 20 at The Creek, Albion Park in Brisbane, Australia, with drivers James Herbertson, Cam Hart, and Gary Hall Jr. taking the early lead in the standings after the card of 10 dashes.

The Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship features 10 drivers competing for $350,000 AUD in a 20-race series over two nights on Feb. 20-21. Drivers earn points in each race based on their finishing position to determine the winner. 

After the first 10 races, James Herbertson emerged as the leader with a total of 89 points. Herbertson, Ultimate Driver defending champion Angus Garrard, and Gary Hall Jr. each doubled up on Friday. Herbertson finished in the top three five times (2-2-1) to gain a nine-point advantage over Cam Hart and Gary Hall Jr., who share 80 points apiece. 

"Things happen with racing, you got chain reactions and we were lucky to find our feet and a couple other ones as well. We're back up again now and it's a good way to finish the night," Herbertson said in a post-race interview after winning the finale. "I wasn't overly well-educated on tonight and it's turned out alright so we're going with that sort of headspace tomorrow and see how we go again."

The leaderboard for the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship, with drivers listed with slot holders and points, is as follows:

1. James Herbertson (The Herb Factor) - 89
2. Cam Hart (The Hart Attack) - 80
3. Gary Hall Jr. (Gloucester Park Gurus) - 80
4. Angus Garrard (Garrards, SEN and 1Equine) - 75
5. Luke McCarthy (Marburg Gold) - 59
6. Peter McMullen (The Unharness Hawks) - 58
7. James MacDonald (ABR/Summit Bloodstock/Ron Burke/Weaver Bruscemi Syndicate) - 57
8. Robbie Morris (Lion Kings) - 54
9. Trista Dixon (Diamonds And Pearls) - 50
10. Zachary Butcher (Betit Boys) - 50

Links to Friday's results and Saturday's entries are available here, with the full stream from Friday's races available below.

(Standardbred Canada)