EUROPEAN champion Jon Barnes made a triumphant return to the track on Sunday when he contested the opening rounds of the Cosworth Caterham Masters at the Nurburgring in Germany.
The 21-year-old West End driver was at the wheel of an Acre Jean-backed Caterham CSR 260 - the most powerful racer ever built by the Surrey factory.
EuroCup champion Barnes shared driving duties with another top English racer, Luke Stevens, and, although the opening round was blighted by heavy rain, the pair made light of it.
What was planned as a 60-minute race became little more than a ten-lap sprint but, undeterred, Barnes and Stevens splashed their way to victory.
In contrast, Sunday's race - held in bright and dry conditions - was a cracker from start to finish and ample demonstration of the potential of Caterham's new race series.
Four CSRs battled for honours and the Barnes/Stevens combination this time had to settle for second best behind French driver Francois Desprez, but just in front of multiple Caterham champion Clive Richards and Richard Hay.
Barnes and Stevens left Germany with a slender overall points lead. They are next in action at Valencia, Spain, on July 2.
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