JON BARNES was crowned the Autosport Caterham EuroCup champion for 2004 at Brands Hatch over the weekend.

But the 21-year-old Southamp-ton racing driver just missed out on a dream double when Luke Stevens pipped him to the Powertrain Caterham UK Championship.

In what proved a crowd-thrilling Caterham Festival at the Kent track, Barnes took the EuroCup title by the narrowest possible margin.

Indeed the youngster from West End finished the season level on points with his title rival Clive Richards, who won both Brands rounds to bring his tally of race wins level with Barnes at five.

As each driver had also claimed four second places, the title-deciding tie-breaker was that Barnes had scored two third places to Richards' one!

"It couldn't have been closer," said Team Parker Racing driver Barnes with a wry smile. "It's just so great to get a reward for all the hard work that the team and my family has put into the season."

Barnes is looking to follow up his success with a switch to the new Cosworth Caterham Masters for 2005, or a GT championship drive.

Richards' progress to victory in both Festival Euro races was masterful but far from easy.

In the first race, Barnes grabbed the lead at Druids hairpin from third on the grid after going past pole man Luc Paillard and his fellow front row driver Oliver Bull, and held on for six more laps.

"I tried to get away because I knew if Clive caught and passed me he'd try to bottle me up and help the others push me down the order," said Barnes. "But I couldn't stay ahead for long."

Barnes predicted Richards' game-plan exactly, and Barnes was soon pushed down to fourth behind Bull and Paillard as Richards started to make his getaway. By the time Barnes had managed to regain second spot, Richards was already three seconds up the road.

Barnes knew that second would be enough to secure his crown, so concentrated on staying ahead of Paillard rather than closing down Richards.

Richards crossed the line 4.8 seconds clear of Barnes to clinch the Euro team's championship title for Colards Motorsport, with Paillard third and Simon Lambert getting the better of a race-long battle with Mark Humphrey for fourth.

Barnes was in action again in the UK championship, the Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge, and spun away his hopes of victory in the first of the day's races but recovered to sixth at the chequered flag.

In race two, he chased victory all the way but had to settle for second, just behind his team-mate Tom Ferrier and ended the season second in the championship, ten points behind Suffolk driver Luke Stevens.