YOUNG GUN Jon Barnes showed more experienced campaigners the way around the German Nrburgring when he claimed outright victory in the opening round of the Autosport Caterham Eurocup.

The 19-year-old West End teenager triumphed in the first race of the day in his R400, overcoming Gloucestershire's Nelson Rowe on the final lap to win by just a hundredth of a second.

He completed a high-scoring day by taking sixth place in race two.

Chris Cooper (Kings Langley) led qualifying, the 2001 Superlight champion's Gulf-backed car edging out Eurocup debutant Luc Paillard of Sevenoaks by a tenth of a second with Mark Humphrey (Slough), Barnes and Rowe filling the next three places.

Through the confusion of the first-corner scrum came Team Parker Racing men Barnes and Cooper, just ahead of Rowe and the fast-starting David Knox (Godalming).

Cooper dropped out with alternator problems. Rowe made what he hoped would be the decisive move at mid-distance, edging into a slender lead over Barnes as Jon fought to keep Humphrey and Knox behind.

"I spotted that Rowe was trying to get away," said Barnes, "so I decided I had better do something about it."

On the tenth lap he set fastest lap of the race - half a second quicker than the pole time - to start the reeling-in process, and within three laps was right back on terms with Rowe.

Barnes bided his time until the final lap, nipping past Rowe before they reached the Coca-Cola Kurve to claim his maiden R400 and Eurocup race victory, and the first of the year for Team Parker.

Barnes hopes of a double faded towards the end of the second race when his car began to splutter.

The youngster explained: "It was a fuel pick-up problem and it meant there was no way I could challenge for the lead on the final lap."

Humphrey led the way across the line to start the decider, but it was Rowe who was in front when it mattered most, albeit by only 0.132s.

Barnes' performance moved him up to third in the championship with the next round at Spa on May 17.