South coast racers Pete James and Jon Barnes enjoyed mixed fortunes on Sunday at the start of their Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge championship campaigns at Donington Park.

James, 51 and from Clanfield, near Water-looville, finished the day in a solid fourth place overall in the championship while 19-year-old Southampton lad Barnes - the youngest driver in the championship - came away with a painful hand and plenty of frustrations.

The first race of the day was won by Jason Dance (Wokingham), who took the lead on the penultimate lap after early pacesetter Philip Gladman (Lon-don) clashed with another car and exited the race.

James guided his Indigo Motorsport car to sixth place, with Barnes a disappointed ninth after he had figured strongly in the early stages of the race, taking a turn in the lead on his debut before he was knocked from contention when Essex driver Darren Ashley spun into him.

Barnes got back on the track and made steady progress before being slowed by clutch problems.

There was even less luck for the West End youngster in race two after he again figured in the leading bunch at the start only to be tipped into a spin at one-third distance.

His car ended its race in a gravel trap and Barnes wrenched his hand in the incident.