CLACTON’S Jesse Chamberlain is making a name for himself in the British Formula Vee Championship.

The 21-year-old is competing in his AHS Challenge car and in ninth overall so far, having finished eighth, 12th, 11th and 11th.

His most recent outing was last weekend, at the formidable Cadwell Park circuit.

In the first race he finished ninth, despite being hit from behind, spinning off and effectively driving from the back.

Chamberlain then had complete ignition failure while on the grid at the start of the second race.

Starting from the pit lane about 30 seconds after the race had started, he went on to set the third-fastest time and finish 17th.

Competing at all the major circuits in the country, the championship is known as a stepping stone to bigger things.

And Chamberlain – a former Clacton County High School pupil – is already carving a reputation for himself after winning last year’s Rookie of the Year award.

“I’ve been karting since I was eight and Formula Vee is the perfect entry into single-seater racing,” he said.

“It gives me fast, close and competitive racing with both up-and-coming drivers as well as more mature drivers, who have techniques and race craft that I can use throughout my career.”

Chamberlain’s speed and competitive driving has already caught the eye of Motorsport Plus, a driver management and development company, who are already looking at options for 2016.

“We’re looking at all possibilities at the moment, from European Formula Three to sports and saloon car racing,” said Chamberlain, who admits he was boosted by former Formula Vee driver Nick Tandy recently winning the famous Le Mans 24-hour race.

“It shows anything is possible and I don’t see why that couldn’t happen to me.

“Like all racing drivers, sponsorship is required, whatever direction I decide to go.

“However, we need to match the racing and promotion to the individual company and look at what their expectations are.”

Formula Vee, or Formula Volkswagen, is a popular open wheel, single-seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW.