YOUNG speedsters who created their own eco-car to take part in national races last year are gearing up to beat their past performances.

Clacton County High School pupils put together a Formula 24+ racing team and spent the past year fine-tuning their battery-powered car.

Their hard work culminated in a race against other teams at the Rockingham racetrack over the summer.

They overcame a series of setbacks on race day after failing their pre-race check and dealing with component failures and overheating on one of the hottest days of the year.

But they managed to get the car into working order and had a successful run, hitting 20mph – double their practice lap speed.

The team is determined to get back to work this term to improve their performance.

School spokesman Simon Kedge said: “There is still a lot more for the team to do as the fastest cars, using exactly the same electric motor and batteries, managed to clock 40mph.

“It’s not all about the speed or distance covered as the cars also need to have the endurance to complete the 90-minute race, whichmany fast cars didn’t.

“The team had a fantastic day, finishing 23rd overall and having learned a tremendous amount.

“Now it is back to the drawing board to improve the car for the next year’s racing programme.”

This year, the team will be joined by Year 12 science, technology, engineering and maths students to work on the car’s aerodynamics and gearing in a bid to match the opposition.

Year ten and 11 pupils will also be developing cars following the sixth-formers’ success last year.