MOST 14-year-olds can only dream of getting behind the wheel of a car at their age, let alone being a racing driver.

However, Aaron Trigwell is about to start his first season in the Saxmax championship, a saloon car tournament for teenagers aged 14 to 17, after driving for the first time last October.

Aaron, who received his race licence in February, said: "My dad has always liked cars and I have always been interested in them.

"Then, in junior school, one of my friends was racing go-karts and he got me into cars."

The youngster started go-karting in Colchester when he was eight and began his first season in outdoor go-karting in Brentwood last year, where he came third and fourth in the championships.

He is due to race in Saxmax at Brands Hatch this weekend.

The budding Lewis Hamilton, whose racing heroes also include Jason Plato, said racing is both nerve-wracking and exciting, adding: "Everyone is just like It's not hard racing, how hard can it be?' It's not that hard on your body, but the mental aspect is really tiring."

He is the only one in his family to race cars. His brother Callum, ten, plays for Braintree Rugby Club, where his father Malcolm, an aircraft engineer, is a coach.

Mr Trigwell, who is married to Sian, said: "I would like to race myself but I don't because I can't afford to. It was a choice of, if I race, it is for fun, and if Aaron races at this age, there is a chance he could make a career of it."

Aaron, who hopes to eventually race touring or GT cars for a living, chose to switch to cars because high-level karting would have been more expensive.

The teenager, of Croft Close, Braintree, who drives a Citroen Saxo VTR owned by previous Saxmax drivers, is sponsored by Orange Aero and his parents have also put money towards the costs.