Manx-born Nick Ellis will spend the forthcoming weeks weighing up the options concerning the next stage of his motor racing career.

The 17-year-old from Port Erin, who began the year in Ginetta Juniors, made his first foray into the world of endurance racing in a Fun Cup race at Donington Park last Saturday.

Sharing a purpose-built Fun Cup car (which uses the ‘silhouette’ of a Volkswagen Beetle) with Gracie Mitchell and John Perrot, the trio was classified 13th when the race ended prematurely because of torrential rain.

Had the race re-started and ran its four-hour duration, a result well inside the top-10 was likely had the the last pit-stop window taken place when Ellis was due to do his second stint behind the wheel, having ended his first stint an excellent third.

‘I was very excited to participate in my first ever endurance race. I think this is the route I want to take. I’m currently navigating my career in racing while also being a student, so I’m considering all opportunities to advance my career including higher education,’ he said this week.

Earlier this month at the same venue, GB4 series rookie Ellis netted two creditable eighth-place finishes in very difficult and challenging weather and track conditions.

Qualifying was staged on a drying track with Ellis setting the 10th fastest times for the opening two races. Race one began in light rain but with the 15-car field on slick, dry-weather tyres.

Currently domiciled in Cambridgeshire, the former King William’s College student challenged for sixth in the first-half of the race, coming home an impressive eighth in difficult, slippery conditions on his GB4 race debut. 

The entire grid was on wet tyres for race two and, although Ellis stalled on the grid at the green light, he recovered to 13th. In the final, reverse-grid race, Ellis started from third place on a completely dry track and finished eighth.