Matthew Brabham, the grandson of triple Formula One world champion Sir Jack Brabham, has taken a major step in his bid to race Formula One.

The 18-year-old son of Sir Jack’s son Geoff, won the USF2000 Championship and the rookie of the year award at the Virginia International Raceway.

The third-generation driver secured his first championship by finishing a cautious eighth in the final round of the hotly-contested series.

Needing to finish no higher than 14th to win the title, Brabham drove within himself to bring home the Cape Motorsports entry safely.

However his race was not without drama as the car he was following started leaking oil, which sprayed across Brabham’s visor.

By the end of the race he said he could hardly see where he was going, making the last few laps very difficult.

Brabham’s win in the series has netted him a $US375,000 ($A356,615) cheque and a string of offers from the next formula up, the Star Mazda series.

Brabham began his career in karting aged seven and graduated to Formula Ford open wheelers in 2009 when the age for circuit racing was lowered to 14.

In his rookie year in the US he won the USF2000 title with four wins, five seconds and two third places, taking three track records and six pole positions.

Brabham said he was stunned to find himself the series champion in his debut season.

“I am over the moon at how the whole year went,” Brabham said.

“I didn’t expect to come into the year and, within the first couple of races, to be up to the front straightaway, so my goals changed pretty quickly and I was going for the championship for the rest of the year.”

Brabham was born in Florida but also lives on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Sir Jack Brabham was the first Australian to win the F1 title, doing so in 1959, 1960 and 1966.

His three sons Geoff, David and Gary were also accomplished racing drivers, with David rising to the F1 ranks.