Christchurch racing driver Chris White has won both races in his first appearance in the TA2 New Zealand Championship at Hampton Downs.

The 19 year old led both races from start to finish, according to results supplied by his team, leaving him 50 points clear at the top of the championship standings.

White secured the front starting position in qualifying, edging Dylan Grant by just 0.081 seconds.

He finished the opening 15 minute race 1.350 seconds ahead of Grant, before winning the longer 45 minute race by nearly 48 seconds over Jamie McDonald.

“Adapting to the power, grip and handling of the TA2 has come naturally, drawing on everything from the GR86 championship and my recent GT4 campaign in Australia. Couldn’t have asked for a better start,” White said.

TA2 racing uses purpose built V8 race cars with bodies shaped like road cars, including the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

White’s Ford Mustang is prepared by Neale Motorsport and Wood Motorsport. The Prebbleton based Neale Motorsport team also helped him win the Bridgestone GR86 championship and spent the past month testing and refining his car.

The result adds to White’s recent racing success in Australia, where he won a GT4 race at Queensland Raceway.

White is working towards a career in Supercars and attended a Dick Johnson Racing test day earlier this year as an observer.

Supercars driver Chaz Mostert has also nominated him for the Top Dog Challenge, a competition that could provide $20,000 towards White’s racing programme if Mostert wins.

“His appreciation for people’s support and his willingness to go above and beyond for those people will be the difference between him making it and not,” Mostert said.

The next TA2 championship round is at Taupo Motorsport Park from 13 to 15 November.