Chris White is the Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series National Champion following a thrilling final round at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding this weekend.
Last season’s runner-up had a 69-point lead over Warren Crowther into the round but was forced to overcome major difficulties to win the title.
During practice on Friday, he hit a wall, and if it had not been for the assistance of his fellow competitors, his weekend may have ended at that point.
The efforts of everyone had him back on track for the first race of the round on Saturday morning, and after starting from the back of the grid, he charged to fourth, behind Stiaan Kriel and Crowther, who had an epic dice at the front with Will Kitching, who settled for third.
Just as it seemed White’s weekend was back on track, he lost a hose off his oil cooler on the warm-up lap for Saturday’s second race, meaning he had to watch the race from the pits as Kitching won from Crowther and Wellington driver Stu Lawton.
That left White’s overnight points margin at just 23 points with one race to go on Sunday.
Crowther started on the front row of the grid, which was based on points scored during the round, while White began from seventeenth.
Kriel led from the start and had another great battle at the front with Crowther, while White started working his way through the tightly packed field. He was tenth by the end of Lap 4 and ended the race in seventh.
Kriel won from Crowther, with Kitching third ahead of Arthur Broughan, Stu Lawton and Jesse Gould, who enjoyed a successful weekend, in sixth. White was next followed by Steve Brown, Mac Templeton and Leo Bult.
Crowther’s efforts with three-second placings across the weekend gave him a narrow round win from Kitching, while White took the New Zealand Championship with 428 points from Crowther with 417 and Kitching 402.
White was “definitely pretty happy” with the win.
“The car was still fast after Friday’s accident,” he said, before acknowledging the help from others from Friday. He was still confident going into the last race, needing to only place thirteenth to take the title.
With the conclusion of the New Zealand Championship, the next outing for competitors in the Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Championship will be the final round of the North Island Championship at Hampton Downs over the weekend of 18/19 May.
Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand and the Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series have teamed up to offer the top Under 25 and Master in the entire Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series a test in the new Toyota GR86 Championship car, prizes that will be decided after that event.
As the field heads to Hampton Downs, Crowther has taken the lead in the North Island Championship with 449 points, just 13 more than White, with 436, and Bult in third place with 373.
