Christchurch racer and Bridgestone GR86 Champion Chris White has completed his three-round prize drive in the Monochrome GT4 Australia series with two excellent top-ten results.
White’s victory in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship secured the top prize of a drive in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 of the Aussie series with Garth Walden’s Sydney-based GWR Australia team in its GR Supra GT4 EVO2 alongside Daniel Frougas. And Chris completed his stint with the team in fine style at Hidden Valley over the weekend.
There were mixed fortunes for the two drivers in qualifying on Saturday morning, with Frougas putting the car 15th on the grid for the first race on Saturday and White qualifying eighth amongst the co-drivers for the Sunday race. In the first race, the duo made up plenty of time throughout the one hour.
“Dan did a great job in the opening stint before handing the car over to me,” said White.
“I re-joined in 15th and worked my way through to finish the race in eighth overall after a really solid stint.
“It was great to make up some positions and continue learning every lap.”
That race was won by another former Toyota 86 Championship frontrunner, Will Exton.
A solid run in Sunday’s second race saw the duo avoid carnage on the first lap and put in a strong race performance to come home sixth and the top GR Supra GT4 EVO2 in the race.
“We had another strong run on Sunday too. It all went to plan, and we were able to progress from our grid spot and move up the field to finish in the top six, which I am very happy about, as it is my first weekend racing at the track.
“Overall the experience of racing in the Monochrome Australia GT4 series has been thoroughly enjoyable and packed with highs and lows, as you would expect. From that point of view, the things I have learned have been invaluable as I move into bigger, faster championships.”
That improvement was also highlighted by Nicolas Caillol, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand Motorsport Manager.
“The development we have seen in Chris over the course of these three racing weekends – in a GT4 series as tough as any in the world – has been impressive,” he said.
“This is why the prize for winning the Bridgestone GR86 Championship is so significant. It gives young drivers like Chris a chance to step up to the next level of motorsport – perhaps without the pressure of undertaking a full campaign – and to see which areas of their skill set they need to develop to continue succeeding in the next stage of their motorsport careers.
We hope this first taste of GT4 for Chris has whetted his appetite and that he will continue in the future. We are sure there will be other opportunities to see him in a GR car.
“With the launch this year from Toyota Racing Europe of the Young Driver Academy, it creates opportunities for drivers driving GR Supra GT4 EVO2s to be evaluated for future GT3 drives. We think Chris could excel in that arena.”
It isn’t the last involvement in the series by one of New Zealand’s star Toyota 86 performers, however. Zach Blincoe, as runner-up in the 2025-2026 season, will join Frougas and GWR for his one-round cameo at the next round at Sydney Motorsport Park over the weekend of September 18-20.
Header Image: Supplied
