HE MAY be white, middle class, and with no track record in karting but Hampshire public schoolboy James Nutbrown shares one thing in common with Grands Prix hero Lewis Hamilton - a natural talent for fast driving.

James, 15, from Avon Castle, near Ringwood, has been tearing up the tracks at Britain's top motor racing circuits this year in the teenage T-Car championship where he finished sixth in his debut season.

The tin-top series using Ford Mondeo-based T-Cars is open to drivers aged between 14 and 17 and has already spawned several rising stars of single-seater, touring, saloon car and rally championships.

But James's entry into the high octane world of motor sport came almost by accident when his mother signed him up for a dual control car driving experience which turned out to be a one-day rally course.

James wiped the floor with all the others there attracting the attention of talent scouts and a successful trial with the Palmer Sports T-car team which immediately signed him up to drive for them in 2007.

At that time James had only sat behind a steering wheel three times in his life and took his place on the grid at Brands Hatch in March for the first T-Car race alongside rivals with far greater driving experience and racing pedigree including team mate Jolyon Palmer, whose father, ex-Formula 1 driver and commentator turned motorsport impresario Dr Jonathan Palmer.

Despite his steep learning curve, James who is a pupil at the Hampshire Collegiate School in Romsey, climbed through the ranks from rookie to overtake older and more experienced rivals to finish in the middle of the 12-car pack by the climax of the seven-race series at Brands Hatch at the end of October. Now James is revved up and raring to go in 2008 with real hopes of podium placings and mounting a serious challenge for the T-Car championship.

"We are very proud of the lad. What he has done is quite remarkable," said his father Chris.