Rising Kiwi stars Tom Bewley and William Exton head to Europe this weekend for the biggest week of their motorsport careers—and they’re more than up for the challenge that lies ahead.
The ultra-competitive ADAC GT4 Germany series has a full field of cars and includes the latest GT4 equipment from BMW, Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche and Mercedes. The boys will face an even sterner challenge in getting to grips with a new circuit, a new car and taking on an international field of drivers but they are relishing the challenge.
“It’s what it’s all about and I can’t wait to get out there and meet the team and get comfortable in the car,” said Bewley ahead of Friday’s flight to Europe.
“We know the car is good, we know the team have a solid baseline set-up we can start from and we know we are going to be racing with one of the most experienced GT teams in Europe so it’s down to Will and I to deliver and do the best we can and we are confident we can put on a good show.”
The two have been busy since the end of the Toyota 86 Championship and have been keeping everything sharp on track with appearances in GT machinery in the one-hour competitions in the North Island Endurance Championship. They’ve both impressed with their speed, and Exton is confident they can step up again in Europe.
“I think it’s fair to say we’re both really excited about getting aboard the GR Supra GT4 EVO and getting up to speed as quickly as we can,” he said.
“We’ve done what we can in terms of sim work to get familiar with the circuit layout, and as Tom says, we’re definitely in good hands with KCMG, and hopefully, we’ll be in the game from the outset. There’s lots to take in, and it’s going to be super competitive, which is what we both like.”
As soon as they arrive in Europe, the two will head to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s facility in Cologne on Monday for a session on the organisation’s simulator, the same simulator used by Toyota’s World Endurance Championship team.
They will then have a seat-fitting session with KCMG in their workshop close to the Nürburgring to ensure they are comfortable in the car and understand the internal layout, which is important in a car that is significantly more complex than the Toyota 86.
The two will get their first taste of the tarmac the day after that with three one-hour test sessions on the DTM track. That takes the boys to the Friday when the race meeting gets underway, and they’ll get another two one-hour sessions which form Free Practice for the GT4 event.
On Saturday, there will be a 2 x 20-minute qualifying session and a one-hour race, and that will end on Sunday with the last one-hour race.
The ADAC GT4 Germany Championship is currently headed by home favourite Germany’s Michael Schrey and Italy’s Gabriele Piana aboard their Hofor Racing BMW M4 GT4.
