Young Porsche driver Tom Bewley is excited to be back racing this weekend after a long break between the opening two rounds of his Carrera Cup campaign in Australia.
After a disappointing opening round when the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia series made a cameo appearance at the Melbourne F1 meeting back in March, Bewley has been busy preparing for the resumption of racing at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway with lots of simulator work, a bit of driver coaching and a test day.
“We did a test day up there not long ago, and I’m feeling pretty confident. It feels like I’m about to start my championship now as round one seems like a long time ago,” said Bewley, who makes his first start at the Hidden Valley track.
“The test went very well. I feel we made a huge step in my driving, and a few setup changes as well, which helped my driving style a bit more, as I drive the car a little bit differently than my teammates do.
“It’s definitely going to be hard to get the leg up over the experienced ones up the front, like Harri Jones, who’s done plenty of laps around there in the past in the same car.”
The Hawkes Bay teenager is a rookie this year in Carrera Cup after winning the Porsche New Zealand scholarship, in association with Earl Bamber Motorsport. Although he raced successfully in the feeder series with EBM last year, all but two of the tracks he races at in 2026 are new to him.
“At Darwin, I think the overtaking is going to be quite tricky; there are probably only three overtaking spots, and even there, it is hard to make a pass, so it’ll be a challenge,” he said.
“I do love a good move, hopefully we don’t have to make any if we’re out in front, but it’s a pretty cool track, very flowey but also very technical at the same time. It may look quite easy because it’s short, but it’s probably one of the most technical tracks I’ve been to.”
However, Bewley says the most difficult tracks to come are going to be the street circuits, Bathurst, Surfers Paradise and Adelaide, where there is no prior testing; even more of a disadvantage for the rookie drivers.
But for now, all the focus is on racing in the Northern Territory. Bewley’s on-track action begins Friday with two practice sessions at 11.55am and 5.40pm. The Hidden Valley round features just two races, one at 3.25pm on Saturday after qualifying at 11am. The second race is 2.45pm NZ on Sunday.
Long-time supporters Dura-Seal and Clipped Assist are joined in 2026 by new supporters NAPA, Tony Quinn Foundation and Adtorque Edge.
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