Havelock North’s rising motorsport star Tom Bewley has confirmed his plans for the forthcoming season and he’s back for a second tilt at the most fiercely fought circuit racing championship in New Zealand.
The 16-year-old will join the biggest-ever field in the Toyota 86 Championship – 25 drivers – for the six-round championship, which begins at Taupo International Motorsport Park next month.
Bewley was a race winner in the first round last season and looked odds-on as the title favourite in the rookie championship. Consistency is key in the Toyota 86 Championship, however – and Tom wasn’t able to maintain that form at every round and ultimately raced home second in the rookie points and eighth overall.
With his TR86 resplendent in the new title livery of Dura-Seal Paint Protection and Clipped Assist for the season, Bewley is aiming to start afresh and nail that all-important consistency from the very first session.
‘That’s absolutely the area where I am aiming for most improvement,” he explained at this week’s Hampton Downs two-day pre-season test.
“Staying consistent and always being in the top ten will be key and not picking up any DNFs. The big change for me is to be focusing on things that I can do better and that are within my control and build consistency that way.”
Bewley’s outright pace is proven, and he is one of New Zealand’s best prospects in recent years to emerge from karting. He’s received a Tony Quinn Foundation Scholarship, he was selected for the 2023 Elite Motorsport Academy, and he’s a Hampton Downs Academy ambassador.
Despite all that, he’s wisely keeping his ultimate objectives for the forthcoming season close to his chest, although it’s fair to say he’s targeting a title-winning campaign.
“I’ve got to be high up in the points every round and I’m going to try really hard to get a few race wins and hopefully round wins and we’ll see what happens after that,” he said.
2023/24 Toyota 86 Schedule
| Rd 1 | November 17-19 | Taupo |
| Rd2 | January 26-28 | Manfeild |
| Rd 3 | February 9-11 | Ruapuna |
| Rd 4 | February 16-18 | Highlands |
| Rd 5 | March 15-17 | Hampton Downs |
| Rd 6 | April | TBC |
Header Image: Bruce Jenkins
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