November 24, 2025 • 10 mins
One young Kiwi racer is living his dream.
18-year-old Tom Bewley competed for the first time in the Porsche GT3 Sprint Challenge Series in Australia, finishing third with four season wins and a couple of lap records.
As a result, he’s won the Porsche scholarship to take the next step and will compete in the Carrera Cup next year.
“It was an up and down year, definitely,” Bewley told Mike Hosking.
“My goal going into the year was just to learn how to drive that style of car because it was something completely different to what I’ve been used to.”
“I feel like I did that pretty quick, but just some rough patches during the season kind of cost me those championship points,” he said.
“Overall, I think I was pretty happy with the season.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time down to catch up with Tom Buley. He's been
competing this year in the Porsche GT three Sprint Challenge
Series in Australia, finish with four wins and a couple
of lap records. Next step he has won. We reveal this,
I think exclusively this morning. He has won the Porsche
Scholarship to take the next step and compete in the
Career Cup next year. And Tom Buley is, well, it's
very the morning. Nice to catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning, How are you very well?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Indeed? Take me through this past season. Have you enjoyed
it hasn't been successful? Did you live your dream?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Definitely always living the dream racing and definitely across Australia
for the first time. It was an up and down
yet definitely. It was my goal going into the year
was just to learn how to drive that style of
the car because it's something completely different to what I've
been used to, so just kind of get up to
speed and I feel like I did that pretty quick,
but just some rough patches during the season kind of
(00:50):
cost me those championship points and I just couldn't get
it back by the end of the season. But yeah, overall,
I think I was pretty happy with the season. I
made some good games with myself driving on track and
off track.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So overalls, given you've been racing pretty much your whole life,
you start and catch, you go to the Toyota eighty
six ers and stuff. What is it as a driver
you are still learning? Is it just the car or
is it racecraft as well?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I think you're always learning racecraft because you're always racing
new people. And that's going to be a big thing
for me next year and even this year just moving
up in New Zealand is such a small country, so
you're always racing the same people through to carts cars.
When I went to Australia, there was a whole lot
of new people and that's going to be the same
next year with people that I've never raced before. So
just learning how they race and adjusting to that, and yeah,
(01:36):
I think that's a big part. And also off track
you learn how to talk better like these and yeah,
just get used to different things, and obviously always learning
about new cars because every car you're go into there's
obviously a lower adjustment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Is there a change in the car for next year
than you've had this year?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, so they've actually gone back to ABS for next
year in the new cars all around the world and breaks. Yeah, yeah,
so anti lock brake system, So yeah, that's gonna definitely
make the field closer, might be a bit harder to pass,
but yeah, I've had a little bit of experience with
it in third eighty six. But yeah, so during a
whole year of learning no abs and a car and
(02:16):
then going back to it, so I mean, pretty.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You're gonna be overly reliant in the sense when you've
got no bridge abs, you've got to work the pedal
in a way that you're not gonna lock up, whereas
ABS will help you out with that, won't it. Yeah,
do you think you've become overly reliant on that then
and just slam it on?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I think this year driving no ABS will definitely help
me for next year. Even though you've got ABS, you
still try to drive and keep that brake shape the same.
It really you know, helps breaking for performance and obviously
the car in turn. So yeah, it's gonna be hard
going back and like learning a whole new thing this
(02:55):
year and then changing it all the way back, But
it's definitely gonna be call experience go back into it
and then everyone's in the same playing field next year,
so everyone's in that new spec with the breaks.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
So yeah, it's gonna be give him back at.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
The scholarship you've got. What's it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And with that being with the Elbam Motorsport and Team
Portion's ellm is the incredible experience. So being back with
him for another year, really honored to be with him obviously,
and with el you know, kind of following his path
through he's doing some amazing things and M Zone would
Endurance Challenge and stuff, so yeah, trying to go where
(03:34):
he his path went and obviously he's doing some amazing things.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So yeah, he's and apart from anything, and he's a
hell of a nice guy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, he's an awesome gay.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And he's just one phone call away as well, so
it's just easy to go on the phone if I'm
struggling with something and need to need him to help out.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
He's always just a phone call away.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
So the interesting thing about motorsport, you'd understand that better
than most people is there is actually just we all
think about if one at the moment because of all
the supercars over you know, so that's it. But there's
a world of motorsport out there, with a world of
different cars and opportunities and competitions and stuff. Isn't there
if you want it?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, definitely, there's there's a whole lot of different paths,
and you know, there's people going down the open well
kind of way through Indie Car or F one, and
then there's obviously supercars. But I'm trying to go to
Europe and race and sports cars like the World Endurance
Championship or MZA and.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Stuff like that, like what El was doing. Why I know,
I just I just like being different, I guess.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
But no, I think supercars I grew up watching I
loved it, and so did F one, But I don't
think if one was the path for me. I think
I liked, you know, having those doors and you know,
getting a better aggressive with it like they doing supercars.
But then just haaying that. Next seven, my goal is
to we have Porsche factory driver.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay in the world, So so you would you would
jump supercars in that sense if the opportunity came, so
you like to go from Porsche to Porsche basically, yes, definitely, Really,
what is it about something about the Porsche. It's that
kind of car.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I just think I've always just like endurance racing and
racing around the world. It's just a whole different style
to it. Supercars it's pretty awesome, but yeah, I just
want to try and make that next step. I think
Supercars is at at the top for Australia, but I
want to be at the top for Europe.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
On you. So the endurance thing is that like running.
You know, some people sprint and some people want to
run ten thousand, some people want to do a marathon.
So there's a skill associated with being fast over a
long period of time.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, endurance racing is not all about being fast. Obviously,
you've got sometimes three or four other drivers in the
car shooing the car with you, so it's not all
about being fast. It's just about being consistent, saving fuel,
saving tires so you've got the best.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Chance at the end of the race.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So it's what Hartley does, of course, yes, at the
highest level.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
So you just it's a whole different style of racing
and obviously you've got to rely on teammates, which is
sometimes hard. But yeah, obviously it's something to learn and
hopefully you get to learn how to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Fantastic something I read about you that was interesting. See
if you can explain it to me. So when you
started in karting, you weren't doing that well. You were
just a kid in the cart and you're going around,
around around. Then you say something happened, something clicked, and
you started overtaking and winning. What do you reckon that is?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I wasn't too sure.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I was the kid driving around the back, waving it
everyone as weren't passed and just having fun. Mum and
dad didn't really care, you know. I was just having fun,
that was the whole point of it. And at the
time I was racing Louie Sharp and Louis was always
very competitive and I think one race I was probably
racing him and then he was passing people and I
was kind of following through and I passed a couple
(06:44):
of people and I think that's when it clicked. So
it was yeah, quite early on, and then from there
on men Louis that's you know, still good mates. And
we raced all the way through until about juniors.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
So yeah, yeah, there was always he's doing well too, Yeah,
he's doing awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It's pretty exciting for him this year.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
How do you balance up you talk about all these
guys in New Zealand does so well. How do you
balance up the I want you to do well, but
I also want to beat you, you know what I mean.
So it doesn't become so competitive you lose a friendship.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, definitely, it was tough dream carts.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I think as we got older we understood more how
much we wanted to win. It's not so bad now,
you know, I'm supporting him. He's doing his thing and
we're doing two completely different parts. So yeah, he's doing
awesome and you know we're seeing contacts.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So yeah, no, Because the first race you will face
as part of your new Porsche deal is in the
new year in March in Melbourne at Albert Park, So
you'll be there alongside you know, the supercar guys and
of course the F one guys as well, So you'll
be in like that's the center of the world for motorsport.
I mean, that's got to be something that I mean,
(07:50):
that's a dream come true.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, definitely. It's gonna be a lot of pressure for
the first race. Obviously, at a street circule like that,
you can't do any testing, and that's going to be
like the rest of the season's season as well. Not
much testing you can do as most of the tracks
of street circuits.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So yeah, it's going to be.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Pretty exciting being in front of the F one pretty
fall on first round, but yeah, no looking forward to
it and get in front of in front of.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Those guys and the supercars people as well.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
For the first time, you talk about Scott McLaughlin and
that scholarship and stuff. Are those guys helpful in terms?
Are they nice guys and are looking to help you out?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, they're awesome guys. It's a lot harder with Scotty
at the moment obviously he's doing his thing in IndyCar.
It was a lot easier once well when he was
back in Australia and still racing supercars. But yeah, now
that he's in Australia, I mean sorry the US, it's
a bit harder to you know, keep in contact and
try get that support from him. But yeah, obviously still
(08:50):
stay in contact and if he's ever back in Australia
then we'll definitely head him up.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
What's your trajectory do you think so you'll do this
for a season two season? What do you reckon how
do you reckon that's going to pan out? And then
on to what.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, it depends how the season goes. Obviously hopefully we
can finish up the front in the first season. But
for everyone says, it's a learning year, your first year,
just like eighty six as it was for me. So
you have a real crack in your second gear. But
if we make it work in the first year, that's
always always pretty good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And hopefully during.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
This year we'll search out for drives in Europe and
gut just for some tests and stuff. So get my
name out there and try to get over there and
meet some people.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Fantastic, super so, so thrilled for you, absolutely filled for you.
I hope it goes. You've got the summer off in
that sense, so you take it easy. How easy is
to get back out of the car and into the
car if you've had a decent gap.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, I find that I found that quite hard this year.
There was quite a big gap between a couple of
the rounds. So just keeping on the sim mostly and
just learn those tracks and just keeping fit and stuff
and looking at hates the video which what I did,
you know, just keeps you in the right mindset and
keeps you kind of locked in so when you go
into that race, meaning you know what you're doing well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
We wish you all the best, good to see you again.
Appreciate it very much, Thanks mate, Tom Burley. For more
from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks
it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
Time down to catch up with Tom Buley. He's been
competing this year in the Porsche GT three Sprint Challenge
Series in Australia, finish with four wins and a couple
of lap records. Next step he has won. We reveal this,
I think exclusively this morning. He has won the Porsche
Scholarship to take the next step and compete in the
Career Cup next year. And Tom Buley is, well, it's
very the morning. Nice to catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning, How are you very well?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Indeed? Take me through this past season. Have you enjoyed
it hasn't been successful? Did you live your dream?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Definitely always living the dream racing and definitely across Australia
for the first time. It was an up and down
yet definitely. It was my goal going into the year
was just to learn how to drive that style of
the car because it's something completely different to what I've
been used to, so just kind of get up to
speed and I feel like I did that pretty quick,
but just some rough patches during the season kind of
(00:50):
cost me those championship points and I just couldn't get
it back by the end of the season. But yeah, overall,
I think I was pretty happy with the season. I
made some good games with myself driving on track and
off track.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So overalls, given you've been racing pretty much your whole life,
you start and catch, you go to the Toyota eighty
six ers and stuff. What is it as a driver
you are still learning? Is it just the car or
is it racecraft as well?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I think you're always learning racecraft because you're always racing
new people. And that's going to be a big thing
for me next year and even this year just moving
up in New Zealand is such a small country, so
you're always racing the same people through to carts cars.
When I went to Australia, there was a whole lot
of new people and that's going to be the same
next year with people that I've never raced before. So
just learning how they race and adjusting to that, and yeah,
(01:36):
I think that's a big part. And also off track
you learn how to talk better like these and yeah,
just get used to different things, and obviously always learning
about new cars because every car you're go into there's
obviously a lower adjustment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Is there a change in the car for next year
than you've had this year?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, so they've actually gone back to ABS for next
year in the new cars all around the world and breaks. Yeah, yeah,
so anti lock brake system, So yeah, that's gonna definitely
make the field closer, might be a bit harder to pass,
but yeah, I've had a little bit of experience with
it in third eighty six. But yeah, so during a
whole year of learning no abs and a car and
(02:16):
then going back to it, so I mean, pretty.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You're gonna be overly reliant in the sense when you've
got no bridge abs, you've got to work the pedal
in a way that you're not gonna lock up, whereas
ABS will help you out with that, won't it. Yeah,
do you think you've become overly reliant on that then
and just slam it on?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I think this year driving no ABS will definitely help
me for next year. Even though you've got ABS, you
still try to drive and keep that brake shape the same.
It really you know, helps breaking for performance and obviously
the car in turn. So yeah, it's gonna be hard
going back and like learning a whole new thing this
(02:55):
year and then changing it all the way back, But
it's definitely gonna be call experience go back into it
and then everyone's in the same playing field next year,
so everyone's in that new spec with the breaks.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
So yeah, it's gonna be give him back at.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
The scholarship you've got. What's it mean to you?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And with that being with the Elbam Motorsport and Team
Portion's ellm is the incredible experience. So being back with
him for another year, really honored to be with him obviously,
and with el you know, kind of following his path
through he's doing some amazing things and M Zone would
Endurance Challenge and stuff, so yeah, trying to go where
(03:34):
he his path went and obviously he's doing some amazing things.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So yeah, he's and apart from anything, and he's a
hell of a nice guy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, he's an awesome gay.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And he's just one phone call away as well, so
it's just easy to go on the phone if I'm
struggling with something and need to need him to help out.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
He's always just a phone call away.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
So the interesting thing about motorsport, you'd understand that better
than most people is there is actually just we all
think about if one at the moment because of all
the supercars over you know, so that's it. But there's
a world of motorsport out there, with a world of
different cars and opportunities and competitions and stuff. Isn't there
if you want it?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, definitely, there's there's a whole lot of different paths,
and you know, there's people going down the open well
kind of way through Indie Car or F one, and
then there's obviously supercars. But I'm trying to go to
Europe and race and sports cars like the World Endurance
Championship or MZA and.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Stuff like that, like what El was doing. Why I know,
I just I just like being different, I guess.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
But no, I think supercars I grew up watching I
loved it, and so did F one, But I don't
think if one was the path for me. I think
I liked, you know, having those doors and you know,
getting a better aggressive with it like they doing supercars.
But then just haaying that. Next seven, my goal is
to we have Porsche factory driver.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay in the world, So so you would you would
jump supercars in that sense if the opportunity came, so
you like to go from Porsche to Porsche basically, yes, definitely, Really,
what is it about something about the Porsche. It's that
kind of car.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I just think I've always just like endurance racing and
racing around the world. It's just a whole different style
to it. Supercars it's pretty awesome, but yeah, I just
want to try and make that next step. I think
Supercars is at at the top for Australia, but I
want to be at the top for Europe.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
On you. So the endurance thing is that like running.
You know, some people sprint and some people want to
run ten thousand, some people want to do a marathon.
So there's a skill associated with being fast over a
long period of time.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, endurance racing is not all about being fast. Obviously,
you've got sometimes three or four other drivers in the
car shooing the car with you, so it's not all
about being fast. It's just about being consistent, saving fuel,
saving tires so you've got the best.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Chance at the end of the race.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So it's what Hartley does, of course, yes, at the
highest level.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
So you just it's a whole different style of racing
and obviously you've got to rely on teammates, which is
sometimes hard. But yeah, obviously it's something to learn and
hopefully you get to learn how to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Fantastic something I read about you that was interesting. See
if you can explain it to me. So when you
started in karting, you weren't doing that well. You were
just a kid in the cart and you're going around,
around around. Then you say something happened, something clicked, and
you started overtaking and winning. What do you reckon that is?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I wasn't too sure.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I was the kid driving around the back, waving it
everyone as weren't passed and just having fun. Mum and
dad didn't really care, you know. I was just having fun,
that was the whole point of it. And at the
time I was racing Louie Sharp and Louis was always
very competitive and I think one race I was probably
racing him and then he was passing people and I
was kind of following through and I passed a couple
(06:44):
of people and I think that's when it clicked. So
it was yeah, quite early on, and then from there
on men Louis that's you know, still good mates. And
we raced all the way through until about juniors.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
So yeah, yeah, there was always he's doing well too, Yeah,
he's doing awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It's pretty exciting for him this year.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
How do you balance up you talk about all these
guys in New Zealand does so well. How do you
balance up the I want you to do well, but
I also want to beat you, you know what I mean.
So it doesn't become so competitive you lose a friendship.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, definitely, it was tough dream carts.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I think as we got older we understood more how
much we wanted to win. It's not so bad now,
you know, I'm supporting him. He's doing his thing and
we're doing two completely different parts. So yeah, he's doing
awesome and you know we're seeing contacts.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So yeah, no, Because the first race you will face
as part of your new Porsche deal is in the
new year in March in Melbourne at Albert Park, So
you'll be there alongside you know, the supercar guys and
of course the F one guys as well, So you'll
be in like that's the center of the world for motorsport.
I mean, that's got to be something that I mean,
(07:50):
that's a dream come true.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, definitely. It's gonna be a lot of pressure for
the first race. Obviously, at a street circule like that,
you can't do any testing, and that's going to be
like the rest of the season's season as well. Not
much testing you can do as most of the tracks
of street circuits.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
So yeah, it's going to be.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Pretty exciting being in front of the F one pretty
fall on first round, but yeah, no looking forward to
it and get in front of in front of.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Those guys and the supercars people as well.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
For the first time, you talk about Scott McLaughlin and
that scholarship and stuff. Are those guys helpful in terms?
Are they nice guys and are looking to help you out?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, they're awesome guys. It's a lot harder with Scotty
at the moment obviously he's doing his thing in IndyCar.
It was a lot easier once well when he was
back in Australia and still racing supercars. But yeah, now
that he's in Australia, I mean sorry the US, it's
a bit harder to you know, keep in contact and
try get that support from him. But yeah, obviously still
(08:50):
stay in contact and if he's ever back in Australia
then we'll definitely head him up.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
What's your trajectory do you think so you'll do this
for a season two season? What do you reckon how
do you reckon that's going to pan out? And then
on to what.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, it depends how the season goes. Obviously hopefully we
can finish up the front in the first season. But
for everyone says, it's a learning year, your first year,
just like eighty six as it was for me. So
you have a real crack in your second gear. But
if we make it work in the first year, that's
always always pretty good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And hopefully during.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
This year we'll search out for drives in Europe and
gut just for some tests and stuff. So get my
name out there and try to get over there and
meet some people.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Fantastic, super so, so thrilled for you, absolutely filled for you.
I hope it goes. You've got the summer off in
that sense, so you take it easy. How easy is
to get back out of the car and into the
car if you've had a decent gap.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, I find that I found that quite hard this year.
There was quite a big gap between a couple of
the rounds. So just keeping on the sim mostly and
just learn those tracks and just keeping fit and stuff
and looking at hates the video which what I did,
you know, just keeps you in the right mindset and
keeps you kind of locked in so when you go
into that race, meaning you know what you're doing well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
We wish you all the best, good to see you again.
Appreciate it very much, Thanks mate, Tom Burley. For more
from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks
it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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