Rising Kiwi motorsport talent’s career in jeopardy as money runs out

The career of rising Kiwi driver Tom Bewley could be over before it truly begins, unless he can secure enough funds to continue racing.

For all the on-track success of Australian-based Bewley, a lack of sponsorship is threatening to derail the 18-year-old’s promising career racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup.

In his rookie season for Team Porsche New Zealand, Bewley sits fourth in the junior standings, and 11th overall, off the back of a career-best fourth-placed finish at The Bend in South Australia – just seconds off a maiden podium – having started his last two races on pole.

That upswing, against drivers many years his senior, came after a difficult start to the year in which Bewley struggled at the Australian Grand Prix, before a four-month gap and time out of the car.

However, with three rounds left in the championship – starting at Bathurst next month – Bewley’s biggest race is against the clock. Bewley himself estimates he’ll need between $150,000 and $200,000 to finish this season, and continue racing into next year.

Bewley’s situation is so desperate, his fourth-place finish last time out came with no sponsor on his car. And with just weeks to get prospective backers on board, the teenager makes no bones of his situation.

“It’s always pretty tough,” he told the Herald. “Trying to make it to Bathurst and the last three rounds in general is pretty make or break.

Tom Bewley celebrates his pole position at The Bend. Photo / Supplied

“I need to get to the last three rounds. They’re the toughest circuits and you need experience on those types of tracks. We need to try and find the budget, which is very hard at the moment with how everything is.

“If we can’t get the budget together, there’ll be no more racing – at least for the rest of this year. We’ll try as hard as we can to go racing next year, but that will be the end for this year.

“I’ve been making big steps against a really competitive field, and pro drivers. It will be a huge shame if we can’t make the last three rounds.”

Sadly, Bewley’s situation is far from unique. A lack of funds has killed more Kiwi careers than a lack of talent ever has.

Earlier this year, Kiwi Louis Sharp was this year forced to withdraw from the rest of the 2026 Formula Three season for the same reason.

Despite New Zealand being an overachiever in motorsport – with drivers in Formula One, Formula E, Nascar, IndyCar, Supercars and endurance racing series – financial constraints have always been the biggest roadblock to reaching the highest levels.

Helping Bewley, is the fact one of the most influential figures in New Zealand motorsport is in his corner, Christchurch-based Grant McDonald.

McDonald is the long-time mentor and former manager of Liam Lawson, and has taken on a similar role with Bewley to help him on his way to success, including winning the 2023-24 Toyota 86 Championship in his second season, to secure the Team Porsche New Zealand Scholarship, en route to racing in Australia.

“Without him, I’d be nowhere,” Bewley said of McDonald. “He works so hard, and he’s got a lot going on in his own personal life.

“I’d be nowhere without the work he’s put in to get me the deals and the opportunities to race over the last two years.

“To be able to race these last two years as part of the Porsche New Zealand Scholarship with Giltrap Group and Earl Bamber Motorsport has been amazing – that’s all come from Grant’s hard work.”

As for the future, if and when the right funding is secured, Bewley makes no bones about where he wants to go in motorsport.

“The short-term goal would be to try and get into a factory team or manufacturer drive,” he explained.

Tom Bewley races in Darwin. Photo / Supplied

“Then maybe end up doing DTM or World Endurance Championship – one of those would be incredible. That’s what I’ve wanted to do my whole life.

“Everyone says they want to go to Supercars or Formula One. But I’ve always been a bit different, I’ve wanted to follow what Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley, those guys, have done.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.