Australian motorsport legend, John Bowe will join the Monochrome GT4 Australia Series for the category’s enduro rounds alongside racing newcomer, Jacob Lawrence.
The duo is confirmed to share the wheel of the #32 Randall Industries/Southern BM BMW F82 M4 in round five at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park and round six at the Mount Panorama as part of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, while Lawrence will pilot the new entry solo at Sandown International Raceway next month.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase at motorsporttickets.com.au.
Ahead of his series debut, Lawrence was looking forward to joining the growing category next month, with plans to compete on a full-time basis in 2024.
“I can see that the GT4 Australia category has a lot of potential to grow, and I wanted to be a part of that as early as I could,” Lawrence said.
“The cars are like nothing else and I can’t wait to compete not only at Sandown but also for the rest of the season, with a goal of completing the full championship in 2024.
“I have always been a BMW enthusiast and am excited to drive my F82 M4 BMW GT4 that I imported from Europe earlier this year.
“Developing and testing the car at various race tracks around Victoria has been a highlight for me this year, as has been having Randall Industries, Southern BM and my family and friends support me.
“This will be my first national-level race, so getting through the weekend cleanly will be my highest priority while learning as much as possible.
“I have been training hard the last few months to give myself the best chance, and of course working with John, with who I have been driving and developing the car over the past few months.
“JB has been pivotal in getting myself and the car up to speed and I am looking forward to sharing the driving duties with him at The Bend and Bathurst International rounds.”
Whilst he is currently in the midst of his ‘Ciao for now’ tour in the Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters Series, Bowe was looking forward to taking on a mentor role during the category enduros.
“I met Jacob through mutual friends at Southern BM and I have done some coaching with him and put him in touch with some good people to be his support crew,” Bowe explained.
“I am transiting to retirement, but I am not retired, if you know what I mean. I have been racing since I was a child and I still love it, and when we went testing the BMW, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Jacob drives.
“I will be racing with him more as a mentor and a helper than a star; I don’t need to be a star, but I like being involved and really everything that I ask him to do, he does, so (mentoring Lawrence) has been quite rewarding to be honest. I am excited about it, seeing someone develop is quite satisfying.
“GT4 Australia seems like it is getting some steam up too. I am actually really looking forward to it, this is my last year doing Touring Car Masters, but I love motor racing and I guess I am a lifetime lover of it.
“I will be doing The Bend and Bathurst races with him; he will do Sandown on his own as they are only short races. I will be doing TCM at Bathurst as well so that one will be a juggle – I will have to remember which side of the car I am sitting on, so I don’t splat the wall.”
The Monochrome GT4 Australia Series will once again race alongside the Mobil 1 Australian Production Car Series and will be one of six national categories to take to the track at Sandown International Raceway in September, joining the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, National Trans Am Series, Kumho V8 Touring Car Series, MARC Cars Australia and Australian Formula Open.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase at motorsporttickets.com.au.
The fourth round of the 2023 Monochrome GT4 Australia Series will be held at Sandown International Raceway as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries on 8-10 September.
