03 Apr KARL BEGG SIGNALS GT4 INTENTIONS
Karl Begg – a long-time production car stalwart and co-owner of Production Car Racing Pty Ltd (the category managers for the Australian Production Cars and Monochrome GT4 Australia) – has committed to a full GT4 Australia program for 2023.
Begg will contest the entirety of the six-round 2023 Monochrome GT4 Australia Championship, and will also take part in the non-championship sprint races as part of this weekend’s Bathurst 6 Hour.
As excited as he is about the future of GT4 Australia, Begg is also keen to see the Australian Production Cars continue to grow and thrive, and so will ensure the BMW M4 he has been racing in the category continues on in the series with another driver.
“There has been a clear gap in the Australian motorsport landscape – there is a huge jump between racing Toyota 86s and going to Carrera Cup, and GT3 has been out of a lot of people’s reach due to price and speed, so GT4 Australia just works,” Begg said.
“For those that don’t want to invest so heavily in the research and development needed to succeed in Class X in APC, GT4 Australia is a perfect option – instead of turning up with a workshop full of scan tools to the race track, this is plug and play – turn up, turn the key and go – which will suit a lot of people.
“It also provides a good stepping stone for those who are keen to eventually go into GT3, or who have been going production car racing and want to step into something else but don’t want to go to Carrera Cup or move across to a whole different ballgame like TA2.”
Begg’s GT4 Australia racing career will begin with the 3 x 40-minute non-championship races for APC and GT4 Australia at the 2023 Bathurst 6 Hour, which he will contest aboard a Triple Eight Race Engineering entry carrying a striking GT4 Australia livery.
“Of course I am keen to compete in these sprint races at the 6 Hour, because who doesn’t want to go racing at Mount Panorama! But I think it will also be a really good showcase for GT4 Australia, for both the cars and the category overall, ahead of the start of the championship season in May,” Begg said.
“It is a really great way to launch the category and having these sprint races – for which both APC and GT4 Australia cars are eligible – will hopefully help out those competitors who have missed out on a 6 Hour enduro spot as well.
“From a spectator point of view, I think we will provide quite a bit of a spectacle – the cars look impressive and they are going to be quick at Bathurst as well as they have a bit more in the aero department and they are just set up to go fast from the get go.”
When it comes to his expectations for his results on track in 2023, Begg is measured in his predictions.
“At the end of the day, first and foremost, I want the category to grow and I want to be on track as part of that,” Begg said.
“At the same time though, I don’t see any reason we can’t also do all we can to go for a championship win.
“As I said earlier, we had the quickest car in APC at a lot of tracks last year but with the reliability dramas we were battling, we just couldn’t put it all together.
“I am hoping that we shouldn’t have those kinds of issues in GT4 Australia and hopefully we can not only finish every race, but be somewhere up the front too.”
Entrants will enjoy three x 40-minute races on the hallowed grounds of Mount Panorama at the non-championship event over Easter, along with practice and qualifying.
For those interested in entering the 2023 GT4 Australia Championship, entry forms and further information can be found by contacting Troy Williams on troy@ausprodcars.com.au or 0483 035 466.
2023 APC/GT4 AUSTRALIA CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR:
Round one – Phillip Island – 12-14 May – Sprint (4 x 30 minutes)
Round two – Sydney Motorsport Park – 16-18 June – Enduro
Round three – Queensland Raceway – 11-13 August – Enduro
Round four – Sandown International Raceway – 8-10 September – Sprint (4 x 30 minutes)
Round five – The Bend Motorsport Park – 13-15 October – Enduro (4 x 1 hour)
Round six – Bathurst International – 10-12 November – Sprint (4 x 30 minutes)