Monochrome GT4 Australia will welcome more series debutants at the upcoming LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Sandown, with Marty Craggill and Tom Sandow entered for the round.
Backed by Penrite Oil, the pair will race a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS under the Team Soutar Motorsport banner.
Craggill will be a familiar name to motorsport fans around the country, with the Victorian boasting a highly successful career on two wheels, having raced professionally in superbikes and MotoGP.
One of Australia’s leading riders in his heyday, Craggill’s most notable achievements came in 1997 and 1998, when he won back-to-back Australian Superbike Championship titles with Team Kawasaki Australia, while also finishing the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in 1998.
He also made 44 appearances in the World Superbike Championship, competed in MotoGP in the 250cc class in 1990 and the 500cc class in 1995 and 1996, and raced in the British Superbike Championship and the United States’ AMA Superbike and Formula Xtreme categories.
Stepping away from the sport for more than two decades, Craggill’s longstanding relationship with Team Soutar Motorsport’s Shane Soutar, along with his enjoyment of coaching his long-time friend Sandow and strong support from key figures within Penrite Oil were all contributors to the veteran’s return to motorsport with Sandow.
While Sandow is new in to motorsport compared to his highly decorated friend, he has gained plenty of track time in recent years, which sparked his overall desire to begin racing.
After getting his first taste of driving a car on a race track 18 months ago, with Craggill taking on a mentorship / coaching role, Sandow has enjoyed a rapid improvement in skill - slowly bridging the gap to his teammate during track days.
Outside of his many track days, Sandow has gained recent racing experience by competing at state-level events at both Sandown and Phillip Island - preparing him for a national debut with Monochrome GT4 Australia.
Given both drivers’ experience, the pair will enter the final round of the year with the aim to get their first experience in the series and test the waters ahead of a potential full campaign in 2027.
Craggill and Sandow will make their official Monochrome GT4 Australia debut aboard the Team Soutar Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS at the LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Sandown at Sandown Raceway on 30 October - 1 November.
Purchase tickets to the Shannons SpeedSeries event here.
QUOTES
Marty Craggill
#16 Team Soutar Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
#16 Team Soutar Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
“I’m really excited to be doing this with Tom. We work together, we’re good mates, and the opportunity to get out on track and race together is something we’re both looking forward to. We just want to have some fun and see where it takes us,” Craggill said.
“This weekend is a trial for us. I want to spend time with Tom, watch him develop and have a drive myself. If we enjoy it, keep the car clean and have some good battles, we’ll look at doing the whole series next year.
“My expectations are very low. There’s a lot of crossover between bikes and cars, particularly with racing lines, but they’re not exactly the same. I’ve got plenty to learn with car set-up, braking points and driving technique, so I know I need coaching and more experience behind the wheel.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into racing. At Phillip Island recently, I got out of the car after a club race and realised how much fun I’d had. It made me feel young again for a moment, and that’s what I want to get out of this.
“Team Soutar Motorsport have been great. They’re professional, know what they’re doing and are easy to get along with. We don’t want to take ourselves too seriously or put too much pressure on the result. We just want to enjoy being at the track with our mates.
“There are some really talented young drivers in the team, and the best thing I can do is get out on track, follow them and learn. I need to spend time racing alongside others, looking at the data and improving rather than just doing more track days on my own.
“Finally, a big thank you to Penrite for their support in getting this entry up and running and helping us get in a position to race.”
Tom Sandow
#16 Team Soutar Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
#16 Team Soutar Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS
“For someone who is still relatively new to motorsport, I’m both incredibly excited and a little nervous, but it’s a thrill that everyone should get involved in,” Sandow said.
“Over the past 18 months, we’ve been chipping away at track days, and our enjoyment of that has gradually evolved into racing. I got my racing licence and competed at Sandown and Phillip Island, so that’s the extent of my experience so far. It’s all gained momentum incredibly quickly, going from my first track day in a road car to where we are now.
“Being able to learn from Marty has been massively exciting. He’s incredibly quick on two wheels, but just as quick on four. Bit by bit, I’ve been trying to close the gap to him, and we’re getting closer and closer.
“When I started out, I had no appreciation for the technical side of driving. I was purely driving on feel and natural ability. Over the past six months in particular, I’ve started incorporating the technical aspects, and I’ve probably surprised myself with what I’ve been capable of achieving in the car.
“It’s been a fantastic whirlwind experience, and I’m really looking forward to spending more time with Marty. This will be the first time we’ve competed as co-drivers, so that will be a new experience for us.
“Not only has Penrite been brilliant to work with, but so has Team Soutar Motorsport. Zac is incredibly mature beyond his years and has done a great job of pulling the team together, alongside Shane’s guidance.”