RACING
From Tarmac Champions to Gravel Warriors
Follow Michael & Rachael's journey as they conquer a new discipline
Based in
Sydney, Australia
Built on Passion,
Driven by Ambition
Shakewell Racing follows the motorsport journey of Michael and Rachael — a rookie driver paired with an experienced navigator, pushing the limits of privateer racing in Australia.
Their paths crossed through a Facebook post when Michael was searching for a co-driver. Rachael brings years of rally navigation experience from Perth, while Michael — based in Sydney — takes on the driving challenge. 4,000km apart, they come together at events, building and racing out of Michael's Sydney workshop.
"We're not professionals — we pay our own way and do it purely for the love of racing. This is grassroots motorsport."
3 Subarus. 2 Disciplines.
Workshop-built machines ready for tarmac and gravel combat.
Maintained by
Ichiban & Shakewell
Tarmac Weapon #1
* Targa-proven, stage-ready
Targa New Zealand
Five days. Hundreds of kilometers. One goal: Conquer New Zealand's most demanding tarmac rally.
Production 4WD Class
Dominated our class against fierce competition
Overall Finish
Top 10 against purpose-built race cars
Days of Racing
Grueling stages across New Zealand
The Journey
"Winning Production 4WD at Targa NZ proved our preparation was right. Now it's time to take everything we learned and apply it to gravel."
2026: The Gravel Era
After conquering tarmac, we're entering uncharted territory. New surface. New skills. Same passion.
Tarmac Rally
- Maximum grip on sealed roads
- Precision driving lines
- Predictable surface conditions
Gravel Rally
- Controlled sliding and drifting
- Reading changing surfaces
- Managing unpredictable grip
The Challenges Ahead
New Surface
Transitioning from smooth tarmac to unpredictable loose gravel surfaces
Car Modifications
Complete suspension, protection, and setup overhaul for gravel conditions
Mental Reset
Learning to trust the car sliding — a completely different driving style
New Pace Notes
Rachael developing gravel-specific note styles and delivery
2026 Roadmap
Follow the journey from day one. Subscribe to catch every build update, test session, and competition.
Don't Miss a MomentThe Calendar
13 events. 4 tarmac. 8 gravel. 1 international adventure.
Mt Buller Sprint
Victoria
Season opener in the alpine. Setting the standard for the year.
Rally of Bathurst
NSW
The big one. First ever gravel rally.
Mitta Mountain Rally
Victoria
Week two on gravel. Building on Bathurst learnings.
Great Alpine Rally
Victoria
Back to tarmac after two weeks of gravel. Falls Creek.
Rally of the Heartland
South Australia
Three-day marathon. 1,000km from home.
Ada River Rally
Victoria
Noojee forests. Five events in — progress checkpoint.
Germany Trip
Nürburgring
Nürburgring, German Police ride-along, Ringfreaks collaboration.
Narooma Forest Rally
NSW
Winter rally on the South Coast. NSWRC with pacenotes.
Classic Queensland
Queensland
Queensland roads — faster, more flowing gravel.
Rally of the Bay
NSW
Batemans Bay. Back-to-back with Classic Queensland.
Snowy River Sprint
Victoria
Buchan, deep in Gippsland. Most remote event.
Great Tarmac Rally
Victoria
The tarmac season finale. Marysville.
Rally of Canberra
ACT
Gravel season finale. How far have we come?
Car Builds
Following along as we build something special in the workshop.
E36 M3 S58 Swap
6-Month Build Series
The car found its way back to us. Now it's getting the heart transplant it deserves — a current-gen M3/M4 engine in a 90s icon.
The Car
BMW E36 M3
Black, Coupe, Manual
The Engine
BMW S58
3.0L Twin-Turbo Straight-Six • 473hp Stock
The Goal
Weekend Warrior — Street/Track Dual-Use
Timeline
6 Months to First Drive
Technical Partner
Kazz Engineering
Build Phases
Setup
Month 1- Ep 1: "I'm putting an S58 in my E36 M3"
- Ep 2: "Everything Wrong With My E36"
- Ep 3: "Road Trip to Brisbane"
- Ep 4: "Teardown"
Subscribe to follow the build from start to finish.
Subscribe for Build UpdatesLatest Videos
Raw, unfiltered stage footage from our rally adventures. Subscribe to follow along.
ATR GTR 2025 - Eildon to Big River
SS10 — 15 minutes of flat-out tarmac through the Victorian High Country.
Targa NZ 2025 - Gentle Annies 3
Stage 29 from Targa New Zealand — the iconic Gentle Annies run.
Nürburgring Lap 2025
Taking on the Green Hell — a full lap of the legendary Nordschleife.
Targa NZ 2025 - Gentle Annies 1
Stage 27 — the first of three Gentle Annies stages.
Lake Mountain Sprint - SS11 In-Car
Full in-car footage with pace notes from stage 11.
Targa NZ 2025 - Ormondville
Stage 33 — the longest stage at over 20 minutes.
Join the Journey
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