The Team
About Shakewell Racing: A Privateer Rally Team Doing It for the Love of the Sport
Shakewell Racing is a privateer rally team based in Sydney, Australia — grassroots, self-funded, and built around one simple idea: we're not professionals, we pay our own way, and we do it purely for the love of racing.
Behind the wheel is Michael Chora, a Sydney driver who came into the sport as a rookie. Alongside him in the co-driver's seat is Rachael Ferrante, an experienced rally navigator based in Perth. Roughly 4,000km apart on opposite sides of the country, they come together at events to chase real motorsport — and film every bit of it so anyone can follow along.
How the Team Came Together
Shakewell Racing started the way a lot of grassroots motorsport does — with a Facebook post and a bit of luck. Michael was looking for a co-driver, Rachael answered, and a team was born across a 4,000km gap between Sydney and Perth.
That distance shapes everything about how we operate. Rachael brings years of rally navigation experience; Michael brings the driving challenge of a rookie learning fast under real pressure. Between events, the cars live and get built out of Michael's Sydney workshop, maintained by Ichiban & Shakewell. When an event comes around, the team converges, straps in, and gets on with it. It's not glamorous and it's not corporate — it's two people who love rallying making it work with what they've got.
The Privateer Ethos
Privateer means exactly what it sounds like: no factory backing, no big-budget cheque book, no professional salaries. We fund our own campaign, spanner our own cars, and take the results — good and bad — on the chin.
That ethos is the whole point. Shakewell Racing exists to show what grassroots motorsport actually looks like from the inside: the late nights in the workshop, the scramble to make a start line, the genuine highs of a class win earned the hard way. We're not chasing a professional drive. We're chasing the experience, and we document the real version of it rather than a polished highlight reel.
The Journey: 2025 to 2027
The team's story is a clear arc that keeps getting bigger. In 2025 we contested Targa New Zealand and came away as Production 4WD class champions, finishing 6th outright — a huge result for a privateer squad in only its early days.
2026 marks our first full gravel season in Australia, tackling rounds across the ARC, AMSAG, the East Coast Classic and NSW series in a classic Subaru Impreza. A mid-2026 trip to the Nürburgring added another chapter along the way. Then comes the big one: in 2027 we point the compass at the Budapest-Bamako raid, one of the toughest amateur rally-raids on the planet, running from Europe deep into West Africa. From a Targa class win to the dunes of the Sahara — that's the Shakewell trajectory.
You can dig into each stage on our rally index, follow the 2026 gravel campaign results, and read up on what the Budapest-Bamako raid involves.
Follow the Story
Everything we do gets filmed. The main channel on YouTube (@ShakewellRacing) covers the builds, the events and the story between rounds, while @shakewellracingpov carries the raw in-car onboard footage for anyone who wants to feel what a stage is really like.
If you'd rather read than watch, our blog has the full race reports from each event, and the videos page pulls the latest clips together in one place. Want to get in touch, talk sponsorship, or just say hello? Head to our contact page — we're always happy to hear from fellow motorsport tragics.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shakewell Racing?
Shakewell Racing is a privateer (self-funded, grassroots) rally team based in Sydney, Australia. It follows driver Michael Chora and co-driver Rachael Ferrante as they compete across Australia and internationally, documenting the real, unfiltered side of amateur motorsport on YouTube.
Who are the drivers of Shakewell Racing?
Michael Chora is the driver, based in Sydney, who came into rallying as a rookie. Rachael Ferrante is the co-driver and navigator, an experienced rally navigator based in Perth. The pair met through a Facebook post when Michael was searching for a co-driver.
What does 'privateer' rally team mean?
A privateer team has no factory or major corporate backing. Shakewell Racing pays its own way, builds and maintains its own cars out of Michael's Sydney workshop, and competes purely for the love of racing rather than as professionals.
What has Shakewell Racing achieved so far?
In 2025 the team won the Production 4WD class at Targa New Zealand, finishing 6th outright. In 2026 they are running their first full gravel season across the ARC, AMSAG, East Coast Classic and NSW series in a classic Subaru Impreza, before tackling the Budapest-Bamako raid in 2027.
Where can I follow Shakewell Racing?
Watch the main YouTube channel @ShakewellRacing for builds and event coverage, and @shakewellracingpov for raw in-car onboard footage. You can also read full race reports on the blog and catch the latest clips on the videos page.