The Fleet
The Fleet: Three Subarus, Two Disciplines, One Sydney Workshop
Every car in the Shakewell Racing stable wears the same badge and the same philosophy: build it yourself, drive it hard, and let the stage times do the talking. We run three Subarus across two very different disciplines - tarmac and gravel - all maintained in-house by Ichiban and Shakewell out of our Sydney workshop.
No factory truck, no spare-parts container, no team of engineers. Just a privateer crew, a set of spanners, and three boxer-powered, symmetrical all-wheel-drive weapons prepped between events on our own time. Here is what we run, and what each one is built to do.
Tarmac Weapon #1: the GD WRX STI "Hawkeye"
Our lead tarmac car is a GD-generation Subaru WRX STI from the 2006-2007 "Hawkeye" facelift - the sharp-eyed final evolution of the GD platform. Under the bonnet sits the EJ257: a 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer four driving all four wheels through Subaru's signature symmetrical AWD layout.
Hawkeye is our sealed-surface specialist, built for the grip, speed and precision that closed-road tarmac stages demand. It is Targa-proven, having run at Targa New Zealand, and it is the car we lean on when the stages are fast and the tarmac is unforgiving. Every bolt on it has been touched by the crew that drives it.
Tarmac Weapon #2: the GD WRX STI "Blobeye"
Backing up Hawkeye is a second GD WRX STI, this one from the 2004-2005 "Blobeye" range - the rounder-nosed sibling that Subaru fans know instantly. It shares the same EJ257 turbo boxer and the same symmetrical AWD driveline, which is exactly the point.
Blobeye is our backup tarmac car, and running two closely related GD chassis is a deliberate privateer strategy: shared knowledge, shared spares, and a proven fallback if something lets go on an event. When you prepare your own cars between rounds, commonality across the fleet is worth more than any single trick part.
The Gravel Machine: GF8 Impreza WRX STI wagon
The odd one out - and the crowd favourite - is our 1995 GF8 Impreza WRX STI wagon. It runs the earlier EJ20, a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer, again feeding Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive. Where the GDs are honed for tarmac, the GF8 is built to be thrown sideways on the loose stuff.
This is our weapon for the 2026 gravel campaign, and it is already earning its scars. It is the car turning up in our 2026 rally results (sometimes listed under the "Impreza G7" tag), doing exactly what a classic Subaru wagon was born to do: put the power down on gravel and keep coming back for more.
Self-built, privateer preparation
What ties the fleet together is how it is run. Every car is maintained by the same hands that compete in it - Ichiban and Shakewell, working out of the Sydney workshop between events. Preparation, setup changes, repairs and the between-round rebuilds all happen at grassroots, privateer level.
Splitting the fleet across tarmac and gravel keeps the team sharp across both disciplines, and looking ahead, the same self-built ethos carries into our long-distance ambitions with the Budapest-Bamako raid. Three Subarus, two disciplines, one crew that owns every result - good or bad.
Frequently asked questions
How many cars does Shakewell Racing run?
Three Subarus across two disciplines: two GD-generation WRX STIs for tarmac (the 2006-2007 "Hawkeye" and the 2004-2005 "Blobeye") and a 1995 GF8 Impreza WRX STI wagon for gravel.
What is the difference between the tarmac and gravel cars?
The two GD WRX STIs run the EJ257 turbo boxer and are set up for the grip and speed of sealed tarmac stages. The GF8 wagon runs the earlier EJ20 turbo boxer and is built for loose gravel. All three use Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive.
Which car is Shakewell running in the 2026 season?
The 1995 GF8 Impreza WRX STI wagon is our 2026 gravel campaign car. It is the machine appearing in our 2026 rally results, sometimes listed as the "Impreza G7".
Who prepares and maintains the fleet?
The cars are self-built and maintained in-house by Ichiban and Shakewell out of our Sydney workshop - a genuine privateer operation where the crew that competes also does the preparation and repairs.
Has the fleet competed internationally?
Yes. The GD WRX STI "Hawkeye" is Targa-proven, having run at Targa New Zealand, and the team's long-distance plans include the Budapest-Bamako raid.