News
First big Bathurst rebuild completed following first practice
THE FIRST ‘big Bathurst rebuild’ of the 2025 Hi-Tec Oils 6 Hour has been completed, the #55 Fifth Gear Motoring / Heiniger Joinery Subaru BRZ forced to change engines following the first practice session.
The car had what is a suspected broken valve approaching Murray’s corner midway through the opening practice session, parking up out of harms way down the escape road to ensure the session continued without stopping.
The team, based in Canberra, quickly swung into action and had the team’s spare engine in the car within three hours of the car being returned to their garage at the top of pit lane.
“It was a missed gear,” Daniel Flannagan, who was behind the wheel at the time, explained.
“This is just three blokes living a dream to compete together at Bathurst so it was such a shame – but they’ve all done an incredible job to get the spare in.
“They had the engine out and waiting to go in by the time the car returned to pit lane on the flat bed truck.”
The experienced Flanagan has joined with business partner Dean Chapman and Chris Heiniger this weekend with the trio already enjoying the weekend – despite the early setback.
“We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and it’s great fun. We’ve got more spare engines if we need them and we’ve got a spare car too,” he added, pointing to a Toyota 86 sitting in the back of the paddock.
“We’ll get back on track for Practice two and keep going!”
The Fifth Gear Motoring crew are based in Bathurst and run a driver training business, as well as providing mobility opportunities and vehicle conversion services for people with a disability.
Their distinctive blue Subaru is one of nine BRZ / 86 GTS entries in the super-competitive Class D.