Their CHE Racing Team had to put in a mammoth effort after an early setback, but Lachlan Mineeff and Tom Sargent have made history by becoming the youngest driver combination to finish a major endurance race at the hallowed turf of Mount Panorama in today’s Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
After starting fourth in Class D and 30th outright, Sargent was maintaining a steady pace in the race’s early stages before the Toyota 86 ground to a halt with engine failure at the top of the Mountain.
However, through a determined effort from the team, a spare engine was installed, enabling Mineeff and Sargent to resume competition, and take the chequered flag in 30th position outright and fifth in Class D.
“When the car started smoking as I headed up the hill, my heart sank, and when I saw a pool of oil underneath the car, I thought our day was over,” Sargent said.
“Once our car was retrieved to pit lane, the team put in an unbelievable job, and were able to get us back onto the track with a spare engine.
“While we would have liked to fight for a class podium, we accomplished our goal of finishing the race. Lachlan and I have both fallen in love with this place, and we can’t wait to be back!”
“To say it was an eventful day would be an understatement, it’s certainly not what we had in mind before the weekend,” Mineeff added.
“I’m really proud of the team though, to complete an engine change so quickly was outstanding. Typically, a problem like that would end the day completely, but the crew never gave up, and they’ve been rewarded with a special place in the Bathurst record books.”
With their Bathurst 6 Hour exploits complete, Sargent and Mineeff now turn their attention to Round 2 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Queensland Raceway in a fortnight.
