PORTLAND race car driver Robert Braune and his Terang-based co-driver Tony Moloney contested the Bathurst 6 Hour over the Easter weekend, finishing in 22nd position overall.

The high-profile race saw 63 entrants take to the track at Mount Panorama with Braune and Moloney contesting the A1 class.

The race is a 6-hour event with drivers taking turn in approximately one-hour stints with Braune’s BMW M135i their car of choice.

The local duo managed to finish the race with 121 laps under their belt while the overall winners finished with 130 laps, the second-highest amount in the history of the race.

In their A1 class they managed to claim seventh position – an impressive feat despite some fuel issues on Saturday and a tyre blowout mid-race.

Braune said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience but it wasn’t all smooth sailing early in the piece with some car modification requirements heightening nerves before the big race.

“It didn’t start off too great on the Thursday and Friday but come the race on Sunday it was amazing,” he said.

“We get assessed by a scrutineer on Thursday and there were some specifications we had to meet so we had to rectify those issues.

“Friday was a pretty stressful day rectifying everything but once we got into qualifying on Saturday it was fine from there.”

Sunday was the main event with one slight hiccup the only mishap in an otherwise impressive drive.

“Come Sunday I elected to drive the first stint which went well, then Tony took over for about an hour and a half before I got back in,” Braune said.

“Towards the end of my stint I started to feel a bit of vibration in the wheel and felt there was something going on with the left wheel.

“I knew I had to finish my stint because drivers were required to have one-hour rest.

“Tony got back in for his stint and about two minutes in he was coming into the Chase and hitting about 240km/h and the tyre just blew, in the end we’d changed the wrong wheel.

“So Tony came back in and the tyre was fixed, we only lost one position so it was a quick pit stop, and then after that the drive was faultless.”

With winning not their first priority Braune wanted to soak up the experience as much as possible with the last 10 minutes of the race a massive highlight.

“I drove the last stint and it was one of the most special moments; when there was about 15 minutes left in the race my managing person who was talking through the radio said let’s just let the bloke drive and left me to just finish off the race on my own.

“With 10 minutes to go I was roaring up the Bathurst track, it was getting dark and the lights were on and it was really special, I felt pretty privileged in that moment.”

Braune purchased the car specifically for the Bathurst 6 Hour race and he said the amount of work that was done and support contributed locally made a massive difference.

“We had so much support leading into it; Ashley Rogers from Westvic Earthmoving gave us so much support as well as Gary Treloar from Treloar Roses and Adam Holt also did a lot for us.

“At the end of it the car was in great nick, other than a small scratch I just need to give it a wash and it would be ready to go again.

“I’m not sure what I’d race it in again but I definitely want to.

“I don’t think we’ll look to do the Bathurst 6 Hour again next year; but if you ask me in six months it could be a different story.”