New car for Heimgartner, chassis change after Evans crash

Brad Jones Racing is readying a chassis shuffle for the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship, with team spearhead Andre Heimgartner receiving a new car for the upcoming season.

Heimgartner will shift into BJR’s new chassis, BJR-018, which is the team’s fifth Gen3 chassis, and first new car since the start of 2023.

Jaxon Evans, meanwhile, will shift into Heimgartner's previous chassis, BJR-016, for the start of the new season amid ongoing repairs to his 2024 car.

Evans crashed heavily at the VAILO Adelaide 500 last November, the Kiwi slamming the concrete wall at Adelaide’s infamous Turn 8 sweeper.

The 28-year-old was ruled out of the season-ending race with concussion, with the team initially attempting repairs on the car, BJR-015.

BJR has instead opted to continue repairs on BJR-015, with Evans to take over BJR-016 at the start of the 2025 Supercars season in Sydney on February 21-23.

BJR-016 delivered BJR’s first win since 2020, when Heimgartner claimed an emotional victory in Taupō last April. He also claimed several podiums in the car in 2023, and a pole in Sydney.

According to BJR, BJR-015 will either be returned to Evans or become the spare chassis for the team.

Heimgartner will be shake down his new R&J Batteries Chevrolet Camaro at Winton Motor Raceway ahead of the opening round, with a date of the shakedown to be advised at a later date.

Heimgartner and Evans will then join teammates Bryce Fullwood and Macauley Jones at Sydney for an all-in test day ahead of the first round.

"We have the opportunity now to introduce the new car and it all stacks up for a few reasons. It will be good for the team to have a fresh car in the mix,” team owner Brad Jones said.

“With the extensive repairs needed to restore Car 12 into perfect condition it made sense to introduce Chassis-018 for the 2025 season.

“The team have been quietly building this car up over 2024 and will have it comfortably completed in time for a shakedown before Round 1."