IT may not be an outright contender at the Bathurst 12 Hour this Sunday, but is the GWS Personnel BMW 335i Mount Panorama’s most experienced and prolific enduro campaigner?
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History shows that it has an enviable finishing record, having completed more laps and covered a greater distance than any other on Australia’s most famous racetrack in this event.
The venerable coupe is lining up for its 10th Bathurst 12 Hour, and is expected to add to its tally of 2492 laps or 15,483 kilometres in practice, qualifying and racing.
In its nine starts, the BMW 335i has won the race twice outright (when it was a production car event) and has backed up with four class victories.
In all, the various driving crews have stood on the podium as place-getters in each of the nine contested 12 Hours.
The car has boasted impressive driving talent over the near-decade of Bathurst appearances, including multiple New Zealand Touring Car and Australian Carrera Cup champion Craig Baird, four-time Australian champion (in touring cars, sports cars and racing cars), three-time 12 Hour and double Bathurst 1000 winner John Bowe, and three-time Australian Super Touring champion and Bathurst 1000 winner Paul Morris.
Original car owner Garry Holt was the linchpin in the two outright victories. His team developed the car and Holt was also rewarded with two Australian Production Car Championships – in 2007 and 2009.
This year the veteran GWS Personnel BMW, a regular in the production car Australian Manufacturers Championship, will line up in Class I against many entries that are far removed from coming off the showroom floor.
Team owner Peter O’Donnell won’t be in the driver line-up, as he is still recovering from hip surgery. The Parkes businessman will still be in the pit garage, assisting the experienced Garry Mennell On Track Motorsport outfit in calling the race strategies.
Jake Williams re-joins the team, having debuted in the car last year.
The very experienced Ric Shaw is also back from the 2015 squad.
Will Cauchi will be having his first 12 Hour in the BMW, after being the regular pilot throughout the Manufacturers Championship.
Completing the four-driver complement is David Cox, who first came to note by finishing third in the 1993 Renault Clio Cup Great Britain.
In more recent times the Brit finished second in the diesel engines D3T class, sharing a BMW 135 D GTR.
