News
Bathurst’s most travelled BMW set for 6 Hour and support Ronald McDonald House
The car that has covered more competition laps at Mt Panorama will line up yet again with Peter O’Donnell’s BMW 335i entered in the 2024 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour over the Easter weekend.
This time around, the car will sport a striking new orange livery instead of the traditional white. The team and drivers, owner Peter O’Donnell in his tenth 12/6 Hour enduro, Super 2 driver Matt Chahda, and car preparer Garry Mennell, will also be racing for Ronald McDonald House Central West NSW.
This BMW E92 335i has a remarkable competition history with two Bathurst 12 Hour outright victories, and four class wins. It has been campaigned by many well-known drivers in eleven 12 Hour events, four Bathurst 6 Hours and numerous Challenge Bathurst events.
History shows that it has completed more laps, and covered greater kilometres than any other on Australia’s most famous racetrack. The car has also competed at various other tracks around Australia like Sandown, Queensland Raceway, Wakefield Park and Sydney Motorsport Park.
On Mount Panorama alone, the BMW 335i has lapped the circuit 3479 times in practice, qualifying and races. That is 21,615.027 kilometres or 13,431 miles. It is more than the distance to circumnavigate the Australian mainland which measures 17,100 kilometres.
Ronald McDonald House Central West NSW gives seriously ill children the best gift of all – their families. The warm and supportive home-away-from-home provides the whole family with a comfortable place to stay and peace of mind, where they can stay together and close to the Hospital.
Ronald McDonald House provides free accommodation for families when they have an ill or injured child in hospital or have to travel for medical appointments, and also for pregnant mums and their families pre-birth, and families with a baby in the special care nursery.
Adjacent to Orange Health Service Hospital, the House can accommodate eight families each night in spacious, comfortable rooms with ensuite bathrooms. The large communal living areas and leafy garden setting helps create a close-knit, community vibe.
To keep the family together can be extremely tough without support, which is why Ronald McDonald House offer accommodation for parents with ill or injured kids who need to travel to Orange.
The tirelessly and dedicated team of staff are guided by Executive Officer Rebecca Walsh. The House also relies on a committed group of volunteers who generously give their time to make families feel welcome and supported.
So far, many local companies that have shown their support with $1000 sponsorships. They include Elders Insurance – Western Plains, Telescope Tyres, Moxey Farms, Steve Magil Earthmoving, Goodsell Machinery, Agricultural Equipment Holdings, NuPoint – Management System, Kustom Car Wash, McDonalds Mudgee, and Ray White Parkes. Signs-you-see have donated time and product for the stickers.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The BMW E92 3 Series Coupe 335i was first produced in December 2004 and production ran through to 2013. It was sold in Australia from 2005.
It is powered by a direct injection inline 3.0 litre six cylinder, turbo charged with intercooler, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. In production form it produces 225 kW @ 5800 rpm and 400 Nm of torque.
The 1600 kilogram two-door coupe has a top speed of 250 kilometre per hour, has 348 millimetre vented front and 336 millimetre rear disc brakes and is tyred with 225/45 R17 and 255/40 R17 front and rear respectively.
BATHURST 12 HOUR RESULTS
2007 – Craig Baird, Garry Holt, Paul Morris – 1st Outright 257 laps, 1st Class A
2008 – Craig Baird, Garry Holt, Paul Morris – 3rd Outright 252 laps, 1st Class B
2009 – Craig Baird, Ric Shaw, Garry Holt – 8th Outright 228 laps, 3rd Class A
2010 – John Bowe, Paul Morris, Garry Holt – 1st Outright 202 laps, 1st Class B
2011 – Christian D’Agostin, Peter O’Donnell, Matt Hansen – 10th Outright 252 laps, 2nd Class D
2012 – Christian D’Agostin, Peter O’Donnell, Grant Duffy – 13th Outright 205 laps, 3rd Class D
2013 – Peter O’Donnell, Andre Heimgartner, Anthony Gilbertson – 29th Outright 183 laps, 1st Class D
2014 – Peter O’Donnell, Allan Shephard, Kean Booker, Matt Chahda – 12th Outright 238 laps, 2nd Class D
2015 – Ric Shaw, Jake Williams, Matt Chahda, Steve Devjak – 28th Outright 239 laps, 1st Class D
2016 – Jake Williams, Will Cauchi, David Cox, Ric Shaw – DNF 107 laps
2017 – Garry Mennell, Bernard Verryt, Steve van Bellingen – DNF 111 laps
BATHURST 6 HOUR RESULTS
2017 – Peter O’Donnell, Simon O’Donnell, James O’Donnell – 26th Outright 109 laps, 3rd Class B1
2021 – Peter O’Donnell, Peter Johnston, Garry Mennell – 25th Outright 114 laps, 1st Class B1
2023 – Matt Chahda, Matt Harris, Garry Mennell – DNF 40 laps, Class B1
2024 – Peter O’Donnell, Matt Chahda, Garry Mennell – ?