After much of the Grampians National Park was devasted by fire in December, the trip was organised to inject some cash into local businesses that were hit hard in what should be their peak season.
Yet, with even more fires starting in the Park in January, the trip was in doubt right up to the day before departure. But with Halls Gap in the clear, we went ahead with a slightly modified itinerary.
On a scorching summer’s day, the group started their convoy from Ballan and I joined just west of Ballarat. First stop was Ararat for lunch followed by a tour of J Ward, Ararat's Old Gaol and for over 100 years a lockup for the criminally insane. The facility housed Bill Wallace from his age of 44 until his death at 107 and 11 months, a world record as the oldest prisoner. It was an eye opener to see the conditions and treatment of those incarcerated.
Next Trevor led us on a short drive to One Tree Hill Lookout, up a hill climb track that is recognised as the hardest and steepest on the Victorian Hill Climb Championships circuit. After a spirited ascent, the summit revealed some amazing views of the region and the Grampians, well, those parts that weren’t blanketed in smoke haze.
Then a leisurely drive to Halls Gap, with the only hazard being an echidna that was making its way slowly across the middle of the road in front of our convoy, thankfully dodged by all. After settling into accommodation, some sampled the local brewery, and later we all caught up for evening meal. Our outdoor dining experience included views to smoky skies that masked a red blazing sun, and small flecks of ash falling onto our pizza which just added to the earthy flavour.
Next morning the wind change had replaced all the smoke and we were greeted by clear blue skies. Most made their way to the Halls Gap Zoo, while I got some work emails attended to. I rejoined for lunch at Pomonal Estate, a winery and brewery. Excellent food was served up and some wine and cider tastings went down a treat.
With so many road closures given the ongoing fire, our plans for some twisty road driving had to be dropped, so a free afternoon was then spent lazily taking in the scenery or enjoying the motel facilities. For evening meal another great dining experience at the Kookaburra Hotel.
The hospitality staff at all venues were so fantastic and very appreciative of our custom.
On our last day I took the long way home with a drive south from Halls Gap to Dunkeld through the length of the Park. The vastness of the fire devastation was evident as kilometre after kilometre repeated a blackened forest. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery of the environment and that not too many little creatures were lost.
A great trip and a huge thanks to the organisers, and to all attendees for their great company.
Drew Matthews #903
Photos : Lawrence Glynn, #3 Treasurer
It was the first victory for BMW M Motorsport in the GT3 era at the Mount Panorama Circuit. The last triumph dates back to 2010 with a BMW 335i.
Team WRT remains undefeated in the 2025 season after successes at the 24h Dubai and the 6h Abu Dhabi (both UAE). On the sidelines of the race at Bathurst, the new BMW M3 CS Touring celebrated its world premiere.
The iconic racetrack provided the perfect stage for the debut of the latest BMW M special-edition model in the high-performance sports car sector. A 405 kW/550 hp six-cylinder in-line engine, bespoke chassis tuning, exclusive design features and weight savings resulting from the use of numerous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components provide the ingredients for an unadulterated racing-car feel.
Team WRT owed its 1-2 finish primarily to a perfect race strategy. Throughout the race, the two BMW M4 GT3s consistently gained an advantage in fuel consumption, which ultimately decided victory or defeat. While most competitors had to pit for refuelling just before the end, both BMW M4 GT3s were able to continue without stopping.
Read the full article here
Dear members,
Welcome to 2025!
I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Year break and is looking forward to the coming year as much as I am.
Is it now only just the end of January, yet with so much already happening within our club it definitely feels later.
But what a great start to the year we have had so far.
10 January we had over 80 members attend our twilight drive up through the Dandenong ranges ending with coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme. It was great to all meet at Ringwood BMW and have a chat to the staff there before the drive. Unfortunately, Jo and I were unable to attend as we both contracted COVID early January. Great turn out of members but also fabulous to see so many non-members attend then become members after the drive. Welcome all. Again, using TourBoss for this drive it made such a large group much easier to control having 2 lead cars and the digital navigation guiding all through the evening to watch a fabulous sunset at the top of Mt Dandenong.
19 January had a large group of BMWs displaying at Cruden Farm for the Festival of Motoring. Great weather, beautiful cars and lots to see and do through the day. This is a brilliant event and one you need to watch out for each year.
26 January was our annual Australia Day drive which started with lunch at Yarra Valley Lodge, again a huge turn out with over 70 attending with some amazing cars, from historic registered cars to the latest models. Great to see the diversity of our club members cars. The one thing that makes both Jo and I proud is the families who bring their children young and old to these events. We are a family, and this shows. After lunch we headed off again using Tourboss with two groups again for ease of driving. Great roads, fantastic navigation and like the twilight drive we finished the drive at the Pancake Parlour in Doncaster and might I say, we all enjoyed some the of nicest pancakes I have had in years. This event also had members and non-members attending which makes us very proud.
30 January a large group of members are attending the Bathurst 12 hour. As with all our events we invite members from all the states, and it is wonderful to say we have members attending this year from NSW BMW Drivers Club as well as Melbourne. There will be some of our club members camping as well and they will be joining us in the 12-hour suite for some of the exciting BMW experiences Jo will produce for us. Watch out on FB over the weekend for photo updates from me and the others attending. We also have members officiating over the weekend as well as racing too so watch your screens and see if you can spot some of our members live on TV.
We took a different route up to Bathurst this time, heading East through Gippsland then North up through the Snowy Mountains, with an overnight stop at Cooma, on through Canberra to Bathurst. It was a much nicer drive that the usual Hume Highway trip and we will head back that way too after the weekend’s fun.
Jo had an email from Sunil Vohra, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Australia, who is also a club member, and he will be putting in a guest appearance over the weekend as well. Jo always manages to pull some surprises out of her hat, so let’s see what she has instal for us all this weekend.
I’ll give a fuller report next month but so far we have had visits in the suite from other BMW club’s members, dropping in for a chat, as well as other people we know. We had a visit today by Craig Lowndes dropping in to tell us about the Prostate Cancer Foundation that they are supporting with their entry in the 12 Hour. We managed to raise $1500 in donations whilst he was there, so thank you to those that donated on the spot. Very proud our members support a charity that has a lot of meaning to me personally, having just gone through the prostate cancer surgery. Bruce Stewart from Walkinshaw Andretti dropped in for a visit too and shared he also has just undergone Prostate Cancer surgery, so it is very fitting we are supporting such a great cause.
Upcoming events, always lots going on and something for everyone!
4 February is the Midweek Halls Gap Fire Recovery 2-night trip away. With the devastation of the bush fires our club is very passionate about giving back to the local communities and this is one way we can help, by going to the regions most devastated and injecting some much need cash into their economy. Spots still available if you are retired or can manage a few days off.
8 February is the Pre Torquay-Motor Show Cruise. This is always a fun drive and a great way to meet the members who will be attending the display on the Sunday.
9 February Torquay Motor Show. Join us for this great display of cars. There won’t just be BMWs but cars for all marques around the world. See if our David Pye can take our best European car of the display again.
9 February our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will start with a hill climb at the iconic Rob Roy Hill climb. MG Club have spent thousands of dollars resealing the track and updating the facilities, so be sure to join us and our members at this great track. Even if you are not competing, come along and support those who are. Entries are open now. This event is also part of the Victorian Inter-club Hill Climb Championship. It would be great to get a lot of BMWs there to try and get lots of points for the interclub challenge.
14 February Presentation Award Night at Waverley BMW. This is going to be an awards night a little different from most. Seeing that we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals this year, we thought we would do a more relaxed night at the newly renovated Waverley BMW. If you have not been through the new dealership, make sure you register, as its amazing. State of the art facility with all the latest technology. Come support all our members who will be awarded their trophies from 2024. Thank you to Grip Auto Time Pieces for sponsoring the Show and Shine awards.
21 February is our Twilight Drive North-West and dinner. This is bound to be another great drive with dinner at the end at Carolins Springs West Waters Resort.
23 February Traction Tyres/ Yokohama Drivers Championship round 2 at Sandown. Entries are open so be sure not to miss out on this event too.
Wow! I am exhausted just typing what we have on for February, its going to be a full-on fun filled month with events to suit all our members, nearly every weekend! Jo and I will also be attending the Clubs Australia AGM in February, to catch up with all the national goings on and meet with BMW Group Australia as well.
Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.
Early this month Jo sent out a Save the Dates calendar which I would urge you to hold onto and diarise some of the major dates, so you have an idea of what we are doing and what you want to do for the year. There will be more events added to this, and we will update it as we move forward.
The biggest event on this year is of course our BMW Nationals which will be held at Caroline Springs over the ANZAC Day long weekend. 24 April – 27 April. Visit https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ for full information on this event please go to our designated website. We are lucky to have some fantastic sponsors on board who are all listed on the website.
Want to be an official for this event? Contact Simon on officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let him know what you are interested in doing over the weekend and your skills. We will need photographers for all the events, so if you have a keen eye for a good photo please let Simon know you will be able to help out there.
Accommodation is filling fast. If you are coming and want to stay at the Mercure WestWaters, please go to our national’s website and use the link which will take you directly to the discount booking form.
What are the Nationals you might ask?
Each year BMW Clubs Australia clubs converge on the host state to meet and enjoy events put on by the host state. Even years are BMW Motorcycle clubs and odd years are BMW Car clubs.
BMWDCM were invited to bid for the Nationals back in 2023 and Jo and her band of very eager helpers have been busily planning this event since.
We have lots planned for this years Nationals from cocktail party at Melbourne BMW to ANZAC dawn service and Gun Fire breakfast. Followed by 2 drives. One long all-day drive and a shorter drive for those who want to be back to clean their cars ready for the show and shine on the Saturday.
Friday night will be a great fun night with our 70s themed trivia night, fancy dress is optional, but we would like you to try to make an effort. Be sure to have your phone fully charged as the trivia will be using an app to ensure we are eco friendly with no paper wastage.
Sonax Australia will be at Calder Park with their wash station to help any who want to get their cars ready for the show on Saturday and this cleaning area will be available both Friday and Saturday.
Saturday is going to be the Main Event with the Southern BM Super Sprints which is part of our club Championship.
Shannons Insurance 3 Series Car display and of course if you are not entering the show and shine you can also put your car on display it does not need to be a 3 series. We are hoping for a huge 3 series display, as 2025 is 50 years of the 3 series and this is, of course, one of BMWs most popular model ranges.
Sonax Australia Show and Shine will be outstanding, we have already got some amazing cars registered. Bring your car and put it in the competition. Remember this is not a concourse but a show and Shine. The car needs to be clean, scratches and dents which can’t be cleaned out do not lose points. We welcome all BMWs to join us for this show.
There will also be trade stands for you to browse through and of course you are more than welcome to watch the super sprints while your cars are being judged or admired.
At the end of the track event, we will be doing the Racer Industries Parade Laps, which all are welcome to join as long as you have registered and signed a disclaimer. Make sure to complete this before the day to avoid missing out. No, you don’t need a race licence or a helmet. These are controlled laps around the full track including the Thunderdome.
We will be doing some photos, time permitting, of the group going around the track, which will be available for all after the event.
Saturday night will be our formal awards nights sponsored by Grip Auto Timepieces. This night will be time to catch up again with your old and new friends and congratulate all those who have won their events over the weekend. There will be some great prizes given and also some great silent auction items to bid on through the night. All proceeds will go to our charity Peter Mac Cancer Research, which you can make a donation beforehand if you are not attending using this link.
We are still in discussions with our guest speaker, but Saturday night should be one you will all remember.
Sunday, most will be heading home to your respective states or heading off to enjoy some of our wonderful state with some great driving roads the Peter has prepared.
Our last official event for this weekend will be the farewell breakfast. This is an informal morning wishing our friends and members a safe trip home and we will look forward to catching up with most of them at events through the year we hope.
Peter has put together an amazing Nationals Booklet which all attending will receive. This is full of exciting details which you will want to take back to show all your friends and family.
All attending and booking with the Nationals Package will receive a fantastic welcome pack which I am sure you will all love and use for years to come.
Merchandise is available for you all to order also, on the website, and all officials will receive an officials shirt for free.
Remember go to the website https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ to make your bookings.
A lot of you have seen me out and about at events and it is heartwarming all the kindness and beautiful messages both Jo and I have received regarding my health. I am on the road to recovery now and very happy that my first PSA test since the operation has come back with flying colours so I must be doing something right.
Memberships have gone through the roof this month and I feel it is due to all our great events which are already happening this year. Welcome to all the new members that have joined recently, I hope you enjoy your club as much as we do.
Check out our calendar here. There are lots of events there already and we often add more in as well, so go back every now and then to see if anything new is coming up that you might like to attend.
I will finish here as I have said a lot, but we do have a lot on for you to enjoy. It will be a very busy year, so join in and enjoy what we have to offer. If you have any suggestions, we are always open to new ideas too. Get in touch with Jo or the committee if you have an idea for an event you think others might enjoy.
Take care out there, drive safe and see you at the next event.
Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.
PO Box 81, Tyabb VIC 3913 Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of: BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council Motorsport Australia Affiliated Motorsport Club
I can’t believe we are at the end of the year and about to start a new and exciting year. I hope you have all had a great year, if not 2025 promises a new start with lots to look forward to.
1 December - We started the month with the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. It was a great day and as usual, everyone had a fantastic time.
8 December – Christmas Show and Shine and Family Picnic at Cruden farm saw some amazing cars out to join in the fun, with some entering the Show and Shine, others putting their cars on display and some just attending for the fun of the day. We had a visit from the big man in red which was exciting for big and small kiddies. Raffle prizes were donated by Bell Motorsport and nearly everyone went home with something. Our raffle and egg and bacon breakfast raised nearly $900 which has been paid into our fundraising account for Peter Mac. Thank you to all who donated, bought raffle tickets, attended and most of all volunteered to help us out. This was my first official event out with the club after my surgery and by the end of the day I was getting very weary.
14 December - many members attended the Bell Motorsport Christmas BBQ and thank you lunch for Bell Motorsport's customers, and BMWDCM's member and volunteers. Thank you again for all those who came and helped out. Jo was only 3 days out of hospital from recent shoulder surgery, so all the helpers made things much easier for both of us.
We really enjoyed Christmas day with our family, I hope that you had a fantastic day, whatever you did.
Your hard-working committee are taking a few weeks off and will be back in the swing of things after 13 January. Any questions, please email info@bmwdcm.com.au.
Jo and Peter have been working on events for 2025 already and the year is looking very exciting. We have a draft calendar for you to mark some save the dates. This is subject to change and some events confirmation, but we will do our best to keep it as is.
Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed below.
10 January is our first drive event. Another Twilight Drive, this time through the Dandenong Ranges, starting at Ringwood BMW. We will be using TourBoss, as with all our drive events from now on, so be sure to download the App for full drive instructions once the event code is sent out.
19 January is the start of the car show season for 2025, with AOMC Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm. Be sure to pre-register to enable you to enter with the rest of the group, our pre-meet location will be sent to you if you pre-register.
On 26 January we will be starting with lunch in the Yarra Valley then doing an afternoon drive for our annual Australia Day drive. Look out for the event notice in your emails.
30 January is our Bathurst 12-hour suite. There are possibly only 6 spots left with this event, so don’t miss out and get your bookings in ASAP. There is no better way to watch this world class event and get all the private tours and special extras we manage to organise, than to join us in the BMWDCM suite.
February, March and April are full of great events too. Check out the yearly calendar. Some of the events are not ready to register with yet but you can save the dates for when the event notices are released.
24-27 April is our big event for the year with the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. Registrations are going well and accommodation is filling very fast, so be sure to book in at WestWaters Caroline Springs and complete your registrations for events.
We have lots of stock in our merchandise store for you to get ready for 2025. Head on over to our store to place your order.
I thank you all for your ongoing support of our fantastic club and welcome all the new members who have joined our club in 2024.
To the sponsors who have supported us in 2024 and are coming back on board for 2025, thank you.
All our volunteers and officials, I thank you too. Our events would not be as great as they are without your help.
As we start a new and exciting year, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday time with your friends and family and remember some of our friends may be alone, so give them a call or just drop in if you are in their general area.
Take care and I look forward to seeing you all in 2025.
Wow December already! We are now heading into the festive season, and it will soon be Christmas. Where has the year gone?
As most of you know I had my surgery on the 25 October and had to have an extended stay in hospital, with even an unexpected stay in ICU for a couple of days. A bit of a scary time for Jo and my family and we really appreciated all the kind messages and well wishes, it really did help.
I am now home and slowly mending but this has really been a long slow journey and will take me a few months to be back to my normal self.
November started with our group touring Tasmania which started in late October but went over to November over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. This event is always something our members love to join, and we were sad not to be there. We used TourBoss with this group which was great for us at home to be able to watch were the group was and for Jo to help with booking lunches, know accurately what time the group would be there etc. TourBoss is a great addition to our club drives. You can see some fantastic photos in our photo gallery from the trip and also read about some of their stories from our members on our blog.
9 November saw a large group of members join us at Sandown Historics for a display and to watch all the action on track. This was a picture-perfect day weather wise and had a great turn out of cars to watch the Historic Racing. Always a great event and well attended.
Sadly, due to my ill health we had to cancel our hill climb planned for this month. Watch out next year though, we are hoping to add more hill climb events to the calendar. We are also looking at ways to combine with other clubs to lessen the risk to our club when running high-cost events, like track days, where we have to hire a venue to run events.
14 November was our AGM at the German Tivoli Club. This is one of those events which is a necessary evil, but we are proud of the attendance, and we had a packed house with over 50 members attending for dinner first then the meeting. We have a new committee which is the same as the previous committee, so I would like to thank and congratulate our hard-working committee for a fantastic year in 23/24 and we look forward to an even better 24/25. With all committees you have others working in the background to make this well-oiled ship sail so smoothly. Also, a very special thank you to all those that help run the club and events, whether on the elected committee or you volunteer to help us out. It is a testament to the club that we have so many willing to help, thank you.
23-24 November was Challenge Bathurst, with a great team supporting BMWDCM from 5 states in Australia. We are very proud to have been invited to this event again and to represent BMW as a group of members from all over Australia. We also have officials who have also travelled from all parts of the country to help run this event and these guys and girls I thank so much as this is what makes the event tick. The event was run under amazing weather conditions with all cars getting out there at some stage over the weekend. There were a few mechanical gremlins, but we are so lucky to have a great team up there who all rallied around to help each other get their cars on the track to all enjoy. There will be photos up in our gallery soon so watch this space.
23-24 November also saw some of our members displaying their beautiful cars at Motors and Masterpieces. This is a new event which has taken over from Motorclassica and we hope our members out there enjoy the event and we look forward to seeing lots of photos and hearing about the event. Jo did help the curators find some very special BMWs in the club and they were very appreciative of her help.
29 November was our first Twilight Drive for the season, this time to Sky-High, Mount Dandenong. A great turn out and again we used TourBoss for this event for safe easy navigation for all attending.
December is here and the big man in red will be some coming down your chimneys or through the back door. Take time out this month to think of those that don’t have anyone to spend time with. Pick up the phone or drop in and visit someone you may not have seen for a while. It can make such a difference to someone’s day if we just take the time to call or visit.
As we wrap up this brilliant year, we invite you all to join us at the end of year Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm on 8 December. Santa will be there, I am thinking around 11ish, so bring the kids and grandkids. Our friends and sponsors All Commercial/all Residential Real Estate will be cooking the breakfast BBQ again, with food donated by Bell Motorsport (us) as a thank you to all our members. All we ask is a gold coin donation for the egg and bacon roll and all money raised will go the Peter MaCallum Cancer Research and help us reach our $20K target for the Nationals in April 2025.
If you don’t want to put your car in the show and shine but want to display, there is an option for that too, or just park in the car park and join us all for some fun times. There will be some great raffle prizes too, so be sure to bring your cash for the raffle, again all proceeds going to our charity.
14 December is our Bell Motorsport end of year BBQ at the club rooms, 10-4ish and we would love to see you there for a sausage in bread and a chat over all things BMW and life. 213 Marine Parade, Hastings if you are attending, please email jo@bellmotorsport.com.au to let her know for catering.
Some events to remember:
There will be more events coming but our 2025 calendar is still being worked out so watch your emails for upcoming great events.
I mentioned our AGM and our returning committee but there is more to the club than just us 4.
Let me thank some of those who make this club so great, and I know I will forget some, but I will try to remember everyone.
Jess Bell, who makes everything look so great on our website and edits and publishes our fantastic idrive each year. This is not all she does, but I know you know she is an integral part of making us look great and always complying with BMW CI. Thanks Jess.
Scott Long and Nella Santisi, they have taken over a lot of the social media posts which our Jo was doing amongst all the other things she does. This has been great to watch and see how younger minds do things. We are loving the regular updates and reminders they are putting up. Thanks guys.
Jenny Rose, who has been updating the photo gallery for some time now and this is current and fresh with some great photos from our past events for everyone to enjoy. Another job Jo used to do but it is great that Jo has managed to find helpers to share the load. Remember, if you have some great photos from an event, please share to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and Jen can get your photos up there and you never know Jess may use them in the next edition of idrive. Thanks Jen.
Cassie Carideo is a new edition to our team and has been helping Jess with the Newsletter. Cassie is the daughter of Angelo and Sam Carideo and volunteered in July to take on this role and we are loving the great work and issues which are coming out. Welcome Cassie to the team and we know she will be a great contributor to our club. Thanks Cassie.
Paul Holliday who has been responsible for some amazing photos along our journey and you can see how he has matured as a photographer and his skills are growing with each event we do. We really appreciate the time and effort Paul puts into making our club look great with the great photos he takes. Thanks Paul. (and Jo H for allowing him to do this)
Paul Kertes who does our Super Sprint Stats, these are worked out after each round and sent to Jess to publish for all to see. Paul devised a fair and correct formula to make it so that it is not a one-sided championship and allows all the chance to be a winner. Thanks Paul.
I will group this lot as this is where I will slip up and miss someone so I will thank you all in a group - our motorsport officials who work so hard to make our events so great and enjoyable for all our members. From COC to the guys in pit lane. Your jobs are all so important and we can’t thank you enough for all you do. We did take on a new roll in our motorsport team which is chief instructor being John Beck under the guidance of myself. Jo has designed and we have ordered new blue hi vis shirts for all our instructors, so when you are next at a come and try event, you will be able to easily pick out the instructors and head coaches by their colour. We thank all who give up their time to help our inexperienced drivers to gain knowledge on the track. This is a huge passion of both Jo and me, to grow our motorsport officials’ team and to also teach all our members to be safe and better drivers. Thank you team.
Of course, I will not finish without thanking Peter Williams who has been our club Secretary for over a year now and for all his hard work planning and leading our drive events. This is not a 5-minute job, even though Peter makes if feel this way. The time and effort put into these events is a testament to his dedication to the club and the enjoyment of all our members. Peter is also part of our welfare team and he has helped me through my recent journey and I am sure if you need a shoulder to cry on, he will be there with a kind and listening ear. Thank you, Peter.
Lawrence Glynn who, like the rest of us, wears many other hates in his roll now as Treasurer, CPS officer, membership officer, club displays, drives, web assistant, merchandise and much more. Lawrence has been with us since the inception of the club and his knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to making us what we are today. Thank you, Lawrence.
Jo Mawson also was with me when we started this great club and has worn pretty much every hat there can be in the club and has done it while battling ill health but never wavered. As Vice President she is my right and at times left hand too, helping Jess with sourcing articles for idrive, liaising with the sponsors, which has gained us some great sponsorship deals over the years, co-ordinating with Peter on drives and weekend trips and booking all the accommodation and meal venues, etc. Some of Jo's roles are, membership, CPS officer, events coordinator, sponsorship officer, merchandise designer and co-ordinator, senior motorsport official, welfare officer and MUCH more but I won’t go on. Thank you, Jo.
All the members who help out at events with set up and pack down, way too many to mention and again as I said previously, I would offend someone if I tried to name you all. You know who you are, and we thank you, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Next but by far not least are all our sponsors, who have been loyal to us for so many years and play such an important role in making us who we are. We thank you all and as members the way to thank them is to use their services. Please go to the back of your idrive or to Club Partners on our website and let them know you are a member of BMWDCM and you will be rewarded with some great discounts too.
Talking about Sponsors, if you have a business that you think might interest our members, contact Jo - v.president@bmwdcm.com.au as she is busy at the moment securing sponsors for 2025 and we would love to have you on board with us.
It was brought to my attention that some of our newer members are not aware that we were awarded the International Club of the Year in 2021. There is a great article about this which I am sure will make you all be so proud to be part of this fantastic club, which we will add to the website shortly.
Again, I have mentioned TourBoss in this report. This is a great new app we are using for all our drives from now on. This enables the driver, solo or with a navigator, to see the instructions on either their phone screens or car screens for clear safe and updated navigation. We will still be doing group driving, but for those who want to meander and get to the destination at their own pace, you can still use this app and get there safely. There are some really great options on the app, like calling the group or drive leader, SOS if you breakdown, plus more. We discover more and more each time we use it. It’s the way of the future and we have it on board to insure that our drives are safe and comfortable for all attending.
Membership is still growing weekly, and it staggers me how fast we have grown and how great our events are. I am truly honoured to be the President of such a fine club.
We have updated stock numbers in our online store for you to get some great Christmas gifts for your loved ones. If you are wanting something for Christmas, get your orders in early as Jo and I are not at the office full time at the moment, so please add to the “note” Christmas present, so Jo know it an urgent delivery.
Talking of Jo, she will be back in hospital on the 11 December to have some re work done on her right shoulder which was replaced in March 2023 but has not given her the relief they were all hoping for, so back in for a day or two to hopefully have her pain free again. Send her some kind wishes, and I am sure she will update you all on socials, on her progress, as she did with my stay in hospital.
Thank you all for your support through 2024 and enjoy the festive season but stay safe out there.
I look forward to getting back out to events soon and seeing you at one somewhere.
For anyone who's ever been dragged to a car race by a significant other and thought, "This isn't for me." Buckle up because I'm here to tell you it might surprise you!
Let's be honest, attending my first motorsport event was nerve-wracking. My partner, Martin, loved it, but for me, the noise, the speed, the whole "unknown" factor felt far from fun. I pictured crashes and chaos, but what I witnessed was a world of controlled adrenaline and a surprising focus on safety.
Seeing these incidents firsthand, rather than just imagining them, was a turning point. Witnessing the measures in place – the briefings, instructor presence, and organized track groups – calmed my nerves. It was clear this wasn't just a bunch of daredevils; it was a well-oiled machine focused on safe enjoyment.
This shift was a revelation. Instead of fretting on the sidelines, I wanted to be part of the action – part of the village that keeps these events running smoothly. So, I undertook Motorsport Australia’s online flagging course and volunteered at my first event; a come and try day with BMWDCM. As a motorsports novice this gave me a behind the scenes look at the considerable planning effort that went into these events. It was comforting to understand that the groupings for track sessions considered driver experience and car ability. Every consideration with safety first, which maximised track time and therefore the driving fun.
My first flagging the experience was exhilarating! Being closer to the action not only gave me a deeper appreciation for the sport's complexities, but also put my concerns for my partner's safety at ease. I was posted to a flagging point for half the day and then start/finish, with a different buddy to train me at each. They were fantastic in sharing their vast experience, their guidance rapidly building my confidence in key observations and standard radio-calls. The day literally raced by! When once I’d have thought being closer to the action would be scary and noisy, I found it engaging and fun. Needless to say, I’ve since flagged several events, refreshing my flagging knowledge before each event and finding each event offers something different to observe.
I have seen many cars spin off the track or miss the turn and mow the grass. All of them came with comfort of quick responses by the track team and drivers all ok. Cars bumping other cars, cars losing parts on the track, bonnets flying up, vehicles catching fire. All with faster responses than I’d encounter on any of my drives and all with safety gear and training in place. One race, I saw Martin "tap" a wall. My heart lurched, but thankfully, it was a minor incident. He emerged unharmed, and a strange sense of relief washed over me. This wasn't some reckless activity; it was a calculated risk with safety protocols in place.
My journey didn't stop there. Flagging, timing, secretary, track-day support and other BMWDCM club volunteering items like navigator on club drives, I’ve been part of it all in only a year!
I would always see our club Vice President, Jo, busy at events, especially at the driver sign-on. So, I offered to help there, I don’t think Jo could have said “yes” any faster. The next event I joined Jo and Sam in driver registration where they doubled-up with fast paced registering and guiding me as I learnt on the go. It was fascinating to see the array of preparedness by the drivers, from perfectly filled and ordered forms, to not knowing where to start. The one thing the drivers had in common was a keenness to get registered and back to their vehicles. Jo, Sam and I matched our attention to detail with pace and the three of us nailed it super efficiently. It was great fun with Jo and Sam, some banter in between jobs it was more a sociable event then an admin chore. It was also enjoyable to see the array of drivers, all ages and genders, from all walks of life, sharing the same passion for a fun weekend.
With the sign-on experience under my belt, I was able to give similar help at more club events; more sign-ons, logging, general gopher, traffic marshal. It was completely different to flagging, where I was close to the action all day, this area of the volunteering gave me interaction with so many people, drivers, crew and other officials and offered time to be able to watch a whole race – often from great vantage points! Sometimes it was just those first few hours that made all the difference and then I could spend time elsewhere. It was one of these occasions I discovered timing.
Timing was another online course I’d undertaken from Motorsport Australia, mostly out of curiosity when I was brushing up on my flagging. When Jo heard this, she sought an opportunity to introduce me to Darren from MUCC who was leading the timing at the event we were at and I was given the opportunity to observe and learn. Darren, like all my tutor buddies thus far was more than happy to share his knowledge. I learnt all about the timing system and how it had transformed from the days of multiple spotters to being an easy 2-person job. The timing system was written in the 80s, perfect for me having grown up in an IT family during that era. The old-fashioned display seemed familiar and I picked up the functionality pretty quickly, enough to be given a trial at helping the next day. Darren was a patient tutor, helping me remember little things and their rationale to keep the accuracy of the results streaming live to race control and you-tube.
Darren was also great at explaining anything cars and racing. Car models are still mostly a mystery to me, I couldn’t tell an E30 from a Range Rover and certainly not an Improved Production from a Toyota Corolla (my first car). I’ve always used “red hatch” or “black wagon” to describe cars and now I’m quite proud when I can identify cars that fly past the timing booth, even if it’s only a few of them. From our vantage point we could see most of the track and hear the control tower radio calls. I started piecing together my flagging role and how this fitted with those calls, with any gaps filled in by answers from Darren to all my novice questions. It’s safe to say he answered happily, as I was invited to help with timing on more weekends where my learning of both timing and motorsport continued.
One of my favourite times was the Motorkana day with BMWDCM. If you’d have seen me you’d have thought I was miserable; it was pouring rain and I was standing out in it in my wet weather gear. I was having a fantastic time! I had no idea what Motorkana was or what I’d be doing in volunteering but it was brilliant. Mini car obstacle courses set up, cars divided into groups to tackle one obstacle for a few tries and then two timed goes before moving onto the next. We had two volunteers at each course, we had to brief the drivers, fix the cones when they got knocked over, time them and keep it all moving. It was surprising how much fun it was and it was a bonus to see each driver improve each time they tackled the obstacles. The more one-to-one driver contact allowed some great banter and cheering on. There was also a lot of appreciation, which I’d had at flagging with waves and lights flashing, but up close to hear the thanks was extra nice and certainly outshone the dark clouds throughout the day.
Over time, familiar faces became friends, and I realized I wasn't just attending events as my partner's plus one. I had become a fixture in the motorsport community, an asset to the club, and someone who genuinely enjoyed being there. The opportunities to volunteer in different roles had not only given me different experiences, but different perspectives of motorsport and an appreciation of how all the volunteering fitted together in this well-oiled machine. I am Inspired by the camaraderie. The term ‘petrol-head’ is not one I can associate with anyone I’ve met through motorsport, people filled with warm welcomes and a genuine passion for all things automotive.
This journey has been about more than just cars and races. It's about embracing new experiences, discovering hidden passions, and finding a community that welcomes you with open arms, regardless of whether you can tell a BMW from a Subaru.
So, the next time you find yourself at a motorsport event, take a closer look. You might just discover a hidden world waiting to be explored, and a place where you, too, can belong.
Behind every car is a driver. Behind every good driver are volunteers: ambos, scrutineers, flaggies, timing, secretary, marshals, officials, spectators. Behind all the volunteers is a club with a structure, organisation and support.
Jennifer Rose #887
Though on the other side of the pits and Armco barriers from our spectacular Championship Round 5/Come & Try day there some months ago, I can still think of no other place I would rather have been than at Sandown for what is without doubt a fabulous auto show on a gorgeously sunny, albeit slightly toasty, day.
Such a vast and diverse array of cars, old and new, it was a real testament to this humble passion of ours as well as being a great way to celebrate it and engage with other like-minded people.
The races themselves were pretty brilliant as well, if a wee bit dicey at times. In fact within a mere 10 or 15 minutes of parking up on the hillside, one of the drivers during the morning practice had spun off at turn 9 which was certainly a spectacle to behold and quite the welcome to our day there.
All in all though, I felt genuinely privileged to be a part of such an amazing event on Saturday, and I extend my immense gratitude to all of those involved in making this happen. I very much look forward to the next Historic Sandown this time in 2025.
Brayden Burnett # 1044
From Facebook
The car display season opend for us on Saturday at the Historics Sandown race meeting tun by the VHRR.
We had a very healthy turn out of 20 cars, a nice variety of ages and models generously brought along by a very friendly group of our members and a couple of potential members.
Lovely weather, some good racing, plenty of interactions and a great atmosphere made for a very enjoyable day out at very little cost.
It was worth it just to hear the F5000s thunder away from the rolling start! We even had some V8s in our group, including a non-BMW one we are only too happy to include.
Before you ask, the grass cutting was not done by our aero efficient front splitters - would have nice to have beena bit earlier and a bit tidier but we managed.
Thank you to our members who came along to make it such an enjoyable day.
October has come and gone and we now have daylight savings, which is great for getting out to enjoy our cars.
On 8 October we met at Advanced Detail for a very comprehensive lesson on the best way to look after your BMW and other special vehicles. There were also some great products to purchase with full instructions from the staff on which to use for your daily and show needs. We have been offered discounts on detailing and products which will be shared soon on social media.
10-13 October was Bathurst 1000 where we had several of our members take the long trip to Bathurst to help run the event. Thank you to all the volunteers, without your support these great events do not happen.
Young member, Royce Lyne, scored a Toyota Gazoo Racing Scholarship drive in one of their amazing factory cars. This was the first time Royce had driven the car and also the first time at Bathurst, so a huge achievement for him and a very exciting time for him and all his family. We were all so proud of how he drove over the weekend and if you managed to watch you would have seen him out there doing us all so proud.
On 19 October we had a lunch meet then a nice drive through the Yarra Valley. We met at Elevations in Emerald for lunch, heading off after our drivers briefing using the TourBoss app for the first time as a full group. All who attended had the app, which was really handy. If you have not yet downloaded the app, please do, as this is the way of our future drives - safe, efficient and environmentally better, as there is no need for paper navigation instructions.
After a few stops along the way to stretch our legs and to check all were happy with the app, we were back on the road to have our final stop at Hardorf Chocolate Café in Montrose. This was a real gem with lots of different chocolates to purchase and great gift ideas. If you need something nice for your loved ones, it is worth a drive to get something special. Thanks again to Peter Williams for the drive and fantastic venue stops. This event was well attended with over 40 cars on the road with us.
25-27 October was the final round of E30 racing, with quite a few of our members in attendance. Jo managed to secure a new M3 touring for the course car and of course the Racer Industries Safety car was there on track as well. We had Scott Long as Clerk of the Course, which was a great achievement for him running his own race meeting, which we're very proud of. Scott had come in the last few years of mentoring by us and other heads of motorsport. There were a lot of our other members out there officiating, but I can't name them all. I can say that we're all very proud of our members who do consistently put in and volunteer at motorsport events.
Racing at the event went off without any hitches, with Royce Lyne taking out the championship which is just amazing. We are all so proud of him and what he has achieved at only 17.
On 29 October a group of intrepid members went off to Tasmania for a 10-day touring trip. They are still there, so watch our social media post for updates on their trip, it is looking like a great event again planned by both Peter and Jo who do an amazing job with all these social outings.
Sadly, Jo and I didn't get the opportunity to attend this trip as I had my operation on the 25 October and will be out of action for at least 6 weeks. For 3 weeks I'll be pretty much house bound with bed rest, but after that I'll gently returning to day-to-day life activities. Thank you to all who have sent messages of support while I have been in hospital. Things went a little sideways on Friday and for a long-time Jo did not know where I was and what was happening. A 24 hour stay in ICU and then up to the ward was not what we were expecting but the care I have been given has been amazing. Jo has been with me day and night only leaving to get freshened up, get clean clothes and back in she comes.
November is here and it is a little scary that we are nearly the end of the year. The big man in red will soon be visiting.
9 November is our car display at the Sandown Historics. There are still spots available if you want to attend.
10 November was our Hill Climb event but unfortunately, we had to cancel this due to me being in hospital and Jo having to care for me. Don’t stress we will try to get something booked in for early 2025.
14 November is our Annual General Meeting; this will be held at the Tivoli German Club and we welcome you all to attend and come early for some great German Food. If you are unable to attend, please send through a proxy vote to secretary@bmwdcm.com.au so the voting can be successful. Proxy forms should have been sent out but if you have lost yours contact Peter at secretary@bmwdcm.com.au and he will be happy to send you a form.
12 November has us up at Challenge Bathurst again with a great bunch of drivers and their crew. This is a 2-day event for us but the event runs from Thursday till Sunday so if you are available to officiate over some of the days, please let us know, so Jo can make the correct arrangements. It is great to see members joining us from most of the clubs in Australia, we have Melbourne of course, Victoria, Canberra, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australian members all attending. We love these interstate events, they bring all the BMW Clubs Australia members together and make a harmonious event. Jo and I are hoping to attend this but at this stage we are just doing day by day, it will all depend on my health and if I can get clearance from the medical team.
12 November also sees a few selected cars attending Motors and Masterpieces which is a re vamp of Motorclassica. This should be a really good event and even if your car is not on display be sure to pop out and check out all the wonderful vehicles on display.
We will finish the month on 29 November, our first twilight drive for spring. Peter is taking us for a drive up to Mount Dandenong to enjoy the sunset at the top of Sky-High Restaurant. We are not sure if the café will be open when you get there so if you are attending, grab something to eat before you head off from the roadhouse. We will be using TourBoss again for this event, so have this downloaded ready for a seamless drive experience.
Dates ahead to remember:
We are very happy with the registrations that have come through so far for our 2025 Nationals. If you have yet to book, please get your registrations in as accommodation if filling quickly, so be sure to get your reservations done before the end of the year and also grab the early bird special pricing on events.
We have a few of our members, including me, who have been under the weather and our welfare team have been helping them behind the scenes which is fantastic, and I personally thank them for their support.
We have plenty of merchandise in our store which you can order at any time.
Nationals merchandise is on the nationals website, so have a look and get your orders in.
We are getting to that time of the year where Jess, our editor of idrive and all things wonderful, will be starting to put together our next edition of idrive. Jo sent out emails asking for articles and if you have any life experiences with your BMW, please share with us through an article to editor@bmwdcm.com.au.
Any great photos you take at events, please send to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and this will go up on our website and also may make it into the next edition of idrive.
Lawrence and Shaaron are now back for there trip to Europe, where they had a great visit with BMW Classic and also did some fantastic tours of their facilities. I am sure Lawrence will be doing an article for the next idrive for us all to read about. Be sure to let us know if you are planning a trip to Munich, with plenty of notice so we can put you in Contact with the correct people for you to get some behind the scenes experiences.
This will be all from me as I am not really writing this month’s presidents report, but my loving nurse Jo is typing while is dictate from my hospital bed.
Until I see you again, take care and thank you for the kind words to both Jo and I and my children as this has been a troubling few days/week for us all.
After the weather we endured the day before the planned BMWDCM run I was sceptical about the conditions we might encounter such as trees and debris on the roads we would be cruising on.
I was also really looking forward to the new navigation system “Tourboss” being used for the first by myself as well as the BMWDCM club. My wife Merilyn was away celebrating her daughters 50th birthday along with her granddaughter, also in Olinda for the weekend.
This left Mac (my 6-month-old Staffie pup) and me to do the drive. Just for the record when the BMWDCM have a scenic drive day Merilyn looks forward to attending, however when it is a drive day, she rather stays home! Something I simply don’t understand, why wouldn’t a person jump at the chance to enjoy a day out with fellow drivers!
Arriving at the restaurant carpark, yes, it was a steep ascent, I heard a few “scrapes” as cars came in off the main road, fortunately no-one seemed to suffer any damage. Inside I caught up with some fellows I had met at previous meetings and ordered a bite to eat. I thought a pizza would be an easy meal, but when it came out it was HUGE! Four of us had ordered pizzas and we all just looked at each other when they were put on the table. Only one of the four was “sensible” and had ordered a pizza to share between two, BUT they had also ordered a serve of chips, just in case! Three ate most of their pizza and were planning to get “doggy boxes” but I didn’t like the thought of a “doggy box” rolling around in the car, so I ate the lot!
Once the debrief was over and we headed out in the two groups, the weather was looking good, the roads weren’t as bad as I thought we were going to have to address, there were a few areas where debris and erosion had washed over some areas, but in general it was a good run.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day, it is a credit to the BMWDCM the way your runs are put together, they cater for all needs. The “Tourboss” system looks like a great system so far, each vehicle can be tracked and identified during each staged section, I found that the “road speed” limit and the “speed” we travelled at a bonus, also the time lapse for each staged section beneficial.
I look forward to participating in many more events, at this stage my cars may be wearing the wrong badge, but if its any consolation, they are all from the same country! (We prefer BMWs but we are not fussy - Ed)
We do have a number of BMW’s in the family, my boys, one has a BMW 120 M and the other bought my 1985 BMW 735 E which has been in the family since 1990.
Thanks again for a well organised and most enjoyable event.
Marius Schreuders #1122
I love cars, to everyone who knows me that is quite obvious. What I REALLY love is CLEAN cars. Often I will see a beautifully maintained car on the road and think the owners must truly love their cars, just like me. Their pride of ownership is on dlsplay for all the world to see. It would be over 50 years since I first took it upon myself to be responsible to maintain my families two cars. My father's Falcon Wagon had a lot of square footage for a keen teenager to try and keep on top of, especially during the Locust plague of the early 1970’s, where it wasn't unusual for the whole front of the car to be covered with the remains of kamikaze Grasshoppers, and the only way to get it off was to to use plastic flywire folded many times to form a scouring pad. Thinking back now it turns my stomach to think about the scratching I would have caused to the paint finishes on the front, but it was only a company car and would soon be replaced with a new one anyway, as that happened religiously every 18 months. I also remember fondly my mum's beautiful Burgundy Wolseley 24/80, which I used to cut and polish annually without exception. I still recall quite clearly that when i had finished, the polish cloth had more “Burgundy” on it than the car itself. Having fought to try and maintain cars for over half a century, I took advantage of the chance to learn more about general automotive cleaning and paint maintenance in the current times, and try and get some pointers from the experts. Our BMWDCM October meeting at Advanced Detailing, Cheltenham was that perfect opportunity to learn of the new age products and some simple car washing and detailing tips. The evening was extremely informative, in their new pristine premises. You truly could have "eaten your meal off the floor". We all watched attentively as club member and Advanced Detail cohort “Micheal" gave us tips as he worked on his own newly acquired E92 M3. Some of the tips may have been somewhat obvious to some of us, from soaping the entire car over first, to working from the top of the car downwards, remembering to constantly rinse the wash mitt, and so on. But, I was especially intrigued by the "two bucket wash method” something I have been yet to try, probably the main reason for not doing so is that i am to miserable to go and buy a second bucket.. Of course the idea of two buckets is a very sensible one, to keep the wash mitt free of dirt and grit from the car, and anyone who is fair dinkum about caring for their cars paintwork should use this simple but affective trick.
Watch the video here.
The thing that struck me most on the night was the fact that even brand-new cars also require the “Advanced Detail’ touch. Within the confines of their premises was a brand-new red M2. Only under the luminous bright lights did it become blatantly obvious that finishes on a recently delivered new car can often leave a lot to be desired - paint blemishes, fine scratches and poor presentation of external plastics may leave a bad taste in the mouth of it’s new (but no doubt very proud) owner. It was distressing to be told “most" new cars (regardless of the make) are presented to unsuspecting owners with "paint in somewhat similar condition to this”. Hardly what any new car buyer would expect, me thinks. But don’t despair, I had no doubt that the owner would have been delighted with the finish once the “wizards" have performed their magic on this red fire breathing 2 door beast. It was also fascinating to learn more about the benefits of "ceramic coating”, and how this product provides an enviable shine that can last for many years, while also making it easier to keep cars clean on a regular basis. Products such as this seem to have come along way in the relatively short space of time, a far cry from all the cutting compounds and polishes that still adorn the shelves in my garage. To the the guys at "Advanced Detail”, thanks for an informative and enjoyable evening. For me it was well worth coming along to watch, listen and learn. So there you have it, it seems you actually still can "teach and old dog new tricks".
Steve Garth #40
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