As we roll through the second half of the year, August has proven to be one of our busiest and most exciting months yet. From high-speed karting to scenic drives and championship racing, the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne continues to thrive with passion, camaraderie, and unforgettable experiences.
August Highlights
A thrilling day of family friendly competition and fast laps. Members showed off their skills and had a blast on the track.
A quirky but essential gathering of car loving members but no longer at a donut café.
A standout motorsport weekend with our E30 racers representing the club with pride and performance. Great having a few of the South Australian Club members drop in over the weekend for a chat and to watch some of the Racing.
A picturesque cruise through regional Victoria, capped off with a relaxed lunch and great company.
Competitive spirit was high as drivers tackled the technical Broadford circuit, the weather held off for a fun day on track with our friends from AROCA
A stylish showcase of BMWs by the bay, blending elegance with community spirit. A delicious lunch and a great show of members cars at one of our now favourite locations.
Looking Ahead – September & Beyond
Join us for a night of virtual racing and celebration—cake and competition guaranteed!
A scenic journey through Victoria’s charming heritage towns. Bring your cameras and your cruising spirit.
Events to Remember
A chance to connect, check out the Dealership and catch up with your friends from the Club
Your voice matters—come be part of the club’s direction and decisions, we are looking for people to put their hand up and come and help the club be as great as it can be with your input and help.
A national celebration of BMW passion. Whether you're showing off or sprinting, it’s a must-attend.
A weekend or week long escape with scenic drives and cultural stops, some history and even a catch up dinner with the Canberra Club
The ultimate test of driver and machine. Still spots available for both drivers and officials, come and join us and members from all over the country at this awesome event
Celebrate the season with food, fun, and festive BMWs.
Premium motorsport viewing in style—an unforgettable experience awaits.
Dress to impress and prepare for intrigue. A glamorous evening of mystery and celebration. See the event notice for more information on this event, it will be a lot of fun!
Thank you to all our members, volunteers, and partners who make these events possible. Your enthusiasm and support continue to drive the club forward. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Our membership continues to grow and it’s great seeing new members coming along to events and seeing why our club and events are so popular.
We will have some exciting news coming in the next few weeks about a new event we are planning for next year. Keep an eye out for this when it is released, it will be in April and we will need lots of people to help out running it.
Spring is my favourite time of the year, the days grow longer and warmer and we can start getting out and doing more drives and events, so look forward to seeing you out at one of our events in the coming months.
Until then, take care on the roads, see you soon.
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
We enjoyed the scenic roads with a bit of driving pleasure on our way from Geelong to Castlemaine, stopping at the Hepburn Springs reserve, where one can sample natural sprint water via bubblers. Whilst all the waters are safe to drink, they don't taste like it!
We had an interesting collection of cars ranging from a E23 7 Series through various M cars and the rather hard to miss McLaren.
Lunch was at the Cumberland Hotel with excellent food, fabulous service and were able to adapt a dish for dietary requirements without fuss. Top marks.
Best of all was some great company and lots of good conversations.
Lawrence Glynn #3
We had a great day, and yes, lunch was very good!
Darren Muldoon #1362
The whole day was great.
Sydney Teeuwsen #1010
A large "Thank you" for creating the day and leading us to the Cumberland where I and others had good lunches and conviviality befitting the day. Even the weather as ideal. Not sure how you fixed that.
Peter Kelly #57
Terry and I would like to thank you for organising a very enjoyable day out. It was a scenic route enjoyed with glorious winter weather.
We both remarked on the exceptionally good food and great company.
Anne and Terry Lane #1112 and #965
From time to time I organise a casual "drop in" style get together in Geelong for our members in that area.
We used to meet at Dnaiel's Donuts in Belmont as there was a covered but outdoor seating area right by the parking area, so we could see, walk around and talk about our cars or not, as the mood takes us.
Sadly Daniel's has closed at that venue so the hunt was on for somewhere similar. Hence "Donut Replacement". Which threw up the rather unglamerous services on the Geelong Ring Road.
This actually turned out to be a very good spot.
I confess to forgetting totake any photos but Reinhold did - thanks.
We had a good turn out and a few bonnets went up, windscreen arm wind defelectors compared and a lot of general chat.
Behind the helmets there is some steely resolve, and a degree of hope of not coming last by too much!
Karting Madness at Braybrook has a great track layout allowing for some good speed but not allowing for a complete lap at full throttle all the way around. Overtaking takes a bit of skill too.
The format was one qualifying session for each of the two groups. From that two races groups were created, fast and, er, less fast. The standing start from a grid formation put a premium on quick reactions and clean pass through the first couple of bends.
I started 4th and finished 3rd without knowingly overtaking anyone - which sounds like an intelligence test puzzle but a unseen spin out in front of me gifted me a place.
For reference, the outright lap record is 34.4.
Regardless of ability, everyone had a great time and came away with pride intact.
Some of our members. myself included, brought some Juniors along who did very well in a separate "Rookie" session in lower powered rookie karts. 1, 2 and 7 being "our" Juniors. Lap record for rookie karts is 44.4 seconds.
Winter is here in full swing now, but we have still managed to enjoy some amazing Winter Driving days.
6th July was our Christmas in July drive with the drive leaving from two start points and having the group all meet up in one central point to finish the drive to Russo Winery for an amazing lunch and some great Christmas jumpers and outfits to judge. Nearly everyone went home with a raffle prize, which was amazing. Great day had by all. The raffle raised $416 for Prostate Cancer.
12th July was our Sandown Introductory Super Sprints and Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try day. This was again in beautiful winter sun and we had a brilliant turn out. Such a fantastic day. We finished the day with the final session starting under Full Super Sprint rules with a grid start, and this was a bit of fun for all.
A sad note from the day was our Jo has waved the flag for the last time as our Motorsport Secretary. Read Here. Time for some new blood to fill those very big shoes of hers. Well done, Jo. She will be around to mentor the new person if they need help, otherwise enjoying the events from the other side of the desk.
Don’t stress she is still VP and will be doing our events as per normal, just one of her many hats will be hung up to rest for a while.
20th July we celebrated 50 Years of the 3 Series with what was one of our biggest drive days ever. So many fantastic cars turning up to join us on a drive through the Mornington Peninsula to end up at T’Gallant Winery for a lovely lunch and catching up with old and new members who joined us for the drive and lunch. And what about the weather! It almost felt like Spring, such a perfect sunny day.
27th July Euro Swap Meet was held by our friends at the VW Club of Victoria, and it was a great turn out. I know some of our members picked up some bargains. Be great to check out the next one and maybe take some of my collection along to part with.
The month ahead is looking a little quieter as the months get cold but still some fun events to attend.
13th August is the next Drop-in Meeting in Geelong – this is always a great informal night for members to just drop in have a chat. Join us if you fancy a chat.
24th August Drive and lunch at Castlemaine- Great driving road with a fantastic lunch time destination.
31st August - 2025 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 7 – join our friends from AROCA for a fun track day at Broadford.
31st August - Wheels and Sunday Roast - Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron – our last car meet here was hugely successful, so we will be doing these as a regular car catch up – club meeting. Join us for a scrumptious roast lunch by the fire in the club house. Then enjoy the cars after in the car park.
3rd September we will be holding a Simulator night at Pro Racing Simulators in Hastings. As this will also be on my birthday I am told there might even be a birthday cake. Check out the event notice for more details.
Events to mark in your diary.
23rd October – BMW Drivers Club Melbourne AGM at the German Club Tivoli
31- October – 9th November – Canberra Trip
22nd- November – Challenge Bathurst
7th December – Christmas Show and Shine/Family Picnic
12th February – Bathurst 12 hour – spots filling quickly
2nd May- 8th Birthday – 1920s Murder Mystery presentation dinner
Now you might think this is a bit early to have this event released but we are offering an early bird deal for those who register and pay before the end of the year. This also gives you time to book your accommodation, find a 1920s themed outfit and get ready to solve the murder. WHO WILL IT BE? Well, you need to be there to find out.
We have added a section on our website regarding HOW TO USE TOUR BOSS. It is very important that if you are coming on a drive, you have this app downloaded prior to attending and follow the instructions on how to use it. It is an amazing tool for navigation and allows members to go at their own pace without the worry of getting lost. Read here https://www.bmwdcm.com.au/TourBoss-Instructions to find out more.
We have had a great response from our new Soft-Shell Jackets which almost sold out again at the first event we had them at. At the time or writing we have two left with another order being placed soon so be sure to watch the STORE for updates.
We also have had an amazing response with the limited edition 50 years of 3 series t shirt . Stocks are still available but once we sell out, we will not be reordering.
Membership is going great with a steady flow of new members joining each month, welcome to all the new members and we look forward to seeing you out and about at an event soon.
Our welfare team are doing a great job behind the scenes and remember if you need to chat, give one of them a call and they will be only too happy to support you or find someone who can help if they cant.
Our AGM will be soon on us and nominations will be coming out in the next month or so.
We will be doing something a little different this year and having non-executive positions available to be filled as well.
Watch this space for a list of positions you can nominate for to help your club grow and become even better than it is now. It is your club, so put your hand up and get involved.
I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon, just remember to be careful and drive safely on the roads, especially with the weather we are having currently.
Ridin' down the highway 50 years ago Enjoyin' all the byways Its the only way to go
Cruisin' here Sprinting there Joy to drive Everywhere
It's been a long time, at the top, that's what you gotta know.
An amazing collection of 3 series and other BMWs joined in our 50 years of 3 series celebration drive followed by a fabulous lunch at T'Gallants
Apologies to Angus Young, Bon Scott & Malcolm Young.
After over 11 years of organising track events Jo is waving the chequered flag and taking a break from track events.
Track events are the most complex events that car clubs can run and attention to detail may literally mean the difference between life and death. The paperwork is considerable, the demands of participants can be relentless and all the volunteers need to be organised. The entire event needs to be controlled and coordinated.
For many of our track events Jo has been the admin and the race control, dealing with helmet hire, registrations on the day, allocating numbers, coordinating with timing, assigning marshal jobs, controlling the track access and session start/stop, watching for track infringements and disciplining those who transgress, chasing up those without numbers on their car (or the wrong numbers) and more. All while keeping everyone happy and a (safe and sensible) party atmosphere.
For all of this over a sustained period Motorsport Australia recognised Jo with a Service award in 2021.
Although we now have a fabulous team who take on much of this work on the day, there is still a lot that falls to Jo both in the days and weeks beforehand and on the day itself.
Understandably, all this has taken its toll and now is the time to step down from organising track events (but not other club activities) – maybe not forever and, knowing Jo, not completely however much that may be the intention!
Thankfully Jo has built an amazing team and we are confident of a successor, so BMWDCM track days may not come to a halt (although the challenges of getting enough out on track given the costs and living expenses remains).
As a close observer of what happens on a track day (and pitifully small helper), on behalf of the club, thank you to Jo for creating an environment where so many people have had so much enjoyment at so little cost, and for encouraging and mentoring so many into the various roles involved in running a track day.
Read on for Jo’s announcement and some comments from others from the most recent track day event at Sandown on July 12, a combination of the Kaos Custom Bikes Come a Try day and Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Supersprint.
Lawrence Glynn
Treasurer
#3
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Yesterday we had some great experiences, ranging from entrants who had never driven before to a classic car getting a shake down for the first time on the track.
We hope you all had a great day and for the Come and Try group, we hope you learnt more about yourself, your car and driving in general.
Our dedicated instructors worked very hard yesterday and we could not hold these days without them so I hope you enjoyed this experience.
Sadly this will be my last event as (Motorsport) Event Secretary as I am mentally and phyically exhausted and need to take a step back and hand over the baton.
You will still see me around and I will be helping whoever takes on this role and I am sure the events will be even bigger and better than before.
Watch out for updates on who will be taking over and I hope you give them the same respect and support as you have given me over the years.
Jo Mawson
#2 ______________________________________________________________
Dear Jo,
On behalf of all of us officials, I want to sincerely thank you for everything you’ve done, not just at last week’s event, but throughout your many years of dedicated service to motorsport and to our community.
Your journey, from stepping in to help at Winton in 2014 to becoming a cornerstone of the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne and a mentor to so many, is nothing short of inspiring. If only there were more people like you in our sport! The passion, skill and generosity you’ve brought to every role, even while facing your own medical challenges, speak volumes about your strength and resilience. You’ve continued to give your time, energy and heart to both the sport and the people around you, showing what true dedication looks like. Whether as Event Secretary, trainer, coach, VSOP member or flaggie, you’ve left an indelible mark on the sport and on all of us who’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside you.
It’s clear you’ve given so much of yourself to ensure others could learn, grow and enjoy these events and it shows in the countless officials you’ve trained and inspired along the way. While we’ll all miss your steady hand at the helm, organisational skills and commanding voice, it’s great to know that your legacy will continue in the many people you’ve mentored and the incredible BMWDCM you helped build.
I also share your feelings about the challenges officials face and will continue advocating for the recognition and support we all deserve; we can only hope that Motorsport Australia can get the formula right someday.
Jo, thank you for your leadership, friendship and tireless contribution to the sport. We wish you the very best in your next chapter and we look forward to catching up with you at future events, hopefully with a little less admin and a little more time to enjoy the track!
Warm regards,
Mark D Thompson Victorian State Officiating Panel - Chair Victorian State Council - Deputy Chair______________________________________________________________
Wow, what a fantastic day we were treated to. And whilst I was called to the Steward’s office with a rookie error (reversing into the garage, I admit it was nice to have an excuse to go up and take peek! It’s such a great community to be part of, full of friendly, approachable people and keen to help one another. Including your good self! I am sorry to hear that you are stepping back, at least for now, though I am sure anyone that has even an inkling of all that you are covering off can understand. I do hope to see you at upcoming events and I am grateful for all that you have done to make us feel welcome (and to make sure we are in the right place at the right time!). Best wishes, Mark Foxwell #1190 _______________________________ Dear Jo I just wanted to say a big, heartfelt thank you for everything you’ve done – for the club, for the sport, and for all of us lucky enough to have crossed paths. You’ve been the heart and soul of so many events, always bringing your boundless energy, calm head, and that warm smile that somehow makes even the most chaotic day feel like it’s under control. Your dedication has been extraordinary – and even if I haven’t said it every time, I’ve always appreciated everything you do, both on and off the track. On a personal note, you’ve been my motorsport mum – even though you’re far too young for that title (let’s just say it’s honorary ). You always took time out of your incredibly busy schedule to check in on me and make sure I was okay – even when you had a thousand other things going on. I’ll never forget you taking me to the doctor and staying with me after my Phillip Island crash – that was above and beyond, and something I’ll always be grateful for. You didn’t just look after me – you also kept Scarlett entertained and feeling part of the action when she came along as my pit crew and didn’t have much to do while I was out on the track. It meant the world to me knowing she was in such kind and capable hands. I’m sure you won’t be away for long – we all know motorsport doesn’t let its favourites go that easily – but I really do hope you take this time to look after yourself and enjoy a well-deserved break. You’ve more than earned it. Thank you again for all the laughs, all the support, and all the quiet things you’ve done that made such a huge difference. You’ll be sorely missed but never forgotten – and your impact will keep racing on well into the future. With enormous appreciation and much love.
Kind regards Adam Sleep #421 __________________________________________ Hello Jo Wishing you all the best for a relaxing break from the hectic event secretary role. I have immense gratitude to you and the team for such great organisation and giving folks like me a chance to take up grassroots motorsport. All the best, hope to see you soon at the track having a relaxing time! Cheers Drew Matthews #903 __________________________________________ Congratulations Jo. On your wonderful career and many achievements with the Club, and feel especially privileged to meet such a dedicated person working tirelessly for the Club and your beautiful family. Danny O'Callaghen #721 __________________________________________ Hello Jo, Thank-you again for accomodating me and “my” very old car at your parade laps. I appreciate the efforts of all BMWDCM members to make me feel welcome and supported as I had my first real drive in the Austin 7 race car. It was wonderful to meet so many people interested in the little car. My drive experience was one of learning, the car steers quite well at the low speed I was driving at and I’m keen to go faster however the temperature gauge started reading hot and I was told to drive faster to help keep the car cool unfortunately a strange knocking sound come from the engine bay at a speed I estimated was about 60kph (the car doesn’t have a speedo) I was left wondering if I was cooking the car or the engine was going to throw a rod. The Austin hasn’t been driven for about 5 years so i have a few things to check out. I have ordered a helmet and I’ll be getting a speed licence then i will need to upgrade the harness to pass scrutineering, I may never be fast but I will certainly have some great fun.
Thank you again. Michelle Scurr __________________________________________Congratulations on your well earned rest Jo !!! Thanks for your amazing efforts putting all these events together for us lucky folks. Tim Wise #416 __________________________________________ We will miss you! Angelo Carideo #294 __________________________________________ You have left huge shoes to fill.Good luck Enjoy Suz Arnott and Mick __________________________________________ Thanks for all your hard work and the great track events you have brought to us all. A well deserved rest I am sure. Will remember forever fondly the early days when i joined. It is because of you guys I have had some of the best experiences in my life driving and flag marshalling. Anyway, we'll see you still, looking forward to events continuing, i am sure it will all come together nicely! Warm regards and much love to you and Graeme. Mike Skomina #958 __________________________________________ Thank you Jo!! It wasn’t my first motorsport event, however, it was my first event with the BMWDCM and what a wonderful day we had!! So thank you for all your efforts in ensuring it ran like a well oiled machine. Hope to see you around at any future events I tag along to! Andrew Huynh #1434 __________________________________________
I really enjoyed yesterday! The Parade Laps exceeded my expectations, it was great to get an opportunity to stretch Bertie (the E30) on the track. The Safety car driver gave us a chance to get up to quite high speeds and get a feel for track driving. Loved it! I especially wanted to thank you again for organising the fast laps with Andrew in the Mustang. It was a really great experience for me… I thought you and the other Volunteers did a great job, thank you…. Clive Meaby. #877
__________________________________________ Thanks the great day as it was my first time with you guys I didn’t know how things worked but everyone was very friendly and accommodating. For me it was a special day as you would have noticed I walked with a pretty bad limp due to the fact that I have MS (multiple sclerosis) and MMN (multifocal motor neuropathy) so I have limited use of my left arm and leg, I had been diagnosed with them 24 years ago to that day, as you could see on the day I have never let that slow me down! Stuart Wishart __________________________________________
Thanks for all that you have done to help us all get into club motorsport.That you did it while battling adverse health made it all the more impressive! I hope you pass the workload on to someone else now and just enjoy your time at the track - as little or as much time as you like. All the very best to you and Graeme. Ben Fenwick #547 __________________________________________
Hey Jo, Just a note of thanks for everything you’ve done for our Club, you’ve done a tremendous job to which I personally am truly grateful. I look forward to seeing you at future BMWDCM events, most likely of course for me, Motorsport. My best wishes until then & once again a heart felt thank you. Cheers, Simon Meens # 45
__________________________________________ Hi Jo, Although I’ve only been an official for a short time, I can already see the impact you’ve had on motorsport as a whole. Many of us know that being an official is not exactly a glamorous job, but it is one we each love for our own reasons. Your decade of involvement so far, the qualifications you’ve achieved and the success of events such as the one at Sandown shows how deep your passion for motorsport is, and I hope that the accolades you’ve been awarded in some way serve as a form of thanks. I know your impact on individuals is also felt far and wide. Your allowances so Michelle could get the Austin 7 on track have had a significant impact; I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so eager to say thank you and then send a written thank you as well. Oh, and rest assured that when I eventually find that ever elusive Dixi I will do everything I can to get it to a BMWDCM event. Thank you for all your amazing work organising events, and I hope that this is just a small step backwards so you can join us on a flag point some time soon, and not a total retirement from officiating. Take care,
After a run of properly miserable days weatherwise Sandown was realatively cheerful and warm for our Come and Try day (brought to you by Kaos Custom Bikes) combined with a round of the Yokohama/Traction Tyres SuperSprint championship.
With lots of first timers the office was busy first thing, sign in, find out what to do, buy numbers, get officials briefed and more. But pretty soon cars were rumbling down the pit lane ready to be released onto the track and explore what grip there may be with cold tyres on cold tarmac still a liitle damp from overnight. Amongst the new comers there was a certain amount of white knuckle showing on the way out, and a lot of white teeth framed by a smile on the way back in.
By popular demand there were parade laps behind the Racer Industries pace car and a special one off "parade lap" for an Austin 7 special having a bit of a shake down run following repairs. The Austin 7 is, of course, a distant relative of BMW whose first car was an Austin 7 built under licence.
Highlight of the day for the more serious drivers was the chance to take part in a grid start (rather than the usual staggered despatch out of the pit line).
Thanks to all our volunteers including the Victoria Flagging Team.
At the request of BMW Group Australia BMW Drivers Club Melbourne selected cars from each of the 7 generations of the 3 Series over its 50 years and made them available to videographer Pat James.
As requested we carefully selected an E21 and one M3 of each of the subsequent 6 generations. We were able to arrange to have the Calder Park Raceway available for filming thanks to Calder's generosity, with some additional filming during the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals also at Calder.
Thanks to our members for making their cars available and to those who had volunteered for the previous filming session aborted due to rain.
In true "rally" style our sunny Sunday Xmas in July drive had two starting points, roughly one East and one West (sort of) meeting at Woodend and then onto Diggers Rest along some brilliant roads carefully selected by our drive supremo Peter Williams.
With a bit of up and down, and some round and round, the drive was fun but not in a tyre squealing way. Some lovely views and scenery keept all occupants amused but not travel sick.
Our destination was Russo Estate for a lovely lunch and a friendly competition for the best Christmas outfit - which turned out to more of a race for 2nd place as the rest of us were comprehensively outclassed by an elf!
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