Event date: 24 June 2023
“Do you guys do driver training days?” – a question I asked Jo Mawson during the afternoon tea break on the BMWDCM Australia Day social drive event. Driver Training was something I had been thinking about for quite some time, yet many of the courses I found online seemed prohibitively expensive. “Yes”, came the reply, “Our first driver training day for 2023 is in June”, along with a patient and helpful explanation of the things I would need for the event.
As I had never been on a track before, I also reviewed the “Preparing your car and yourself for a motorsport event” page on the BMWDCM site, and over the coming months researched and purchased a fire extinguisher, metal tyre valve caps, a helmet, track suit and gloves.
Some other ways I prepared for the event included joining the BMWDCM Simulator challenge (highly recommended as a great deal of fun as well as an opportunity to learn safely in a virtual environment while enjoying some friendly competition!). I also searched YouTube for topics such as “track etiquette”, “what to expect on a track day”, “track day driving tips” as well as watching videos of people doing laps at the Broadford track where the event would be held.
In early May, I received the event announcement email, which described the event as being about improving your driving skills on track in a relaxed atmosphere without the seriousness of competition. Although I had no prior track experience, I was (and still am) keen to learn and saw this is a great opportunity to do just that. I registered for the event and returned the required forms.
The night before the event I packed my bag with items I would take to the track and set my alarm for the crack of dawn so I could drive to the track and arrive in time for check in. On being woken by the alarm the next morning, I got up, had breakfast, changed into the track suit, and drove to the track.
The morning was cold and overcast with heavy cloud cover and seemed threatening to rain, although the Melbourne weather forecast (according to the weather app on my phone) predicted only 1mm of rain for the day. Still, I decided to take my coat and an umbrella anyway, just in case. I was glad I did, as over the course of the day there were several heavy showers at the track, and it was quite cold and windy too, even though the clouds gave way to sunshine late morning.
On arriving at the track, I found an empty garage slot and headed to the office to check in and purchase my competition number stickers. I also took the opportunity to walk around the pit/garage area and admire the other cars which had already arrived, including a Honda Civic Type R, Mazda MX5, a couple of Porsche 911s, many BMWs (including both road and racing M3s and an exquisitely presented John Player Special), and even a Maserati. I also chatted to a few of the other drivers in the pits; it was great to meet new people and share the enjoyment of cars and motorsport.
Soon both drivers and officials were summoned to the comprehensive and informative drivers’ briefing which covered a variety of topics including track etiquette, an explanation of the meaning of the various flags, and a demonstration of correct seating position when driving on track.
Following the drivers’ briefing, those who had never driven on this circuit were instructed to do a sighting lap behind the safety car to familiarize themselves with the track layout, learn where the flag marshalling points were, etc. Unfortunately, as I had stayed behind to ask a question following the driving seating position demonstration, when I arrived at the dummy grid near the track entrance for my sighting lap, the safety car was not there. I cautiously drove around the track, noting the flag points along the way.
As I’d been allocated to the last run group, I spent some time watching the other run group sessions and chatting to some of the other drivers around the paddock. When it came time for my first session on track, I was excited but a little nervous at the same time! It was really helpful to have an experienced instructor with me in the car to provide guidance and tips through the laps – it definitely boosted my confidence.
When the session was over, it was late morning. As the sun had started to come out and I wasn’t sure when my next session would be, I decided it would be an opportune time to grab some lunch, so headed over to the canteen. As I was almost finished my lunch, I heard an announcement over the PA that all drivers were to attend an award ceremony near the scrutineering shed. I hurriedly finished my grilled chicken roll and headed back down to the scrutineering area.
During the award ceremony, Jo Mawson explained that this “Come and Try” day was dedicated to honouring the memory of a recently passed club member, Alex Baxter. “Dedicating the Come and Try event to Alex and holding it at the location of his first ever track day is a great way of allowing his legacy to live on,” she said. “And the Alex Baxter Award goes to.. Richard Van Essen”, before presenting me with the Award certificate. I was truly surprised and felt deeply honoured to receive this award.
After the award ceremony, most of the other drivers headed to the canteen for lunch as well. After the lunch break, there were a few more track sessions in the afternoon, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’d like to thank Jo Mawson and the team of other BMWDCM officials and instructors who helped organize and run this event and make it a fun, safe, and thoroughly enjoyable day for all.
Richard Van Essen | Member #946
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
