Dear members,  

Welcome to my March report on highlights of some exciting events and activities our club organized and participated in. Again, it has been a very busy month, and with a quarter of the year now behind us we settle into the beautiful Autumn weather we love in Melbourne.

Events Recap

• 3 March: A successful Family Fun Day on Puffing Billy attracted many families and sold out very quickly. We plan to make this a recurring event, so next time you see it come up in our event notices, get on board very quickly!
• 5 March: Well-attended members' meeting at Sonax Australia, included car cleaning by their experts, discounts on products, and a great overall experience. Dinner was provided by the Club, as usual at our member meetings, and was delicious!
• 9 March: Our annual display of club members cars at the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed, plus some parade laps for those that wished to join in. It was a very hot weekend, but was a huge event, as always, and one we wouldn’t miss.
• 17 March: We launched our first "Come and Try" Day for 2024, a Women's Introduction to Motorsport supported by Kaos Custom Bikes. The event featured experienced instructors and officials, creating a welcoming environment for women, kids and even men to come and try out a track event, gain some instruction and see what our track days are all about. We also held our first Racer Industries Parade Laps, offering a safe and controlled experience for members to go out and do a few laps around Sandown behind the Race Industries Safety Car.
• 20 - 24 March: Another very popular and successful participation in the Auto Avenue AGP F1 Display with a diverse selection of cars on display and dedicated members supporting the display by being on hand to chat to the public about the cars and the club, as well as those members supporting the event in various officiating roles. Special thanks to Lawrence for managing the display and spending a lot of time on site chatting to people and members who volunteered as officials, it is you guys and girls that are the unsung heroes of motorsport in Australia.
• 29 March: Our Annual Good Friday Appeal coffee and cars morning in Beaumaris was a success thanks to members' contributions, including our 5-year-old granddaughter and Spiderman! Special thanks to Christopher George of Flavours Patisserie for his support, each year. Our donation buckets and raffle raised close to $1300 for the RCH Good Friday Appeal, so thanks to all that came and displayed or donated, very much appreciated.

Looking ahead to April:

• 5 April: Members' meeting at Peninsula BM with food vendors. Like all our events, be sure to register here for catering purposes.
• 10 April: Sold-out Members-Only Exclusive visit to Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing (WAUR) workshop. We had to close this and limit it to try and keep the numbers to a reasonable number. This will be an epic night, touring new Club Sponsors WAUR to see what they do and what they can do for members. I have my M3 engine there for rebuilding so they can show us the amazing work they can provide for club members. We might be able to see it in the process. They aren’t just a top-level race team preparing V8 Supercars, they also do work on engines and cars for normal people, like us! Can’t wait to see the workshop and facility and meet the people behind the WAUR Team.
• 20 April: We have been invited to join the Melbourne to Move Rally, looks like a great event, for more information see here:  www.moveshepparton.com.au
• 21 April: Round 2 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Winton Raceway, with AROCA. Register now for this fun event!
• 25-28 April: Our first long weekend trip away for the year, this time to Beechworth with exploration of surrounding areas on some of Peter Williams’ amazing driving routes. Book your accommodation soon, as one motel is already full! More information here.

Other upcoming events:

• 4 May: Presentation dinner supporting the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. Theme: "A Touch of Pink." Get your bookings in for this fun night.
• 20 July: Christmas in July Winter WonderLights at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. Was hugely popular last time we did this, so we are back again.
• 29 October to 6 November: Tasmania Tour V2, concentrating on the Northern half of the Apple Isle this time. Another very popular trip away to look forward to.
• 23 November: Challenge Bathurst! The best way to experience the best track in Australia and one of the best in the world, with a bunch of other BMW drivers, all out there together. We are also looking for officials for this event so check out the registration link for Officials.

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