The BMW Drivers Club of Melbourne has been given the green light to run its Driver Training and Come & Try Day this weekend at the Broadford Motorcycle Complex.
While it has been a fortnight of uncertainty surrounding whether the event will go ahead due to Victoria’s lockdown, the recent easing of the state’s restrictions has allowed the club to push on with its plans.
Around 35 participants are locked in for the event, which aims at helping individuals get involved in the sport behind the wheel for the first time, as well as build the confidence of those who have already completed a number of come and try days.
The day will see drivers split into multiple groups based on their experience and each group will enjoy multiple sessions on the complex’s short circuit, with the rookies to run with instructors.
Club President Graeme Bell was thrilled the event could continue this weekend.
“We’re really excited to be able to go ahead this weekend, especially since we had been planning on running it. It’s great to be able to put that hard work to use now,” Bell said.
“These events are really good at bringing new people into motorsport and teaching them the fundamentals in a controlled environment where they drive safely at a speed that’s not too fast.
“They also get the opportunity to go for a few laps with the instructors so they can get a real taste on racing lines, breaking points and other skills required to race.
“We love doing these sorts of days because they have proven quite successful in the past and generally result in people joining the club to get into motorsport either as an official or as a competitor.”
The day isn’t just focused on drivers. It’s also used as an opportunity to train officials who are looking to join the sport on the other side of the fence.
Throughout the event, individuals will get an insight into many of the different roles required at race meetings, for which they use as a foundation in building a pathway through the sport.
It isn’t just first-timers who utilise the club’s come and try day with the Victorian Flag Association often sending members to continue development and get necessary training in a stress-free environment.
With 25 officials already part of the event, Bell was confident that events like this were instrumental in helping grassroots motorsport grow.
“We use this day to train officials and give people a chance to taste life as an official,” Bell added.
“Because it’s not timed or there isn’t anything riding on it, we can spend a little bit more time on all the areas of officiating and really help the participants. We quite often get people who loved it and come back again to be flaggies or scrutineers.
“Events like this are really important for both sides of motorsport because at a meeting, it’s fairly hard to train officials as it’s always a busy environment, so if you can start them off in a more relaxed setting, then it gives them a taste without lots of pressure.
“It’s fantastic that the Victorian Flag Association believes in these days and has trust in us to train their new members. It gives us plenty of confidence that we’re doing a good job.
“The club has also had a focus on inviting junior drivers and women to these events. Earlier this year, we ran it in conjunction with International Women’s Day and a lot of those same women will be coming back again this weekend.”
The event will run in line with current COVID restrictions and Motorsport Australia’s Return to Race Document.
Click here for more information on the event and how to attend.
The BMW Drivers Club of Melbourne’s Driver Training and Come & Try Day takes place at the Broadford Motorcycle Complex on Saturday 31 August.
Motorsport Australia
Article above as it appeared on the Motorsport Australia website here.
Event date: 6 July 2021
When Ford and Holden announced an end to local manufacturing, the search was on for Victoria Police to replace the ubiquitous Falcon and Commodore. After detailed technical and commercial evaluations, combined with availability of BMW factory ‘police packs’, the BMW 530d joined the fleet. “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and “Sheer Driving Pleasure” are iconic tag lines forever linked to BMW. A natural fit for Victoria Police Highway Patrol to have BMW vehicles in the fleet.
At July’s Members’ Meeting, we were treated to an up-close and personal look at a Highway Patrol BMW 530d wagon, and a presentation from an officer who sits behind the wheel.
Victoria Police Highway Patrol have a roving brief for road law enforcement across the entire state. Mainstays of enforcement are random drug and alcohol tests, speed detection, mobile phone use, and recently COVID-19 compliance.
BMW’s advanced technology built into the 530d is a given. Equally advanced is the technology which makes this car fit for Highway Patrol duty: 2-way speed cameras (front and back), license plate recognition, specialist red and blue LED lighting, mobile fridge for drug samples, electronic roof-mounted signs with programmable messaging and much more. For those young enough to remember David Hasselhoff’s Knight 2000 Trans Am, the fit-out would make him blush. All up, the technology and kit to get a base 530d into Highway Patrol mode costs around $100 thousand, nearly as much as the car.
BMW deliver vehicles to Victoria Police with factory paint, and decals are applied locally. In BMW 2002 Turbo tradition, ‘Police’ is spelt backwards on the bonnet, so there is no doubt in the rear-view mirror about what is coming up behind you.
BMW 530d sedans, wagons and X5’s are in the fleet, together with vehicles from other brands which we won’t mention. Victoria Police lease the cars and turn them over after 90,000 kilometres.
The Highway Patrol officer shared a few war stories and dispelled a few myths. A driver caught doing 109km/h in a 100km/h zone, detected to be under the influence of many substances, and a menace to other road users. Some argue that isn’t too much over the limit, though you never know what is causing the behaviour. Another driver, caught at the lights head down in their mobile phone, despite a fully decked out Highway Patrol car pulling up next to them. Also, an emphatic no to the myth that speed enforcement is influenced by revenue raising.
An informative Q & A session wrapped up the presentation, followed by time to appreciate the 530d star of the show.
When you next see a BMW Highway Patrol car, admire the machinery, and know BMW play an integral part in safety for all road users.
Thanks to Victoria Highway Patrol for this behind-the-scenes look, and our hosts for the evening, Waverley BMW.
Jean-Dominique Abraham | Member #681 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Event date: 24 July 2021
“Greame has a solution for everything, doesn’t he..?”
That was Payton, my seven year old daughter after I told her about our day of racing at the AROCA Super Sprint Day at Phillip Island on 4 July.
If you imagine Phillip Island in July as being cold, windy and wet - then you have imagined the weather on that day perfectly. It was all of those things. Squared.
It was our first time with the new E30 (you can read about our first day out here) at Phillip Island. Dad (Wayne) and I were both excited and a little scared- the track and conditions on that day were sure to be a challenge for even experienced steerers, let alone newbies like us.
We had attended the BMWDCM Come and Try Day and learned a lot about our car and how to drive it, so we were looking forward to Phillip Island as we continued to learn about the car. We were looking forward to the dry version of the Island though, not so much the Antarctic version that was served up to us!
Anyway, with the preliminaries done, and some advice from Graeme about how to tackle the first practice session, I doddled out and gingerly lurched from corner to corner getting familiar with the conditions, the car and the track. Trying not to get too over enthusiastic and keep the car on the black stuff. Easier said than done!
I did enjoy the challenge though of driving in those conditions though and tried to focus on learning the track and lines.
Next it was Dad’s turn. Buckled in, again some advice from Graeme, and off he went…
Graeme, Tim and I waited on the pit apron - huddled up to keep warm - for him to come around and complete his first lap… which he did. And then we waited patiently again. And waited and waited. “Where’s Dad?”
Then the red flag came out. “Ah, that’s why he hasn’t come back around!” As we started to walk back to the pit area, expecting Dad to meet us there, we noticed the Ambulance go out onto the track. Never good.
My heart sank. My pulse raced. Dad’s not back. The Ambulance is out on the track. It’s wet. It’s our first time here…
“But it might not be him.” II tried to reassure myself.
At this point, no one knew which car or driver was involved, or even what they had been involved in. So, it was a tense few minutes, until we were told that it was indeed our car that had caused the red flag, It had been in an accident. And of course it was my Dad in the car.
Still, I didn’t know how bad the incident was, or how Dad was. All I could do was wait. And wait I did. It was a really worrying and nervous 10minutes or so.
The AROCA team at race control, gave me as much information as they could, assuring me that Dad was ok, and the damage wasn’t too bad either. He had hit a fence they said… Reassuring? Hardly. Until I saw Dad in person, I couldn’t relax.
Soon enough, the ambulance escorted Dad back and he was fine. His ego was bruised, he was embarrassed and worried about how bad the car was. But medically he was fine, which is always the main thing.
Dad explained that he had hit some standing water coming out of Siberia and slid off the track and into the safety fence. Ouch! He was very worried about the car and how bad the damage was.
We didn’t have to wait too long to find out. The car arrived back on a tilt tray soon enough. And, just like the AROCA crew had told me, the damage wasn’t too bad. The left-hand side front guard had peeled back, and it had some front spoiler damage. No mechanical or structural damage that we could see.
As we stared at it and listened to Dad tell his post-mortem, the next thing I remember hearing was Graeme saying “Righto, let’s get it fixed.”
And before I could blink, he had started getting the front panel off…. Over the next hour, our garage was a flurry of tools, hammering and race-taping. And coffee, of course. And we mended the E30 as best we could.
Graeme was determined to get us back out there- more ‘backside in the car’ time he said.
His resolve and help were amazing and to be frank, quite unexpected. He had come down to the track to support the competing BMWDCM members. Given the weather, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he stayed home in bed! But that’s not the kind of bloke he is- and his dedication to all of us in the club was there for all to see in that cold Phillip Island garage.
Remarkably, we only missed one run each and I was back out there for my next run in the patched-up car. By this time, it was really raining, sideways and all ways. It was horrible weather… but again I was determined to get out there, see how the car felt and keep learning.
The car felt great, as much as you can get a sense in near blizzard track conditions, no noticeable impact from Dad’s incident. So, it was valuable track time.
And next it was Dad’s turn again. Not surprisingly he was bloody nervous about getting back in the car but determined to do so. Oh, and the weather just kept getting worse…. Some coaching from Graeme and instructions to Dad just to drive around, rather than race around- and off he went.
Like the first run we all waited patiently on the pit apron for Dad to complete each lap. I was really nervous. Graeme explained that feeling is similar to the one he has when any of his kids are racing.
Dad completed a few laps, then brought the car back. Safely and straight this time. No ambulance or tilt tray required.
After Dad’s run, the weather had deteriorated so much that they cancelled the rest of the day. So that was that. Our first racing experience at Phillip Island.
Clearly, it didn’t go to plan… but the experience was valuable.
The reason we decided to go E30 Racing was because of the camaraderie of the people involved, and the real level of care they have for each other. And if we needed any more proof of it, we got it down at the Island.
To everyone who helped and supported that day; Rod Martin, Darryl O'Neill, Alan Rodgers, Jim Tucker, Tim Oh and especially Graeme- Dad and I say “thank you.”
A shout out too to the AROCA team, the ambulance crew and all the flag marshals for showing care and doing such a great job in tough conditions.
So yeah, Payton, even if your E30 is a crinkled mess in a pit garage, Graeme does have a solution for it- and will do everything get it back on the track for you.
Shannon Cooper | Member #599 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
As spearheads of the BMW X model range, the BMW X5, BMW X6 and BMW X7 impress with a high level of comfort and luxury, supreme performance and pronounced dynamic handling capabilities. The two Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) and the Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) combine these attributes with an equally dynamic, elegant and unmistakably distinctive design. New highlights are the BMW X5 and BMW X6 Black Vermilion editions featuring exclusive equipment details. The BMW X7 edition in Frozen Black metallic combines impressive options into an exclusive package.
In 2020 alone and with almost 250,000 units sold worldwide, the SAV/SAC trio from Spartanburg, USA, contributed decisively towards the success of the BMW brand. Around every eighth newly delivered BMW model was a BMW X5, X6 or X7.
All three edition models go on sale with all engines available for each of their original models. They can be ordered with immediate effect, with the market launch beginning in August 2021. Prices in Germany start at 93,200 Euros for the BMW X5 Black Vermilion, 100,700 Euros for the BMW X6 Black Vermilion and 108,700 Euros for the BMW X7 in Frozen Black metallic (each including 19% sales tax).
The central focus of the Black Vermilion edition is the interplay between the colours black and red. For example, the BMW double kidney grille with model-specific red bars creates an effective contrast to the BMW Individual special paint finish Frozen Black metallic. On the BMW X6 Black Vermilion this visual highlight is expressed in a particularly impressive way in combination with its kidney grille Iconic Glow. The M headlights Shadow Line with BMW laser light, including accented lighting with blue X signature, complete the distinctive look of the front end. Moreover, on the exterior, the M Sport Package emphasises the dynamic character of the BMW X5 and X6 Black Vermilion editions. It comprises, among other things, specific front and rear aprons as well as the M high-gloss Shadow Line with extended options. Behind the Orbit Grey matt, 22-inch, double-spoke 742 M light alloy wheels with mixed tyres designed exclusively for these edition models, red high-gloss M Sport brake callipers stand out as a striking visual highlight.
In the interior of the BMW X5 and BMW X6 Black Vermilion editions the M Alcantara Anthracite roof liner provides for an exceptionally sophisticated ambience. A finely crafted Edition logo on the cupholder cover in BMW Individual black piano finish emphasises the limited model’s exclusiveness. The glass application Crafted Clarity on the iDrive Controller, the automatic gear selector and Start/Stop button, as well as the BMW Individual precious wood interior trim Fineline Black with aluminium inlays provide additional sophisticated accents. Driver and front seat passenger travel in comfort seats offering a multitude of adjustment options. The BMW Individual full leather trim Merino Black is additionally enhanced by edition-specific red contrast stitching for both the driver’s seat and front passenger seat. Inside the BMW X5 Black Vermilion, the red accents are also to be found on the rear seats. Likewise, the edging on both the front and rear floor mats is finished in red. Sun-protective glass with more deeply tinted rear windows beyond the B-pillar enhances passenger privacy whilst blending in harmoniously with the sporty and dynamic exterior design.
Like the Black Vermilion editions, the new BMW X7 edition also has the BMW Individual special paint finish Frozen Black metallic, dispensing, however, with details in contrasting colour. The BMW M Sport brake callipers of the edition-specific, 22-inch BMW Individual Y-spoke 758 I alloy wheels in Orbit Grey matt are finished in high gloss black. Combined with the M Sport Package and the M High Gloss Shadow Line with extended options, it is this colour restraint in particular that make the 5.15-metre long and over 2-metre wide seven-seater look even more impressive. The interior of the BMW X7 edition in Frozen Black metallic provides for an elegantly discreet atmosphere thanks to the M Alcantara Anthracite roof liner, the glass application Crafted Clarity and sun-protection glass.
BMW PRESS
“It's early in the morning. The city is awakening. On the way to my garage I breathe in the still cool air. I’m wear a casually cut parka that’s both fashionable and functional at the same time. The protectors are inconspicuous but give me a sense of security. I’m ready for the day to start.
My BMW CE 04 is in the garage. I am thrilled by its futuristic design style. The low position of the battery gives the scooter an entirely new geometry – a complete departure from previous conventions. I’m glad to see it again. It’s a great feeling – every day.
For me, it’s the symbol of a new era – the era of the silent revolution.
The first birds are chirping, the urban jungle is awakening. The sounds of the city begin to swell. Everything is set in motion. People move – with each other and in parallel. Paths cross.
What will the new day bring? Tapas with friends at the little bar by the river? Or the exhibition at the modern art museum? First of all there are appointments at the office. Workshops, meetings, customer visits. This is what life feels like.
I pair my smartphone with the scooter, and with a flick of my wrist I activate the parka. Its LEDs light up. I’m quiet, but I want to be seen. It’s all so simple and smooth.
We’re off again at last. Even when I was having my breakfast, I couldn’t wait. Not even the birds notice me. I glide almost silently through my neighbourhood. I’m a part of the city again.
People start to look at me at the traffic lights. My sitting position is upright, relaxed. A new message flashes on the display, my smartphone is charging in the storage compartment.
Green light. With the scooter’s torque, I can float away ahead of the rest. I’m a rocket. But a silent one.
I feel as if I was on the Bonanza bike back in the day – cool and superior, but now connected to the world and one step ahead. Technology and style. Is this freedom? Yes – only better. No traffic jams, no having to search for a parking space. For me, it’s all time I save.
Acceleration, speed, bends – the BMW CE 04 doesn’t just master them, it redefines them. I glide through the traffic – the seat itself seems to float. It feels just right. Surfing bends is superbly enjoyable. Pure fun, from wave to wave.
The evening was beautiful, down by the river. We laughed a lot. The city motorway doesn’t forgive mistakes – my scooter sprints away and my parka glows in the dark of night. I’m clearly visible and arrive safely at my destination. Quietly, I glide into the driveway to my garage, again almost unnoticed by the birds. Good night, my city. We’ll be in touch.”
“The BMW CE 04 is our new electric star for the city. It combines an e-drive with emotion and motorcycling fun. The latest technology, and the best battery cells, which also provide power in the BMW iX. Just like the CE 04, all future new BMW Motorrad models for urban mobility will be pure electric.”- Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW AG.
With the new BMW CE 04, BMW Motorrad continues to consistently pursue its electromobility strategy for urban conurbations. As the final series production vehicle of the BMW Motorrad Concept Link originally showcased in 2017 and the near-series BMW Motorrad Definition CE 04 unveiled in 2020, the BMW CE 04 opens up a whole new chapter in two-wheel urban mobility. With its electric drive, forward-looking design and innovative connectivity solutions, the new scooter merges transport and communication functions for a new brand of mobility in the urban environment.
With a maximum output of 31 kW (42 hp), the new BMW CE 04 has a powerful motor and offers outstanding riding pleasure. For the classic “traffic light start” discipline from 0 to 50 km/h, it takes just fast 2.6 seconds. Even in the reduced output L3e-A1 vehicle class, 23 kW (31 hp) drive power is available. The maximum speed of both versions is 120 km/h – for speedy progress not just in the city but on main roads and motorway sections, too. The new BMW CE 04 has an ample battery cell capacity of 60.6 Ah (8.9 kWh), providing a range of some 130 kilometres (reduced output version: 100 km). This enables day-to-day emission-free riding in the city, in an urban setting and for smaller-scale fun tours after work or at the weekend – with complete peace of mind.
The new BMW CE 04 has a permanent magnet electric motor mounted in the frame between the battery and the rear wheel, as used in a similar form in BMW cars such as the 225xe Active Tourer. BMW Motorrad conducted extensive riding tests to develop a specific type of recuperation for each riding mode, giving the rider a high-level convenience. This means that optimum performance and riding characteristics are available in every situation on the road.
The lithium-ion battery is charged using the integrated charging device either at a regular household socket, a wallbox or a public charging station. When the battery is completely flat, charging time ideally lasts 4 hours and 20 minutes. With the quick charger available as an optional extra with an output of up to 6.9 kW (2.3 kW is the standard level), charging time is reduced to just 1 hour and 40 minutes when the battery is completely flat. If the battery level is only 20 per cent and the battery is charged to 80 per cent, the charging time is reduced to just 45 minutes with the optional quick charger. Depending on the market, the standard charging cable with a charging capacity of 2.3 kW comes as standard with the BMW CE 04. A Mode 3 charging cable is required for fast charging at the wallbox at home or at a public charging station. In the same way as with BMW automobiles, BMW Charging solutions are available for the BMW CE 04, too – for maximum flexibility based on numerous customised programmes for charging at home, on the road and at work.
This traction control system is available on the new BMW CE 04, comparable to the Automatic Stability Control in BMW motorcycles with combustion engine. ASC limits engine torque in relation to rear wheel slip. Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), available as an optional extra, provides even greater riding safety. DTC enables even more safe acceleration, especially in banking position.
In developing the BMW CE 04, BMW Motorrad attached particular importance to providing opportunities for the rider to make an individual choice between maximum efficiency and maximum riding fun. Accordingly, the new BMW CE 04 features the three riding modes “ECO”, “Rain” and “Road” as standard. The additional “Dynamic” riding mode is also available as an ex works option, enabling the scooter to accelerate at an even swifter pace.
The main frame is a tubular steel construction. The front wheel is controlled by a telescopic fork with a slider tube diameter of 35 mm. Rear wheel control consists of a single-sided swing arm. At the rear, suspension and damping are performed by a directly controlled, fully covered spring strut. The new BMW CE 04 is fitted with generously sized tyres, with 120/70 R15 67H at the front and 160/60 R15 56H at the rear.
At the front, a twin disc brake ensures secure deceleration, supported by a single-disc system at the rear. In addition, BMW Motorrad ABS ensures a high level of active safety. ABS Pro, available as an optional extra, goes even further: By means of a banking sensor, ABS Pro also controls braking on bends, thereby offering the greatest possible safety.
The new BMW CE 04 comes fitted as standard with a 10.25-inch TFT colour screen with integrated map navigation and connectivity. Its excellent readability, clear menu navigation and highly integrated operating concept put the new BMW CE 04 at the top of the scooter segment. For the first time, the new 10.25-inch colour screen makes it possible to display a navigation map in the instrument cluster, so no additional display is needed.
The lighting units on the new BMW CE 04 are based on state-of-the-art LED technology. They include a headlamp for high beam and low beam at the front. In addition to a rear light featuring LED technology, there are also LED turn indicators. The indicator lamps likewise use LED technology. Even greater safety at night is offered by the adaptive turning light Headlight Pro, available as an ex works option. Here, the rider benefits from further improved illumination of the road when cornering for even safer riding at night. Special light functions such as “Welcome” and “Good Bye” are also available as ex works options.
The new BMW CE 04 embodies a new, forward-looking form of urban two-wheeled mobility in its design as well, featuring an innovative style that arouses emotions for this new drive technology while instantly identifying the scooter as a member of the BMW Motorrad family. The modern surface finish is in a striking Light White, complemented by matt black sections in the front and side areas as well as the “floating” seat. In addition, there are trend-setting wheels (solid wheels) featuring a disc-wheel look and a side stand that is integrated in the design styling. The new BMW CE 04 in Avantgarde Style (ex works option) is a striking, colourful statement of contemporary urban mobility. In this style, the colour Magellan Grey metallic is supplemented with a black/orange seat, an orange wind deflector and various graphics.
“The new BMW CE 04 is the logical and at the same time rethought continuation of BMW Motorrad’s electromobility strategy. Urban conurbations are its element. This is where it sets a new benchmark – in terms of both technology and visual style.”
- Florian Roemhild, Project Manager BMW CE 04.
MONTH IN REVIEW
Dear members
As we started June back in lockdown, we had to shuffle our members meeting back a few weeks and unfortunately we had to postpone our long weekend of Whale Watching to later in the year.
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Luckily we were still able to run our Sandown Driver Training and Come & Try Day on 19 June, which was very well attended with 55 entrants. We would like to thank all of the volunteer officials who made this day as good as it was. We were also very lucky with a fantastic sunny day.
You will have seen in our last newsletter that we were running a competition with Makulu for a driver to have their entry paid at Sandown. Nella was the lucky winner and you can read her story here. We are running this again for our Broadford Driver Training and Come and Try Day. You'll find more information further down in this newsletter.
We were finally able to hold our members meeting at Makulu Vehicle Storage on 22 June. We were treated to a tour of the SouthernBM Collection and also had two representatives attend from Century Batteries, who showed us some of their products. Thanks very much to SouthernBM, Makulu Vehicle Storage and Century Batteries for the great meeting.
We finished our month on 27 June with our drive to Point Nepean. We began at Mornington, taking some fantastic roads around the Peninsula before we arrived at Point Nepean for a couple of hours of exploring. We then travelled back to the Pig and Whistle at Arthurs Seat for a delicious late lunch.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 610 MEMBERS
Welcome to our new members Cam de Silva, Grant Stubbs, Gina Lynch, Dev Mahalekam, Patrick Todisco, Leigh Barratt, Daniel Nolan, Len Read, Jorge Mariona, Alistair Robertson, Michil Salib, Jennifer Lenard, Daniella Salib, Loc Huynh, Nicolas Hauf, Ryan Nightingale, Luke Devlin, Pravin Sinnan and Alex Baxter. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!
Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.
THE MONTH AHEAD
Here's what we've got planned in July:
Sunday, 4 July 2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 6 | Phillip IslandGet your entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment! Entries are strictly limited. Tuesday, 6 July July Members Meeting with Highway PatrolWe have been lucky to secure a special viewing of one of the Victorian Highway Patrol cars. It will be an information packed night with some of the Police officers who have been driving the BMW Highway Patrol car. Saturday, 17 July Driver Training Day | BroadfordOur driver training events are the perfect place for you to experience your vehicle's limits in a safe environment. We welcome all vehicles – new, old, high or low powered, you also don't need to own a BMW to attend. Sunday, 18 July 2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 7 | BroadfordGet your entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment! Entries are strictly limited. Saturday, 24 July Christmas in July drive It's that time of year again! Dust off your ugly Christmas jumpers and join us for our Christmas in July drive and lunch. There will be prizes for the best outfits and a traditional Christmas lunch at the Black Spur Inn.
Sunday, 4 July 2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 6 | Phillip IslandGet your entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment! Entries are strictly limited. Tuesday, 6 July July Members Meeting with Highway PatrolWe have been lucky to secure a special viewing of one of the Victorian Highway Patrol cars. It will be an information packed night with some of the Police officers who have been driving the BMW Highway Patrol car. Saturday, 17 July Driver Training Day | BroadfordOur driver training events are the perfect place for you to experience your vehicle's limits in a safe environment. We welcome all vehicles – new, old, high or low powered, you also don't need to own a BMW to attend. Sunday, 18 July 2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 7 | BroadfordGet your entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment! Entries are strictly limited. Saturday, 24 July
Christmas in July drive It's that time of year again! Dust off your ugly Christmas jumpers and join us for our Christmas in July drive and lunch. There will be prizes for the best outfits and a traditional Christmas lunch at the Black Spur Inn.
For anyone wanting to up-skill as a motorsport official, our friends at the Victorian Flagmarshalling Team are running a training day on 17 July. Contact Tim Oh at training@vicflag.org.au to find out more information.
Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar for more events.
COMPETITION TIME!
Have you wanted to get on track but you're still not sure if it's for you?
We're running a competition to award someone entry to our Broadford driver training come and try day, thanks to our friends at Makulu Vehicle Storage.
If you're over 16, have limited experience in motorsport, have access to a track worthy vehicle and have the intention to continue with motorsport, we want to hear from you!
To enter, email motorsport@bmwdcm.com.au with your name, residential address and tell us in 50 words or less "why you would be most deserving of the prize."
Entries close at 5pm (AEST) 10/7/21. By entering, you agree to the terms and conditions, which are summarised and linked at the end of this newsletter.
FROM THE WELFARE TEAM
NEWS & BLOG
Our Blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.
Club blog.
BMW around the globe.
CLASSIFIEDS
Have you seen our classifieds page?
There are currently two beautiful examples of vehicles for sale by other members - Lawrence's E93 convertible and Dorian's 30 year limited edition M3.
Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!
idrive magazine
Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.
Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.
CLUB PARTNERS
Members are welcome to submit their business to be shared on the Club Partners page on our website and idrive magazine. We believe in supporting those who support us. If you would like your business listed email us with your details.
As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!
President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296 Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900 Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn
Proudly supported by: All Commercial/All Residential Real Estate Bell Motorsport
Berwick BMW
BM Tech
Creative Custom Cars German Auto Haus
Mornington BMW
Shannons Insurance South Yarra BMW
Southern BM
Traction Tyres
Waverley BMW
Zagame Autobody
COMPETITION TERMS: AU residents 16+ only, can take prize on 17/7/21, is a BMWDCM member & has a track worth vehicle (as determined by Promoter). If <18, get parent/guardian OK. Between 12.01am (AEST) 1/7/21 & 5pm (AEST) 10/7/21, email motorsport@bmwdcm.com.au & tell us in 50 words or less "why you would be most deserving of the prize". Email must include full name & residential address. Max 1 entry per person. Prize: opportunity to attend the BMWDCM Broadford Come & Try & Driver Training event at Broadford on 17/7/21($200). Must claim prize by 5pm (AEST) 13/7/21. Winner told by email. See bmwdcm.com.au/terms for full conditions incl. privacy statement. Promoter: BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc (Inc. no. A0102695G).
Dear Members,
We started off June with Victoria back in lockdown and had to shuffle our June members meeting back a few weeks. The second week was just Melbourne Metro staying in lockdown, which meant we had to postpone our Whale Watching Weekend away to Port Fairy. We were very lucky to be released in time to still run our Sandown Driver Training and Come & Try Day on 19 June.
Our Sandown day was very well attended by 55 entrants, who had an absolute ball. I would like to thank all of the volunteer officials who made this day as good as it was. We were also very lucky with the weather and a fantastic sunny day. Our Makulu Scholarship winner for the Sandown event was Nella Santisi, you can read about her experience here.
We ended up moving our June Members Meeting three times to enable us to be safe with the COVID lockdown and it was held on 22 June at Makulu Vehicle Storage. We were also lucky to have a tour of SouthernBM collection which was brilliant, and we would all like to thank both Andrew and Keith for staying back and allowing our members to view their collection. We had a great turn out with two representatives from Century Batteries coming along to show us some of their products and then we were able to present Nella with her award from the Sandown Event.
Clive from Makulu Vehicle Storage is again providing a Scholarship for our next Come and Try Day at Broadford on July 17. Check out our latest newsletter for details on how you can win your entry fee back from Clive’s very generous scholarship fund.
On 27 June we had our drive for the month to Point Nepean. We left from Mornington and took in some of the fantastic roads on the Peninsula before arriving at Point Nepean, where we spent a couple of hours exploring the old Quarantine Station before heading back to the Pig and Whistle at Arthurs Seat for a delicious late lunch.
July is looking good with our first event this Sunday at Phillip Island for Round 6 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. Entries are still open, so if you are wanting to go get our entries in quick.
Our July members meeting will be at Waverley BMW on 6 July with a special visit from the Police to show us some of their marked and unmarked BMW’s. We will have Police officers on hand to answer any questions you may have and tell us a bit about how great the BMW Police spec cars are.
The following weekend sees a lot of our members off to Winton for Round 4 of the E30 Racing Championship. One of our Founding Members, Alex Jory, is currently leading the E30 Championship. Good luck to Alex and all of our other members that are racing up at Winton.
The weekend of 17-18 July will have us attend Broadford for the weekend. Saturday is our second Come and Try Day at Broadford, we would love to see you all there and if you are wanting to help out as an official or an instructor, please email officials@bmwdcm.com.au and give Meg all your details.
Sunday is round 7 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship on 18 July, so why not come up and make a weekend of it and do both days, have some practice or instruction on Saturday, followed by the timed sprints on Sunday.
Our July drive is Christmas in July on Saturday 24 July and we will be heading up to the Black Spur Inn via some great driving roads, then a yummy Christmas dinner and some great give a ways, don’t forget to get your ugly Christmas outfits out and see if you can win some of the great prizes.
Of course, all our upcoming events are subject to what we are allowed to do and any restrictions that may come into force due to the ongoing COVID situation. We see all around us how quickly things can change, how we can be getting back to a ‘normal’ life and suddenly we are back in lockdown. So, make sure you keep an eye on your emails and our social network pages for any updates or changes to events that need to be made. It goes without saying now, if you feel sick, get tested and for all our sakes, go and get vaccinated so we can get back to a normal life sooner, rather than later.
You may have also seen that we now have a welfare team. They are here for you if you need a shoulder to lean on, someone non-judgemental to talk to, or are struggling in any way in your life. It could be emotional or physical or even financial, if you have any issues you’d like to talk to someone about, feel free to call or email them at welfare@bmwdcm.com.au and they will be sure to offer assistance where possible. We would like to thank Shannon Cooper and family for supporting the welfare team and we look forward to working with them to help support anyone in our BMW family that needs help in any way.
We have also appointed an Officials Officer, Meg Boers, who is now taking on the role of engaging and co-ordinating officials for our track events, so be sure to contact Meg via officals@bmwdcm.com.au if you are keen to help out at any of our events or wish to become a Motorsport Australia Official. Meg can help you with any enquiries regarding either becoming an Official or what events we have coming up that we will need help at.
We have also been working on some new merchandise items and we now have a great BMWDCM umbrella which you can purchase from our online store. We are also stocking UHF radios so that all you need to do before a drive day is order one and we will charge it and get it to you at the drive event, ready to go.
Over the past months we have been applying for some of the Government grants that have been made available to not-for-profit sporting clubs and we have been lucky so far to have received some money from a couple of grants to allow us to purchase some much-needed equipment to help us run our club track days. Things like the UHF radios and headsets the official use at track days, hi-vis vests, a decent First Aid kit and a portable defibrillator to have on hand at events have so far been purchased through these grants and I would like to thank both Motorsport Australia and the Victorian State Government for their assistance and help in providing funds to help our Club grow and benefit from the assistance offered. We will be applying for more grants as they come up to enable us to hopefully run some subsidised events and buy more equipment in the future too.
Our little club is still growing, currently we have 610 members and again, I welcome the new members that have joined us this month and I thank you all for making this the wonderful club it is. You should all be immensely proud, as I am, of what we have built together over the past three years and what a great club this continues to be. Every event is a success, not only because we run good events, but because you all continue to come and support us in giving you what you want. We do it because we love it and because you enjoy it as much as we do.
Just a reminder too about the proposed changes to the Club Permit Scheme, we are putting in a submission on behalf of our members and you can too. The more voices that the Government hear, the more notice they may take of those that the changes will affect. You only have another week to get a submission in if you wish to do so.
I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.
As always, stay safe and drive careful out there.
Graeme Bell | President BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.
P.O. 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 am painfully aware that never having had, or caused, a serious car accident doesn't make me a competent or capable driver. And with a personality that naturally leans more towards anxious and neurotic, I would even say I'm a bit of a scaredy cat behind the wheel. This makes me a super conservative and very cautious driver at the best of times. More than once in my life I've driven around the block using all left turns to get to my final destination rather than turn right at a 'super scary' intersection. Having very little actual driving experience doesn't help. Whilst I may have been driving all of my adult life, the main extent of my driving experience has been to go up to Safeway for groceries, or driving to work. Both within a 4km radius.
So, what on earth is someone like me doing out on the track at Sandown? Well, I want to be a better driver. I'm conscious of my limitations handling a vehicle and my capability behind the wheel. And painfully aware that I would have no hope in maintaining control should something go wrong. Having enjoyed being Andreas co-pilot on dozens of drive days within Victoria and interstate I've had the privilege of seeing first-hand what it means to be a competent, capable and skilful driver. This level of skill takes years of practice, drive days, track days and race events. So, whilst I have no intention of 'sliding' into the car park at Safeway to collect my groceries, I wouldn't mind a little bit of what he's got. I'm not greedy. Just enough to make me safer on the road and a little less anxious behind the wheel.
So it was with great excitement that I leant that I had been awarded the Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver Training Scholarship for this event. This would be my second time out on a track. The first being the BMWDCM Come & Try Day at Broadford on Monday 18 March and I was super excited to have the opportunity to take my Volkswagen Jetta, aka 'The Jet', out onto the track again. I learnt a lot through both experiences.
At Broadford Greame Bell gave us some pre-track instructions on driving position. I had a small epiphany when he explained the wedgy-thing under your left foot is actually a foot brace, not a foot rest. I was genuinely like 'WOW". Never knew. But now that I did, it made perfect sense. When you treat it as a foot brace it completely changes your driving position which changes your attitude behind the wheel. You feel more grounded, stable and in control of the vehicle. This was a good feeling and helped to alleviate some of my anxiety around getting out on the track. As my instructor, Andreas helped me gain some insight into the capability of a vehicle under speed. Prior to this I had only ever used a vehicle within I'd say 20-30% of its capacity. So I learnt the world wouldn't cave in if took a corner at more than 20kms p/h, nor the car spontaneously combust if I went over 100kms p/h on the straight. Being WAAAY outside my comfort zone out on the track, both lessons were helpful in gaining my confidence.
At Sandown I was privileged to also have Glen Kennaday and Andy Kaos as my instructors. I Iearnt so much from both of them and am so thankful for them sharing their time and experience with me. Both helped me gain more confidence, instructing me how to handle the vehicle, how to approach an apex and what to do coming into and going out of a corner. But it wasn't just the track time that made the difference. Lining up in pit lane Glen noticed my driving position was too high. And Andy noticed I was holding my thumbs over the wheel instead of under. Changing these small things put me in better control of the car meaning I was a lot more confident behind the wheel and had a better 'feel' for the road.
So with only two come & try track days under my belt I can't yet say that I'm either competent or capable behind the wheel. But I can say that I am better for the experience and I'm a little less anxious and nervous. This gives me more confidence which makes me a better driver out on the road. This is all character building and has helped me not only be a better driver but has helped me be a better person. More confident within myself and in my driving ability.
Huge thanks to Jo Mawson, Graeme Bell and the rest of the BMWDCM committee team for offering us the come & try days, always well planned, well organised and well executed events. Thanks also to all the volunteers - flaggies, pit lane officials and instructors that are the heart and soul of the club and that make these events so special. Thanks to all the sponsors whose support makes these events happen, with special mention to Makulu Vehicle Storage for donating the driver training scholarship for the Come & Try Day at Sandown. Finally, special mention to my wonderful instructors at Broadford and Sandown, Andreas Doelling, Glen Kennaday and Andy Kaos.
The next BMWDCM Come & Try Day is being held at Broadford on Saturday 17 July. To register head to the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne events page: BMW Drivers Club Melbourne - Broadford Driver Training and Come & Try Day.
Nella Santisi | Member #32 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
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