The Association of Motor Clubs (AOMC), Victoria's peak body for car and motoring enthusiast clubs (to which BMWDCM is affiliated) contributed to the funding of a national survey conducted by the Australian Motoring Heritage Foundation (AMHF) into the economic value of the historic and classic car movement.
The Economic Value Study (EVS), the first of its kind in Australia, received over 6,000 responses and indicates that the owners of an estimated 970,000 historic vehicles in Australia spend on average $10,240 per vehicle annually across a range of items including running costs, travel costs and other related purchases such as club memberships.
The survey also indicates that the total annual economic impact, including both direct and indirect expenditure, is $25.2 billion: with the sector creating almost 79,000 jobs – 42,000 direct and 37,000 indirect. These jobs generate $6.2 billion in wages and salaries annually.
Read the executive summary here and the full report here. Note : both these links will take you to the AOMC website.
Great results for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The 6 Hours of Imola (ITA) ended with a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the LMGT3 class. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) triumphed ahead of their team-mates Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). It was the first victory for a BMW M Motorsport car in the history of the FIA WEC. BMW M Team WRT also celebrated success in the Hypercar category. After a challenging start in Qatar, Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) gave a very strong performance, battled for the podium for a long time, and ultimately finished in sixth place.
The weather conditions, with rain setting in around the halfway point of the race, turned the event into a strategy gamble. However, all BMW M Motorsport teams made the right tyre choices and were rewarded with outstanding results. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made enormous improvements compared to the season opener and was competitive under all conditions. On the wet track, final driver van der Linde even had the podium within reach, but problems during the last pit stop and a subsequent drive-through penalty pushed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 back to a still-strong sixth place. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) in the cockpit was unlucky and got innocently involved in a collision at the start. After about an hour of repairs, the team managed to get the car back on track for important test kilometres.
The celebration was even greater in the LMGT3 category. Both BMW M4 GT3 crews continued on slick tyres as the rain began to fall, making the right decision. No competitor could match their speed, and they drove to a commanding one-two finish. Never before had a BMW M Motorsport car won a race in this series since the founding of the FIA WEC in 2012.
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “That was an extremely positive FIA WEC event at Imola. In Hypercar, we made great progress after the challenging start in Qatar. We had the pace to achieve a top result on our own. I am pleased that car #20 was able to hold its own in the leading group throughout the race, even under difficult conditions. The early unprovoked accident of car #15 was very unfortunate and annoying. Many thanks to BMW M Team WRT, which rebuilt the car and sent it back on track. That allowed us to finish the race and collect important data to continue improving. On the LMGT3 side of the garage, it couldn't have gone better. Congratulations to all drivers and crew members for very strong performances. Thank you to everyone at BMW M Motorsport and the team for a very successful weekend!”
Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “What a great weekend for our LMGT3 crews! Qualifying and the race went very well, and we did the little things right. Augusto and Maxime stayed on slicks on a wet track and were able to show incredible pace. That gave us a good lead and ultimately the one-two result. In Hypercar we were in the window where we belong this time after the big disappointment in Qatar. We are taking one step at a time and have already done some things very well here. On to the next race at Spa-Francorchamps.”
Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M Team WRT, #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, 6th place): “In the end, that was one of the most challenging and craziest stints I've ever driven. I thought several times that I would lose the car. I knew I had to bring it home so we could score very good points. Luckily, that worked out. The team did a great job improving the car so much since Qatar. We can be very proud of that. Thank you to everyone!”
Marco Wittmann (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, 18th place): “That was a wild start phase, where some of our competitors quite misjudged themselves. I was hit from behind and spun around. That was very annoying. The guys did a great job repairing the car and getting us back on track. That allowed us to collect important test kilometres. My stint after the repair was great. The car felt good, and we could have made up some places. The pace and balance were good; we need to build on that. Hopefully, we'll have more racing luck next time.”
Augusto Farfus (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I am incredibly happy and proud. We showed today that it's about having the best team in this championship, not just the best car or the best individual driver. In my stint, the track was always differently wet, and it was a constant question of which tyres were better. We stayed on slicks the whole time, and I felt very comfortable in the BMW M4 GT3 under those conditions. The team always stayed calm and did everything right in the end. It's my son's birthday today – I couldn't have given him a better gift.”
Sean Gelael (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I'm super happy! Darren qualified the car in fourth place on Saturday and drove a strong first stint. I had quite a bit of fun after that and was able to make up some time. Then I handed over to Augusto, who was sensational on the track and put pressure on Maxime. It was not so bad today.”
Darren Leung (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “Winning in just my second FIA WEC race – that's just incredible! We did an outstanding job as a team. The turbulent start phase was difficult for me, but I got through it very well and was able to hand over the car in a good position to my colleagues.”
Maxime Martin (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “A fantastic result for the team. We had a strong car and decided on a bold strategy. That made the difference in the end. Congratulations to the #31 crew on the victory! We collected a lot of points and will continue to work hard in the next races.”
Valentino Rossi (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “I am very happy about the one-two for Team WRT, for BMW M Motorsport, and my first podium in FIA WEC. We already had a strong car on Saturday in qualifying, and Ahmad achieved a very good third starting position. In the race, we then decided to stay out on slicks. Augusto was a bit faster than Maxime at the beginning and took the lead. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the result.”
Ahmad Al Harthy (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “My first podium with Team WRT – that's an incredible feeling! Many thanks to the team, which did a fantastic job. We took a calculated risk, and it paid off in the end.”
BMW PRESS
Finally the opening round of the Toyota 86 scholarship series at Sydney Motorsport park is done and dusted!
This round was a one day event on 14 April, it was a jam packed day but was extremely well run, so great job to the Toyota 86 scholarship series for making it all run smoothly!
This round was my first ever time at smsp and only my 3rd time in the car so we knew it was going to be a huge challenge as we are up against a lot of talent.
The 50 min practice session in the morning was my first ever time on the track and I was able to grab 8th place which was a great result for the team!
Unfortunately for qualifying being a new car to us we went by the factory fuel gauge to see how much fuel we had left after practice. The gauge read empty so we refuelled going into qualifying, after qualifying Marcus from 99 Motorsport suggest we empty the tank to find what fuel we had left. Unfortunately we had around 35 litres too much which wouldn’t have helped the result, but was a big learning curve, and something we will make sure we check for the rest of the season. As we’re forced to have a new set of tyres for qualifying, we will work on making the most of our new rubber in qualy to try gain some track position moving forward into the season.
In race one I was able to grab a couple positions off the line which ended up in me moving up from 13th to the top ten.
Race two was another good clean race which resulted in another top ten for the team.
In race 3 I had a good dice for tenth and managed to hold on for another top ten result.
Overall it was a great day, and getting a top ten for the round was a great confidence builder for the team going into the next round!
Our next round will be at the bend on 24-26 May. Being at a track I am more familiar with, and having the lap record there in the E30 series, we are hoping to be knocking on the door of the top five.
I’d like to give a huge thanks to Marcus and his team from 99motorsport for helping dad and I throughout the day.
And a big thanks to all of our sponsors:
Glen and Peter Knight, David Reddy, Graeme, Jo, Lawrence, and Shaaron from BMWDCM, Ross and Sharon Wilkinson, Greg and Nean, and Ashley Rogers
Royce Lyne | Member #406 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Schubert Motorsport took advantage of the official DTM test drives at Hockenheim (GER) on Tuesday and Wednesday to intensively prepare its three BMW M4 GT3s for the season start at the end of April. The BMW M works drivers René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Marco Wittmann (GER) hit the track for the first time in the new car designs of the BMW M Motorsport Partners RoboMarkets, Shell, and Schaeffler. At the end of the four test sessions, the drivers drew a positive conclusion.
In addition to the DTM, the ADAC GT Masters also conducted test sessions at Hockenheim. The FK Performance Motorsport team participated with two BMW M4 GT3s.
On the sidelines of the testing, ADAC announced the continuation of the BMW M2 Cup. In the 2024 season, the cars will no longer be centrally deployed and managed but will be run by several teams. Along with this change, the portfolio of models eligible for the Cup has expanded. Three car categories are eligible to start, including the BMW M2 CS Racing in the 450 HP and 365 HP versions, as well as the 340 HP BMW M240i Racing. The BMW M2 Cup events are compact and take place over two days. Practice, qualifying, and races are held exclusively on Saturday and Sunday. The junior series will compete at a total of five DTM events and will hold two races lasting 25 minutes each weekend. The season starts from 24th to 26th May at the Lausitzring (GER).
Björn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport): “When you walk through the Hockenheim paddock during the test drives, you immediately get the unique DTM feeling that still makes this race series special. The Schubert Motorsport team and our BMW M works drivers used the two days for intensive preparation. The professional attitude of all participants is impressive and gives me confidence that the team led by Team Principal Torsten Schubert will play an important role in the title race in the 2024 season. I also wish FK Performance Motorsport success in the ADAC GT Masters and ADAC GT4 Germany for the great effort they are putting into the upcoming season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everyone and look forward to the season start in just over two weeks when Schubert Motorsport will celebrate its home game at Oschersleben.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3): “I am very satisfied with the first test. We were able to try a lot, and everything went well. For me, it was primarily about getting to know the team and the engineers. This is crucial because we can only be successful during the season if we trust each other blindly.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 GT3): “The test could hardly have gone better. I am very satisfied with the processes in the team and the fact that we were able to complete our programme without any problems. I also really like the new design of my car. It's a real eye-catcher in the starting field and is sure to be easy to recognise in the races.”
René Rast (#33 RoboMarkets BMW M4 GT3): “It was a good test. We had no problems over the two days, were able to try out many things, and were also fast in the end. All very positive. Having three cars in the garage was a bit of an adjustment at the beginning, but Schubert Motorsport already has the processes well under control. Let‘s keep it up.”
Event date: 3 March 2024
A loud steam whistle greeted us at the Belgrave station. Boarding our exclusive BMWDCM carriage, we appeared to be overflowing. A few hapless interlopers were identified, and after a quick explanation of the ticketing system and carriage numbers, they politely left for another carriage. The historic train was full (literally sold out) of locals and international visitors with overactive cameras, on a chilly morning in The Dandenongs.
Now that we all had seats, we settled in. Meg's 18 month old daughter came out of her quiet slumber and was quickly wide-eyed. Standing on a seat, safely between Mum's knees. Isabella began tapping on a metal window frame. No glass, just fresh air and some thick safety rails. Isabella tapped again. I gave it a go, and Isabella tapped again. We worked up a rhythm, tub thumping on the train. This was exciting stuff. We hadn't even left the station.
This is the thing about family events. The kids always give you a fresh take on the world, allowing you to see it through simple innocent eyes.
We were thrown off-balance, as the train lurched off the mark with a powerful determined thrust. Isabella was a little intimidated by the sudden jolt. A quick cuddle from Mum, and she was back at the window. Tap, tap. Reaching up to a rail, tap, tap, stretching up to another rail tap, tap, tap, then working her way down the rails again. Mesmerised, I joined in and again we were tub thumping, this time on the move.
We looked down deep valleys filled with tall trees. Not just any trees. We are within the southern perimeter of Sherbrooke Forest with rainforest known for its native Mountain Ash trees. These towering eucalyptus trees are the tallest flowering plants in the world.
Many kids extended their arms and legs outside the carriage, balanced around the open window frames. Some of the kids looked over 50 years old. I guess everyone is a kid when you board the Puffing Billy.
Approaching a tall towering wooden Trestle Bridge, eyes and cameras focused on the marvel. Built in 1899 - it has had some restoration work since - the railway bridge has piers (tree trunks) up to 11 metres high, in 6 metre spans. To top that off, it has a curving radius - some call it a horseshoe bridge - allowing it to align with the next hill.
Onwards we choofed, with a slow puffing sound, more pronounced on downhill braking than uphill chugs. We waved back at onlookers at each road crossing, and then it happened! One of the girls got separated from her shoe. Fortunately the shoe fell outside, and she fell into the train. That was the last we were going to see of that shoe.
The train puffed into the Lakeside station. Preparing to get out and wander over to the railway cafe, prams were prepared and cameras tucked away. Lo and behold, a cheerful fellow in overalls, sporty a generous white beard, came waltzing down the platform. One arm stretched high, holding a girl's shoe, he proudly returned it with a beaming smile. Part of a team of over 900 volunteers, he was following the train in a small fire patrol trolley. He stopped to collect her shoe and now returned it. Magic. The most fun you can have outside driving a BMW round twisty roads.
John Shreeve | Member #579 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
If that looks like a long event title let’s break it down a little.
The bikes are of the human or electric assist variety but certainly not your common or garden sort. Kaos Custom Bikes are the sponsor with over 30 years experience, a highly equipped workshop and the skills and the tools to make your custom builds and repairs hassle free. Andy “Kaos” Oosterweghel is a Founding Member of our club and a dab hand behind the wheel. For this event he was working 3 jobs; sponsor, race car developer and driving instructor. Good job he is fit.
Although the event was primarily to provide a “safe” (in every sense) introduction to motorsport, either as a competitor or an official, for women men were also welcome and taking part. But, we had a good turn out of ladies which was very encouraging.
The Come and Try part is, as the name suggests an opportunity to try track driving without any pressure but, most importantly, with instructors on hand and in car. Not everyone uses these sessions for pure track driving – one can also improve on road driving skills and techniques. In deed, the first part of the instruction is how to sit in your car properly. Sounds basic but many get it wrong.
The day is not timed and the atmosphere friendly and supportive. Everyone is there to have fun and learn.
A special bonus was pace laps behind the Racer Industries proper pace car. So cool. We were very lucky, and grateful, to have the use of this vehicle.
We were pleased to be able to support 3 young driver with one scholarship and two gift vouchers donated by the Shannon family, the main prize going to Emily Trainor.
We were also proud to provide Royce Lyne, a young member of our club with great talent and potential, with sponsorship towards his Toyota 86 Academy campaign.
As always, a great bunch of volunteers ran the event which was quite tasking, especially for the flag marshals as the temperature crept up and the day wore on.
The usual “taste of Easter” seems to be hot cross buns (now available from Christmas) and chocolate eggs. Over recent years I have added French pastries to my personal list thanks to Flavours Patisserie being the meeting point for our Good Friday coffee and cars meeting raising money for the Royal Childrens Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal.
True to the meeting format people came and went during the morning bringing along a great selection of cars, BMW and non BMW, of all shapes and sizes. As well as our members quite a few passing public came by for a look and a chat.
The food and drink on offer from Flavours was exceptional, making the effort to be there very worthwhile.
With some raffle prizes (yes, more chocolate and other things) and donations into the collection buckets we raised $1184 which, when added to other donations on the web page, brought the grand total to $2555 which is a stunning result.
Thanks to Nella and Adrian for selling and collecting and many others for helping out. Olivia was in charge of the mobile collection bucket in the smallest BMW (just!) on site (but electric).
Click here to see more photos
Of the 425,055 attendances at the Australian Grand Prix this year I reckon only those made by Ferrari fans resulted in happier days than my 4 days there.
Although the larger crowds did make watching the racing a bit harder at the busy times it also made for a great atmosphere. Friendly, happy, well behaved and generally having a good time in one another’s company.
We had a terrific line up of cars in our display thanks to our wonderful members being prepared to bump their cars in on Wednesday morning and leave them there until bump out late Sunday evening. I was particularly grateful for the quiet patience of our members having to wait to leave on Sunday for no obvious reason. Some took the option to return on Monday morning to get their cars.
We were privileged to have a glorious XM on loan from Melbourne BMW and it attracted a lot of attention.
In fact, the interest shown in all of our display was, in the words of one member, “over-whelming”. For considerable periods we had a group of people in front of every car in our display. I would have taken a photo but I was busy the whole time answering questions and engaging with other enthusiasts, BMW or otherwise. There were plenty of other club displays to look at too.
Whether you enjoyed the main race probably depends on who you support but there was plenty of other track action to keep one occupied (although I did not get to see much). Being close to the action, as we are lucky to be in Albert Park, certainly refreshes the memory as to just how fast the cars are on track – something lost on TV. The sensation even away from the track’s edge is fantastic.
A significant contingent of our members were among the 1,.000 + who volunteered in various roles, scrutineering, flag marshals, paddock marshals and more. Some were required to report for duty at 5:30 am, others out in whatever the weather throws up. Those of us merely watching are very grateful to these volunteers, without whom the event could not happen.
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.
Our new design motorsport shirt, designed by Jo, has been a great success and is nearly sold out of the first run already. Order yours now for the next motorsport event. We will be getting another order in soon if we have already run out of your size. Check them out, they look fantastic and are pure cotton, so perfect for track day use or casual wear.
Our welfare team continues to support members who need some help. Jo, who recently had spinal surgery, is recovering well and will be back in the office very soon, she has been given the all clear to drive again and is easing her way back into her usually busy life.
Thank you all for responding to our email about Club Permit Renewals, the process of renewing online is helping whilst Jo is not in the Club Office.
We are now over 800 members strong! Not bad for our little club that started only 6 years ago! Thank you all for joining us and we hope you love what the club offers, and you enjoy your membership experience. If you have any ideas or questions or want us to do something you think we might all enjoy, drop us a line. Remember, it is your club, so be involved as much as you like. On that note, we are always looking for help running the club as well as events, so, if you have any skills or interests, reach out to Jo or myself and we will find you something to do to help out.
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Easter break, as we did, and I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events 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
Event date: 17 March 2024
I am a flag Marshall with the VFT. Yesterday was only my second time volunteering with your club. I came back, because you guys are SO good with the way you look after the flaggies!! No request is to much!! We ask for water and it's done as soon as the current event is over!!
Unlike most other clubs that you still wait ages for. Despite been told constantly that the flaggies are everything, blah, blah, blah!
Like I said to Jo, you guy's are a smaller club, yet the way that flaggies are treated, feed & kept hydrated is in my opinion hands down the best EVER!!
Unlike some of the bigger clubs/events that have all the money to spend & say the flaggies are everything. They do NOT come close to how fantastic the BMW CLUB is!!
Justin Parrant Victorian Flagmarshalling Team
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