August Members Meeting at Antique Motorcycles
5 August 2018

What a glorious morning for our August members meeting with a fabulous turn out of existing members and some new members which was wonderful.

Antique Motorcycle café is an amazing place if you are into bikes and anything mechanical or you just want to catch up with some friends for a coffee and some great food.

We had a very casual members meeting with over 30 members attending and it was great to see so many of our members wearing the new merchandise.

Very pleased to see new faces each month at our meetings and looking forward to September’s meeting.

Jo Mawson |  Member #2 - Vice President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Jindivick Cruise 
4 August 2018

So thrilled to be able to join this BMW club!

We have two BMW’s in the USA, I was glad to be able to ride with Jo and Graeme - great hosts!

I met a lot of lovely people, especially Sam, I think we share the same humour!

We started bright and early at McDonalds to listen to the brief of the days events. It was nice to meet and greet to familiarize.

We drove through some beautiful areas, I especially loved the mountainous area at BawBaw (I think it was!). The natural beauty was unsurpassed, the winding roads made for a fun drive.

We had lunch at Jindy Cafe in Jindervick, which was so nice! The family run environment was a welcome change, they were very accommodating.

The lake at Blue Rock dam was picturesque and I took some pretty pictures there.

All around a great day and would love to attend again, when we are in Australia!

Holly Laine Parsons |  Guest
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The new BMW M2 Competition. 

With the new BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption with sixspeed manual gearbox: 10,0 – 9,8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 – 224 g/km*; combined with optional M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT): 9,2 – 9,0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 209 – 206 g/km)*,BMW M GmbH is setting fresh benchmarks in the compact high-performance sports car segment and adding marked refinement to the character of the BMW M2 Coupé.

See slideshow below for highlights: 

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Features

• New six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, based on the power unit from the BMW M3/M4, three-litre cubic capacity, 302 kW/410 HP, peak torque of 550 Nm (combined fuel consumption with sixspeed manual gearbox: 10,0 – 9,8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 – 224 g/km*; combined with optional M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT): 9,2 – 9,0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 209 – 206 g/km)*.

• Sprint from 0 to 100 km/h: 4.2 s (with six-speed manual gearbox 4.4 s), top speed: 250 km/h (limited), 280 km/h with M Driver´s Package (limited).

• High-precision CFRP strut and bulkhead strut for increased front section rigidity.
• New cooling system, including new front skirt and larger, redesigned BMW kidney in high-gloss black.
• New dual exhaust system with two electrically-controlled flaps.
• New, optional M Sport brakes with brake calipers painted grey.
• New optional M Sport bucket seat with integrated headrests and illuminated M2 badge at shoulder height.
• Selector switches for immediate access to various engine and steering characteristics, as well as DCT settings via Drivelogic.
• Exclusive new metallic Hockenheim Silver paint.
• The BMW M2 Competition replaces its predecessor, the BMW M2 Coupé.

BMW PRESS CLUB

   MONTH IN REVIEW 

We kicked July off with our first Christmas in July event.  We had the perfect winter's day with over 40 attendees, we started with brunch at The Royal in Mornington.  We then went to Arthurs Seat, on to Flinders and finished in Hastings at the Marina for coffee, cake and of course, Christmas pudding.  Read more and see photos from our day here.

We then had our July members' meeting at Shannons Insurance with the Victorian Flagmarshalling Team.  This was a great insight into what it is like to get involved in motorsport without getting on track.  Read more about the night here.

On 28 July we kicked off the first round of our Drivers' Championship!  We had the perfect 25 degree day with Simon Lyne being the quickest BMW with a 1.06.6358.  Read Royce Lyne's recap of his day here.

On 29 July we joined Mercedes Benz Club Victoria for Coffee & Cars at Lorbeks, Port Melbourne.  Thanks to Chris from Mercedes Benz Club Vic for inviting us to attend!  We were lucky to enjoy the day before the rain.  Read more about our morning here.

For more about our month, catch up with our July update from Graeme Bell here.

  THE MONTH AHEAD 

  EVENTS NOT TO MISS! 

  NEWS | BLOG 

• Christmas in July
• MINI model revision measures as of summer 2018
• AROCA Phillip Island Sprint Day
• Spectate and Pace Laps at Phillip Island
• July Members Meeting with the Victorian Flagmarshalling Team
• Silk Way Rally 2018, First Edition, Stage 1: Astrakhan to Astrakhan
  
• Flag Marshalling at the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship
• AROCA Broadford Sprint Day Experience
  
• Coffee & Cars with Mercedes Benz Club Victoria
  
• An update from the President: July

  SPECIAL OFFER!

Minichamps are releasing a limited edition model of the Laser Racing BMW SRM GT3 M6 and you can order it here with us first!

These models are very limited, with only 400 being made so make sure you get in quick.

To order yours head to our Online Store today!  

  MEMBER SERVICES

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Dear Members,

Another month down and the club is going from strength to strength.  Events of all kind have been happening and lots of our members are coming along and enjoying the company of friends.  It is so satisfying to have been involved in building something that everyone is enjoying so much.  Very proud over here!

We are fast approaching our second century, with close to 180 Members and still growing every day.  By the way, we are currently the 4th largest BMW Car Club under the Clubs Australia umbrella.  Quite amazing and very happy that we have so many people that love what we do and want to join us.

We are working on some new ideas and hopefully soon will be able to run some different events we think our members will also love. Stay tuned!

Our merchandise is starting to come online now, our first and second batches of motorsport shirts have sold out and we have ordered more again, see the Online Store to check them out!  Our lanyards and card holders are also in, those that have come to recent events will have been given theirs, others will be posted out as soon as our Secretary and Treasurer come back from their overseas trip this week.  We are also working on car window stickers and windscreen banners, they should be available soon too.

Our Drivers' Championship has begun, with the first round run at Broadford with the Alfa Club last Saturday, with Simon Lyne taking quickest BMW time of the day with a 1.06.6358 followed by the E30 race cars of Chris Bell, Alex Jory, Paul Kertes, Myself, Blake Kolar and Simon Leach - all within a couple of seconds of each other.  Igor Kay, Rachael Kertes and Rod Martin all also improved through the day.  We couldn’t have asked for a better day, the sun was out and almost cracked 25 degrees!  Perfect for driving around in the countryside.

Round 2 is at Sandown on 1 September so if you want to come along let me know and I will send you an entry form.  Even if you just want to come and have a look and see what goes on, you are more than welcome to come and join us for a sausage or a coffee.

Look forward to catching up with you all one way or another over the coming months, and don’t forget, we are always available for our members by phone, email or facebook.  If you have questions about anything, from club plates to upcoming events or motorsport, always happy to chat.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

P.O. Box 81, TYABB, VICTORIA. 3913
Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of:
BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council
CAMS Affiliated Motorsport Club

Coffee & Cars with Mercedes Benz Club Victoria 
29 July 2018

Sunday turned out to be wet cold and not looking overly promising for a Coffee and Cars day but as we got closer to Lorbeks the sun starting to appear.

What a surprise to drive into the car park and see so many shining cars already there!  It was a struggle to get a parking spot but fortunately, the car park is huge, and we did manage to squeeze our little E21 into a spot. 

What an amazing array of cars on the day, with a fantastic show of BMWs and some truly amazing Mercedes and also the odd VW and Cobra on display as well, with a few other exotic cars to throw into the mix as well.

Lorbeks were kind enough to open their showroom to us all and this was a real treat.  They have some amazing cars and fantastic memorabilia.

Look out for more of these combined Coffee and Car days as this one was a huge success and I would like to thank Chris McDermott for inviting BMWDCM to join Mercedes Benz Vic on the day.

Jo Mawson |  Member #2
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

AROCA Broadford Sprint Day 
28 July 2018

On Friday afternoon dad picked me up early from school so we could go leave to race at Broadford.  We slept at a motel in Broadford.  At the motel we meet two Alfa Romeo drivers there, one car was red and the other was blue.

We left at 6:30 in the morning to go to the motorcycle racing complex.  When we got there, we said hi to everyone from the BMW Drivers Club.  After that we had a practice lap on the track that we had never been on before.  We all drove our best and had great fun.

For lunch Jo was handing out free sausages and egg and bacon rolls for us all to eat.  

Graeme then took me out in a ride in Chris’s car and it was great fun but the people in front of us were going to slow.  The weather was great and we all had great fun.

Royce Lyne |  11 years old.
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Flag marshalling at Sandown VSCRC 
21-22 July 2018

I thanked Eric Rigg, David Thornbury & William Gaff (who all came & spoke at our BMWDCM meeting).

After expressing an interest, and before the meet, Eric was very helpful in walking me through the process of signing up, training as a flag marshal and getting a CAMS licence.  Arthur Cooksley also followed up to check if I had any problems or questions.

On arrival, all went out of your way to welcome me on my first day, introducing me to who I'd be working with and letting me know where I'd be going.

Brian and Glenn, who I flag marshalled with were equally friendly and welcoming.  Glenn arranged for me to have an extra headset so I could hear how the meet is managed and what was going on around the track.

Brian and Glenn were more than happy to answer all my questions and give me helpful advice on what I was supposed to do on the day plus helpful tips on how best to do it.

There is more to flag marshalling than just waving some flags.  Having the opportunity to listen over the radio and actually doing some flag marshalling, I now have a better idea, how professionally an event is run. In particular:

• the systems and training in place to make the event as safe as possible;
• the systems and training in place to run multiple qualifying sessions and races, manage any unplanned events and still stick to the planned program;
• the structure and record keeping in place so that, if after the measures above, there is an incident, it is effectively managed & can be followed up afterwards and learned from.

Not just at the induction but throughout the day and at the BBQ after, I felt welcome and well looked after.

Overall it was a lot of fun to be doing the next best thing to be in a car racing in a given race and maybe better as we were involved in each session or race, on the day not just one event.

David Ebeling  |  Member #24
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne  

Silk Way Rally 2018, First Edition, Stage 1: Astrakhan to Astrakhan.

The two MINI crews, contesting the first edition of the 2018 Silk Way Rally in Russia, endured mixed fortunes in yesterday’s first stage. For Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA), who is more experienced at this event, and co-pilot Timo Gottschalk (GER) it was a strong start. The pair are ranked third overall at the end of the first special stage in Astrakhan, having stayed within the top three for the duration of the opening leg.

For Joan ‘Nani’ Roma (ESP) it was a more difficult day. The first stage of Silk Way Rally 2018 signalled the first return to racing for the Spaniard since his crash at this year’s Dakar. Despite feeling ready to get back into competition, Roma struggled with a severe headache and problems relating to his previously sustained neck injury.

Along with co-pilot Alex Haro (ESP), Roma was forced to make several stops throughout the stage, due to illness, and eventually sought help from the medical team on standby at the event. Having consulted with the doctors, it was decided that Nani Roma should return to the bivouac in the #103 MINI John Cooper Works Rally, driven by Haro.

Roma: “'It's a pity but I can't continue like this. I still have a neck problem since my crash during last Dakar.”

The Spanish driver’s decision is likely to be a wise one, given that the competitors will, today, face a far more gruelling marathon stage with less access to support.

For Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and Timo Gottschalk (GER), in the #104 MINI John Cooper Works Rally, yesterday’s opening stage also had its demands, but they were ones that the regular pairing were able to overcome for a solid top three position. They crossed the stage finish line in third place, 20:27 minutes behind the stage leaders.

Al Rajhi: “The first stage was very demanding as it was very bumpy. At the beginning we sank out with the car and lost our jack. When we later had a flat tyre, we had to find a hole so that the rear wheel was in the air. We tried to find a good rhythm, but it wasn't there. Today is marathon day - that means we have to be smart and not break anything.”

Today’s marathon stage for leg two of the seven-day race, will take the competitors from Astrakhan to Elista, where they will stay overnight with no support from the X-raid team and mechanics.

For further information on Silk Way Rally 2018 and the full rally schedule please click here.

Silk Way Rally 2018: results after Stage 1

BMW Press CLub

July Members Meeting with the VFT 
3 July 2018

The BMWDCM July meeting was held on Tuesday night and was well attended. 

Eric Rigg, David Thornbury and William Gaff from the Victorian flag Marshalling Team (VFT) were nice enough to come and give a presentation and answer questions. 

It was quite interesting to hear why most people join as flag marshals (to get up close and be part of the action). 

Far from just marshalling at a track or an event, there is quite a large scope both nationally and internationally to get involved as much or as little as you might like. 

The team not only has a warm, friendly and supportive network but also has a well-developed training and certification process to induct new members.

They described that at the track, the role a flag marshal performs can be a lot more varied and interesting than one might think.  Including possible assistance with incident fire, rescue and recovery, etc. as well as plenty of opportunities to mingle with drivers, see their cars up close and just be part of the action on track. 

The VFT is part of a wider international network, Eric, David and William were very happy to point out that effectively they can attend any organised race meeting anywhere around the world and expect to see someone they know or at least someone who knows the VFT. 

Marshalling is a key component to an organised race meeting and there is no racing without them.  So, if you’re interested in motor racing and getting a different view of a racing or just want to share a passion for cars with similar minded people, why not find out more?

You can contact:

Eric Rigg
Secretary
Victorian Flag Marshalling Team Inc
secretary@vicflag.org.au
0457 245 171

David Ebeling  |  Member #24
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne