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

A few thoughts on my experience as a trainee flag marshal.

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

	Driver	Co-driver	Type	Team	Time
3rd	Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA)	Timo Gottschalk (GER)	MINI John Cooper Works Rally #104	X-raid Team	03:56:50 +00:20:27
DNF	Joan ‘ Nani’ Roma (ESP)	Alex Haro (ESP)	MINI John Cooper Works Rally #103	X-raid Team	DNF

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  

Spectate and Pace Laps at Phillip Island
30 June 2018

As a member of different car clubs over time, it’s always refreshing to be involved in a club that is run by people who care about the members, even the new ones.

It’s very easy in car clubs for members and organisers to band together in little groups and leave new members to the side unwelcome, but I’m very happy to say that the experience that my girlfriend and I had when going to our first BMWDCM event was terrific.

Lawrence and Jo, who I’d only ever emailed, were so immediately welcoming and inclusive, of both me and Sarah, that it made the day very enjoyable, and made it easier on Sarah whilst I was on the track.

It was great to see BMWDCM and AROCA working together to provide a great event that was well marshalled and supervised allowing novice weekend racers like myself to get around the track accident free.

We look forward to taking part in many more events.

Jason Biddell  |  Member #56 
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne  

AROCA Phillip Island Sprint Day
30 June 2018

On Saturday 30 June, a large contingent of BMWDCM members attended a sprint event at the famous Phillip Island GP circuit. The event was held and managed by AROCA – the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia who had invited us to take part as associates for the day.

An early 7am start saw us arrive, unpack, get our cars running and through scrutineering by 8:30. The AROCA officials were terrific – helping us through the formalities and doing everything they could to ensure we got to run our cars on the day.  Then it was time for a drivers’ briefing with the Clerk of the Course and race officials providing us with the rules governing the event, the etiquette and responses required of us as drivers, and more detailed information for first time drivers at the Phillip Island track.

As the rain bucketed down assisted by a howling wind, and the temperature plummeting, we got into our practice runs. The cars had been divided into 3 groups of approx. 20, with our BMWs grouped together (mostly) with some Mazda MX5s and a lone Alfa Giulia.  Practice on a wet and wild track had a few of us facing the wrong way coming out of some bends, but thankfully no excursions onto the grass.  Driving in these weather conditions in a controlled environment, on a purpose-built tarmac with gaps between competitors created the ideal opportunity for us to test our driver ability and responses and to assess our car set up and condition. Much better than finding these things out on the freeway at 100kph.

The timed runs soon followed with the first couple in similarly wet conditions.  I think we all maintained good control, and no-one was trying for outright pace – just having an enjoyable time on a great track amongst others doing the same.  As the day went on, the track started to dry, and lap times started to tumble, especially for the better developed cars and racers amongst our group.

Over the day, we had 6 timed runs of approx. 15mins each which gave us all plenty of track time.  The event wound up at about 5pm and weary but happy, we hit the road for home.

One of the advantages of being a smaller club is that we can easily combine with larger or more established car clubs for sprint events – in this case it was AROCA.  The AROCA members were great and they had some fantastic cars on the track.  Even though we may be a bit BMW centric, it is good to be able to get up close to other marques and to share the track with them.  Our hosts for the day deserve a real pat on the back, and I for one look forward to sharing future events with AROCA. Great bunch of people.

If I may, I would like to add some opinion about why I think these club level sprint days are such memorable and anticipated days and why I would encourage other BMWDCM members to give it a go (if you haven’t already) –

• Organisation – we have fully trained, and very experienced officials involved in running the day.  Everyone knows their job and they give us confidence that we will be safe on the track.
• Courtesy – all our drivers, regardless of experience level, follow the event rules and take care not to put other drivers or cars at risk of injury or damage.  The care these drivers take with their own cars is obvious and no-one wants to bend their, or anyone else’s, pride and joy.
• Safety – on the track its very comforting to know that in each group there are a mix of experienced drivers (some are full-on door banging saloon car race drivers), those in the process of gaining experience and then the first timers and novices.  We all realise we had a first event once as well, and we understand that newer drivers may feel some apprehension before heading out on the track.  Rest assured, the other drivers will look out for you and look after you.
• Support – all the drivers want the same thing – a trouble free day of driving fast in a controlled, alcohol free environment on a great track.  They won’t let you struggle.  Advice and physical help is freely supplied by the entire group.  Pro drivers and pit crews particularly are available and happy to help if you need it.  They will do some laps with you in your car as a mentor if you wish.
• Community – we rented adjoining garages for the day, which accommodated four or five cars, and everyone attached to those cars.  Other BMWDCM members had a garage next door with another two or three cars.  Between us we shared space, equipment, advice, opinion, laughs, bad jokes and even some breakfast (thanks to Master Chef Phil Kolar).  This is what happens at these events, BMWDCM members are genuinely interested in making sure that everyone is welcomed and very much included in the days’ activities.
• Family – in our garage, we had two father and son teams and next door a father and daughter pairing.  These events are a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with your children who have an interest in driving cars and/or racing.  The experience and knowledge these youngsters gain on the track will enhance their road driving abilities no end.  Some of our younger drivers are not yet old enough to hold a full road licence, yet their ability to control a car in adverse conditions like what we had on Saturday was there for all to see.
• Inclusion – all members who want to put their road, modified or race cars on the track are welcomed.  I run a basically standard E30 road car and whilst I can’t match it with the developed cars or race cars, I don’t particularly want to.  My enjoyment comes from driving (reasonably) fast on real race tracks in a car that I largely maintain myself.  I am not ever going to be a full race driver, just an old bloke who likes to drive around some race tracks for a bit of fun.  Everyone, regardless of driver or car level is welcome and will be assisted all the way, as I have been.

Jim Tucker  |  Member #26 
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

MINI model revision measures as of summer 2018.

All MINI petrol engine models will be fitted with a particulate filter and will therefore meet the requirements of the Euro 6d-TEMP emission standard – Petrol engine variants of the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman with enhanced efficiency and optional 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch – New Connectivity Package for the MINI Clubman.

Numerous new features in the area of drive technology enhance driving fun as well as reducing emissions in the current MINI models as of summer 2018. Emission control in all petrol-engine variants of the MINI 3 door, MINI 5 door and MINI Convertible as well as the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman will include a particulate filter as of July 2018. The models of the British premium brand with this feature meet the particularly rigorous requirements of the Euro 6d-TEMP emission standard. This demonstrates how MINI consistently continues to pursue the optimisation of emissions in its current models. The diesel engine variants of the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman have met the Euro 6d-TEMP standard since March 2018. Their emission control system includes not just a diesel particulate filter and an NO_X storage catalytic converter but also an SCR catalytic converter which features a special urea injection (AdBlue) for highly effective reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions.

In addition, the relevant model variants of the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman will be fitted with enhanced petrol engines as of July 2018. Here, optimised MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology especially benefits fuel consumption and emission levels. As an alternative to the standard manual transmission, the petrol engine models of the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman will be available with a 7-speed Steptronic transmission in future.

Thrilling shift dynamics, a high level of comfort, optimised convenience:
7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch.

Fast gear changes and a high level of internal efficiency are the properties of the 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch available as an option for further variants of the successful MINI models in the premium compact segment from July 2018 onwards. The use of two clutches when changing gear enables particularly sporty acceleration without torque interrupt. In addition to enhanced driving fun, the design principle adapted from motor racing also has all the comfort features of an automatic transmission. It ensures harmonious and acoustically barely perceptible changes in drive position, free of load change reactions in the engine – not just when sprinting but also when decelerating. The 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch also enables use of the auto start/stop function and the coasting function to increase efficiency. Furthermore, the transmission control is networked with the navigation system if the vehicle is fitted with one. In this way, navigation data can be used to adapt the choice of gear perfectly to the route. Operation of the 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch is by means of an electronic gear selector switch. This transmits the driver's instructions by means of electrical impulses to the transmission control.

From July 2018 onwards, the 7-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch is also available as an option in combination with the enhanced petrol engines for the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman. The efficiency-optimised petrol engines fitted as standard with a particulate filter meet the requirements of the Euro 6d-TEMP emission standard. With the 7-speed Steptronic transmission, the combined fuel consumption figure for the MINI One Clubman and the MINI Cooper Clubman is now 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres in each case (CO₂ level: 130 g/km). The figures for the MINI Cooper S Clubman are 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres and 133 g/km. The combined fuel consumption and the CO₂ emissions level of the MINI One Countryman with 7-speed Steptronic transmission are 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres and 135 – 134 g/km. For the MINI Cooper Countryman the figures are 5.9 to 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres and 134 – 132 g/km). The corresponding figures measured in the MINI Cooper S Countryman are 6.0 litres and 138 – 136 g/km (figures depend on the tyre format selected). All fuel consumption and emissions figures were arrived at using the new WLTP measuring procedure and then adapted to NEDC for comparison purposes by means of correlation.

Even faster gear changes are enabled by the 7-speed Steptronic sports transmission, available as an additional option for the MINI Cooper S Clubman and the MINI Cooper S Countryman. Shift paddles are available at the steering wheel in this version of the automatic transmission for manual intervention in the choice of drive position.

Thrilling sound, perfect connectivity: MINI Clubman with Connectivity Package.

The new Connectivity Package is available for the MINI Clubman from July 2018, providing the very highest level of entertainment pleasure and intelligent connectivity. It includes especially high-quality fittings for navigation, communication and sound, combined with perfect operation and functionality. The central component of the package is the option Connected Navigation Plus with 8.8-inch touchscreen and MINI Touch Controller, Real Time Traffic Information and automatic navigation map update via mobile phone connection, established by means of the integrated SIM card. The Connectivity Package likewise includes Apple CarPlay preparation, MINI Connected XL and telephony with Wireless Charging, allowing cable-free charging of mobile phones with this capability.

In addition, a DAB tuner allows reception of digitally transmitted radio programs in particularly high sound quality. An inspiring sound from all audio sources is also guaranteed by the Harman Kardon hi-fi speaker system that is also included in the new Connectivity Package – with 12 speakers, an 8-channel digital amp and an output capacity of 360 watts.

As standard in the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman: automatic driving lights control.

An addition to the standard range of fittings for the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman from summer 2018 serves to enhance both comfort and safety. In future, the two MINI models in the premium compact segment will be fitted with automatic driving lights control as standard. This function ensures needs-oriented activation and deactivation of the headlights and rear lights depending on the light conditions in the environment of the vehicle. For this purpose, the driving light switch in both models can be turned to an additional position from July 2018: it is marked by a graphic symbol containing the letter "A". When using the automatic driving lights system, the lights are not only activated at night but also when dusk is falling and when visibility is poor due to the weather conditions, as well as when passing through tunnels or in dark multi-storey car parks.

Fuel consumption, CO₂ emission figures and power consumption were measured using the methods required according to Regulation (EC) 2007/715 as amended. The information is based on a vehicle with basic equipment in Germany; ranges take into account differences in wheel and tyre size selected as well as optional equipment.

The information has already been calculated based on the new WLTP test cycle and adapted to NEDC for comparison purposes.

BMW Press CLub

Christmas in July
1 July 2018

   MONTH IN REVIEW                    

Graeme and Jo are now back from their 6 week stint in Europe and are busy planning the rest of the year out in motorsport and events.  

"We are now a couple of months old and WOW, what a couple of months it has been!

When we first started down the road of building a new club and all the work it took to get it off the ground, we thought it would be great if in six months or a year we had 100 members, maybe a couple of years we might even make 200.  I can’t tell you how proud and grateful I am, that it only took few short weeks to welcome our 100th member and now we are well on our way to 200.  I am amazed.  Thank you for joining and we hope we can give you what you want from a club.  If there is anything you want to do, or think might be fun for us to organise, please drop us a line and you never know, we might just run with the idea.  Our door is always open, and we are always looking for ideas.  It is your club after all." - Graeme Bell.  Read the full President's Report here.

Over the last month we have been doing a lot of work on our website.  Our motorsport pages are now up and running and we have dates set for our "mini" Drivers' Championship for 2018!  Special thanks to AROCA, who have allowed us to run our championship at their rounds this year.  

There is also now a 'members only' area, where our members can find committee meeting minutes, our Drivers' Championship rules, information on BMW Clubs Australia and member services.  We are keen to support those who support us, so if you would like to feature your business on our member services page we'd love to hear from you!

We had a number of events in June - we had our first members meeting at Shannons Insurance with our "Have you ever wondered why?" themed night.  It was a great success and created some great discussion!  Read more on the night here.

We then enjoyed a fantastic day at SkyHigh, Mount Dandenong on Queens Birthday!  The weather certainly put on a show and our members had a fantastic day!  You can read more about our trip to SkyHigh here.

We also had a number of members attend the AROCA sprint day at Phillip Island on 30 June to compete and also do the pace laps!  The weather wasn't the best but that didn't deter anyone.  Keep an eye on our website to read more about this.

  THE MONTH AHEAD                    

  EVENTS NOT TO MISS!                   

  NEWS | BLOG                    

• A Visit to BMW Munich
  
• Strong pace but no reward: BMW M8 GTE finishes 12th in its Le Mans debut 
  
• The all-new BMW X5: The Prestige SAV with the most innovative technologies

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.