Dear members,  

Welcome to 2025!

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Year break and is looking forward to the coming year as much as I am.

Is it now only just the end of January, yet with so much already happening within our club it definitely feels later.

But what a great start to the year we have had so far.

10 January we had over 80 members attend our twilight drive up through the Dandenong ranges ending with coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme.  It was great to all meet at Ringwood BMW and have a chat to the staff there before the drive.  Unfortunately, Jo and I were unable to attend as we both contracted COVID early January.  Great turn out of members but also fabulous to see so many non-members attend then become members after the drive.  Welcome all.   Again, using TourBoss for this drive it made such a large group much easier to control having 2 lead cars and the digital navigation guiding all through the evening to watch a fabulous sunset at the top of Mt Dandenong.

19 January had a large group of BMWs displaying at Cruden Farm for the Festival of Motoring.  Great weather, beautiful cars and lots to see and do through the day.  This is a brilliant event and one you need to watch out for each year.

26 January was our annual Australia Day drive which started with lunch at Yarra Valley Lodge, again a huge turn out with over 70 attending with some amazing cars, from historic registered cars to the latest models.  Great to see the diversity of our club members cars.  The one thing that makes both Jo and I proud is the families who bring their children young and old to these events.  We are a family, and this shows.   After lunch we headed off again using Tourboss with two groups again for ease of driving.  Great roads, fantastic navigation and like the twilight drive we finished the drive at the Pancake Parlour in Doncaster and might I say, we all enjoyed some the of nicest pancakes I have had in years.  This event also had members and non-members attending which makes us very proud.

30 January a large group of members are attending the Bathurst 12 hour.  As with all our events we invite members from all the states, and it is wonderful to say we have members attending this year from NSW BMW Drivers Club as well as Melbourne.  There will be some of our club members camping as well and they will be joining us in the 12-hour suite for some of the exciting BMW experiences Jo will produce for us.   Watch out on FB over the weekend for photo updates from me and the others attending.  We also have members officiating over the weekend as well as racing too so watch your screens and see if you can spot some of our members live on TV.

We took a different route up to Bathurst this time, heading East through Gippsland then North up through the Snowy Mountains, with an overnight stop at Cooma, on through Canberra to Bathurst. It was a much nicer drive that the usual Hume Highway trip and we will head back that way too after the weekend’s fun.

Jo had an email from Sunil Vohra, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Australia, who is also a club member, and he will be putting in a guest appearance over the weekend as well.  Jo always manages to pull some surprises out of her hat, so let’s see what she has instal for us all this weekend.

I’ll give a fuller report next month but so far we have had visits in the suite from other BMW club’s members, dropping in for a chat, as well as other people we know.  We had a visit today by Craig Lowndes dropping in to tell us about the Prostate Cancer Foundation that they are supporting with their entry in the 12 Hour. We managed to raise $1500 in donations whilst he was there, so thank you to those that donated on the spot. Very proud our members support a charity that has a lot of meaning to me personally, having just gone through the prostate cancer surgery. Bruce Stewart from Walkinshaw Andretti dropped in for a visit too and shared he also has just undergone Prostate Cancer surgery, so it is very fitting we are supporting such a great cause.

The month ahead

Upcoming events, always lots going on and something for everyone!

4 February is the Midweek Halls Gap Fire Recovery 2-night trip away.  With the devastation of the bush fires our club is very passionate about giving back to the local communities and this is one way we can help, by going to the regions most devastated and injecting some much need cash into their economy.  Spots still available if you are retired or can manage a few days off.

8 February is the Pre Torquay-Motor Show Cruise.  This is always a fun drive and a great way to meet the members who will be attending the display on the Sunday.

9 February Torquay Motor Show.  Join us for this great display of cars.  There won’t just be BMWs but cars for all marques around the world.   See if our David Pye can take our best European car of the display again.

9 February our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will start with a hill climb at the iconic Rob Roy Hill climb.  MG Club have spent thousands of dollars resealing the track and updating the facilities, so be sure to join us and our members at this great track.  Even if you are not competing, come along and support those who are.  Entries are open now. This event is also part of the Victorian Inter-club Hill Climb Championship. It would be great to get a lot of BMWs there to try and get lots of points for the interclub challenge.

14 February Presentation Award Night at Waverley BMW.  This is going to be an awards night a little different from most.  Seeing that we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals this year, we thought we would do a more relaxed night at the newly renovated Waverley BMW.  If you have not been through the new dealership, make sure you register, as its amazing.  State of the art facility with all the latest technology.  Come support all our members who will be awarded their trophies from 2024.  Thank you to Grip Auto Time Pieces for sponsoring the Show and Shine awards.

21 February is our Twilight Drive North-West and dinner.  This is bound to be another great drive with dinner at the end at Carolins Springs West Waters Resort.

23 February Traction Tyres/ Yokohama Drivers Championship round 2 at Sandown.  Entries are open so be sure not to miss out on this event too.

Wow! I am exhausted just typing what we have on for February, its going to be a full-on fun filled month with events to suit all our members, nearly every weekend! Jo and I will also be attending the Clubs Australia AGM in February, to catch up with all the national goings on and meet with BMW Group Australia as well.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

Early this month Jo sent out a Save the Dates calendar which I would urge you to hold onto and diarise some of the major dates, so you have an idea of what we are doing and what you want to do for the year.  There will be more events added to this, and we will update it as we move forward.

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals

The biggest event on this year is of course our BMW Nationals which will be held at Caroline Springs over the ANZAC Day long weekend. 24 April – 27 April. Visit https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ for full information on this event please go to our designated website.  We are lucky to have some fantastic sponsors on board who are all listed on the website. 

Want to be an official for this event? Contact Simon on officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let him know what you are interested in doing over the weekend and your skills.  We will need photographers for all the events, so if you have a keen eye for a good photo please let Simon know you will be able to help out there. 

Accommodation is filling fast.  If you are coming and want to stay at the Mercure WestWaters, please go to our national’s website and use the link which will take you directly to the discount booking form.

What are the Nationals you might ask?

Each year BMW Clubs Australia clubs converge on the host state to meet and enjoy events put on by the host state.  Even years are BMW Motorcycle clubs and odd years are BMW Car clubs.

BMWDCM were invited to bid for the Nationals back in 2023 and Jo and her band of very eager helpers have been busily planning this event since.

We have lots planned for this years Nationals from cocktail party at Melbourne BMW to ANZAC dawn service and Gun Fire breakfast.  Followed by 2 drives.  One long all-day drive and a shorter drive for those who want to be back to clean their cars ready for the show and shine on the Saturday.

Friday night will be a great fun night with our 70s themed trivia night, fancy dress is optional, but we would like you to try to make an effort.  Be sure to have your phone fully charged as the trivia will be using an app to ensure we are eco friendly with no paper wastage.

Sonax Australia will be at Calder Park with their wash station to help any who want to get their cars ready for the show on Saturday and this cleaning area will be available both Friday and Saturday. 

Saturday is going to be the Main Event with the Southern BM Super Sprints which is part of our club Championship.

Shannons Insurance 3 Series Car display and of course if you are not entering the show and shine you can also put your car on display it does not need to be a 3 series.  We are hoping for a huge 3 series display, as 2025 is 50 years of the 3 series and this is, of course, one of BMWs most popular model ranges.

Sonax Australia Show and Shine will be outstanding, we have already got some amazing cars registered.  Bring your car and put it in the competition.  Remember this is not a concourse but a show and Shine.  The car needs to be clean, scratches and dents which can’t be cleaned out do not lose points.   We welcome all BMWs to join us for this show.

There will also be trade stands for you to browse through and of course you are more than welcome to watch the super sprints while your cars are being judged or admired.

At the end of the track event, we will be doing the Racer Industries Parade Laps, which all are welcome to join as long as you have registered and signed a disclaimer.  Make sure to complete this before the day to avoid missing out.  No, you don’t need a race licence or a helmet.  These are controlled laps around the full track including the Thunderdome. 

We will be doing some photos, time permitting, of the group going around the track, which will be available for all after the event.

Saturday night will be our formal awards nights sponsored by Grip Auto Timepieces.  This night will be time to catch up again with your old and new friends and congratulate all those who have won their events over the weekend.  There will be some great prizes given and also some great silent auction items to bid on through the night.  All proceeds will go to our charity Peter Mac Cancer Research, which you can make a donation beforehand if you are not attending using this link.

We are still in discussions with our guest speaker, but Saturday night should be one you will all remember.

Sunday, most will be heading home to your respective states or heading off to enjoy some of our wonderful state with some great driving roads the Peter has prepared.

Our last official event for this weekend will be the farewell breakfast.  This is an informal morning wishing our friends and members a safe trip home and we will look forward to catching up with most of them at events through the year we hope.

Peter has put together an amazing Nationals Booklet which all attending will receive.  This is full of exciting details which you will want to take back to show all your friends and family. 

All attending and booking with the Nationals Package will receive a fantastic welcome pack which I am sure you will all love and use for years to come.

Merchandise is available for you all to order also, on the website, and all officials will receive an officials shirt for free.

Remember go to the website https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ to make your bookings.

In other news

A lot of you have seen me out and about at events and it is heartwarming all the kindness and beautiful messages both Jo and I have received regarding my health.  I am on the road to recovery now and very happy that my first PSA test since the operation has come back with flying colours so I must be doing something right.

Memberships have gone through the roof this month and I feel it is due to all our great events which are already happening this year. Welcome to all the new members that have joined recently, I hope you enjoy your club as much as we do.

Check out our calendar here. There are lots of events there already and we often add more in as well, so go back every now and then to see if anything new is coming up that you might like to attend.

I will finish here as I have said a lot, but we do have a lot on for you to enjoy. It will be a very busy year, so join in and enjoy what we have to offer. If you have any suggestions, we are always open to new ideas too. Get in touch with Jo or the committee if you have an idea for an event you think others might enjoy.

Take care out there, drive safe and see you at the next event.

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