Club Activities

The Concours committee is responsible for producing the Club’s annual car show or Concours d’Elegance which traditionally takes place in late July each year.  BMW Seattle has been our event sponsor for many years, with additional support from Griot’s Garage as our official Car Care sponsor. 

The Concours is held at Cedar River Park in Renton as part of the Renton River Days community celebrations. It is considered by most measures to be the biggest single Club event of the year. Cars are entered in two categories; “Judged” and “Display Only” for owners who wish to display their BMW, but not participate in the judged competition.  Trophies are awarded in the judged category for first, second and third place.  There are also trophies for best of show, entrants’ choice and people’s choice.  The people’s choice trophy is open to all cars both judged and display only.  The trophies are high quality cut glass items that have proven to be very coveted by our participants.  

The focus of the event has been highly inclusive.  The committee has encouraged all members who wish to show off their prized BMW to do so.  We have made it clear that the car need not be a "trailer queen" and indeed we have had many nicely maintained daily drivers "on the grass."  As a result of this focus, and a regional participation, the event has grown steadily and now sees well over 100 BMWs entered spanning 7 decades!  For additional information about the Concours d’Elegance please contact event chair Ken Hill at khill178@earthlink.net

link to past Concours posters

Other than the Concours our biggest events of the year are the club driving schools. Experienced Club Instructors help students become more familiar with the potential of their BMWs. The schools are designed, not as race driver training, but as an avenue to learn how to become better, safer drivers; to learn in a safe and controlled environment the limits of ones car and their driving abilities. We take great pride in creating a program that is valuable to all levels and types of drivers. From those that are interested in just learning more advanced driving skills; to newly licensed young drivers that want to be better, aware drivers; to our members who’s goals are to join the Club’s Lapping Days where they can take their skills to the next level.  In addition we also offer avenues for those who are truly hooked and eventually want to go racing, through our Club’s affiliation with the local Northwest-racing league, International Conference of Sports Car Clubs (ICSCC).

Our novice schools are primarily held at Bremerton Raceway and include a morning of car control exercises, and instructional runs on autocross type courses in the afternoon. Instruction stations include skid control, emergency lane change, cornering, braking and downshifting, and oversteer/understeer demonstration.  All are designed to help students learn how their car behaves at its limits. Our focus is in real world driving and how these skills can help drivers in their day to day commutes. In addition, we provide a novice day at our local road course, Pacific Raceways, to enable the students a way to pull their newly learned skills together at a full road course venue. With the intent to have drivers reach the skill requirements to join us at our lapping events throughout the summer.   

Instructor Clinic

On an annual bases we also offer an Instructor’s Clinic as a way to help our instructor base stay informed of our programs and to learn new teaching techniques.  We encourage any of our drivers who have a desire to instruct with our club to attend and begin the process of becoming an instructor.  Our instructor level provides a great avenue for many drivers to give back to the Club’s programs. We have an excellent base of instructors and helpers who help make our events the best in the region!

Lapping Days

Held at Pacific Raceways, lapping days are designed for those that have completed 2 novice schools. Instructors are mandatory for first time students, and all participants are taken through a series of licensing levels over a number of events that reflect their progress. A technical inspection is required for all cars driving at the track, and all must pass the minimum level to participate.  We hold 3 or 4 of these events per year. In addition to holding lapping days at our local track we also offer to our advanced drivers the unique and valuable opportunity to drive at new and different tracks, with the intent to provide a further way to advanced their skills. Laguna Seca Raceway, California, is just one example of a track we have been able to introduce to our drivers; as well as, Portland International Raceway in Oregon.

Tours typically consist of challenging roads, beautiful scenery and lots of varied BMW cars and club members.  This year’s tours consisted of a trip in the spring to a roadside restaurant in Southwestern Washington and a fall two-day trip to Eastern Washington with five other BMW clubs.

The Mary McCrank’s tour had over 40 cars involved in a half-day event.  Beautiful scenery in the rural farmlands of Southwestern Washington was featured as well as a home style meal at Mary’s.  Driving in the middle of the pack was impressive as you could see BMW’s in front and behind as far as the eye could see.

General Activities

Activities for members are presented throughout the year.  These activities are varied and range from wine tastings to tech sessions to karting events and whatever else our imaginations can come up with!  While some activities require an entry fee, most activities are planned that require no entry fee so everyone can enjoy the fun.

Technical Sessions

Scheduled throughout the year, meetings are held at local shops and businesses that demonstrate technical aspects of BMWs. Some are hands-on and involve nuts-and-bolts applications. Other meetings are more informational and still others involve the cosmetic aspects of BMWs.

Annual Banquet

The Banquet is another way we give back to the community.  Every year at the end of January we hold a semiformal dinner, live/silent auction and listen to a guest speaker.  Some of the proceeds we raise from the auction, featuring products from the local area businesses, are donated to the charity we have selected for the year. 

The Annual Banquet is a great time for all of us to get together and reminisce about the past events.  It is also a great time to talk to the general membership about the direction of the club and discuss events for the upcoming year.

Car Corral

The biggest car weekend of the year in the Northwest is the vintage races held the July 4th weekend at PR.  Activities include a car corral for all of the local car clubs to exhibit their cars and promote their clubs.  Our Club always has a strong showing and we attempt to display both old and new cars.  All of the entry fees are donated to a local charity.