The end point will be Bennigans on Army Post in Des Moines, the same place as last year. Drivers should expect to be back at Bennigans by at least 12:30 p.m. Any arrivals after 12:30 are contenders for the slowest low-rider award with 0 points for the event.

The route will incorporate items placed along the roadside by the Iowa Department of Transportation (not speed cameras) and devices used by the U.S. Postal service that you will have to pick out along your drive. For a little variety there will also be some items unique to the route such as some local eating establishments. There may be one or two stops that require the participant to get out of the car and gather a piece of information not apparent from the paved surface. These may be items used for bonus points so the short stroll could be worth the effort. Locations where this will be required are in low traffic areas with room to pull off the road.

The entire route is on pavement, may be a little bumpy but what stretch of asphalt isn’t in Iowa?

Keep checking the website www.bmwia.org and e-mail blasts for updates as the time gets near. The rules and scoring will be pretty much the same as in past years. This rally is about fun and seeing a little of Iowa that you might not have seen before in your daily travels. We hope to see you at the rally! And there may be a few curves along the route which makes driving a BMW so much fun.

Photo Rally Bonus update

Anyone needing a new helmet to meet the 2010 requirements may want to show up to the Photo Rally early to know what size they really need.

From 7:30 to 8:15 Steve Downey of Garvis Honda will do a helmet-fitting session during our Breakfast prior to the Rally. Steve will bring a variety of sizes from a couple of manufacturers, and will try to have a manufacturer rep there as well. Steve will only be available from 7:30-8:15 that morning, as Honda has a big motorcycle marketing deal starting that weekend. Having comfortable headgear on the track can make all the difference in how much fun you have.

Come get your head fitted and then enjoy the fun Photo Rally after enjoying a nice breakfast sponsored by Des Moines BMW.

Ralston, NE

What made you decide to purchase your first BMW?

We don’t own any BMWs yet. But, we have considered a MINI from time to time.

What is your favorite BMW Club event and why?

LDDS or O’fest. Since we are we out here in Omaha, we don’t get to see many Iowa chapter members too often except for the LDDS. O’fest is fun as it becomes a destination vacation, but all your friends are there and you get to go drive fantastic road courses.

Do you have a dream car?

If it was to be a BMW, probably a Z4 M coupe or a M6.

Once again, we plan to meet for brunch in Maquoketa and then spend the afternoon at the outdoor karting facility just south of Maquoketa in Delmar. This six-tenths of a mile track is full of twists, turns, chicanes, sweepers and brutal elevation changes, including a 45 foot uphill change in less than 100 feet at the end of the longest straight!

Best lap times will be available for comparison after each run group completes. My personal bests have been the results of average speeds approaching nearly 40 mph—believe me when I tell you that this feels very fast.

We’ll begin by meeting for the Sunday brunch buffet at 11:30 a.m. Price for brunch last year was $8.95 plus tax and tip, payable at the hotel. Updated pricing will be available when the event opens for registration.

After brunch, we’ll depart for the track, about nine miles south on Highway 61, arriving around 1 pm. For those of you that worry about these kinds of things, it’s all hard surface roads until you get to the track parking lot.

The kartway is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and we are being provided rentals at a group rate of $20 per participant for the first session and $10 for each additional 10 minute session (price is
subject to confirmation at the opening of the rental season). You will be responsible for payment at the track at the end of your day. Helmets and neck braces are provided with the rentals, though personal equipment can be used it as long as you also have a visor or goggles for eye protection. Long sleeves and pants are also recommended. Kart rentals are also available to those under 18 once a parent signs a consent form – see the track website for additional information. We’ll be going out in run groups of six for 10 minutes at a time, so I’d like to limit the rentals to around 24 participants to avoid significant waits.

For those that would just prefer to watch, digest and just enjoy what we hope will be a sunny afternoon, bleachers and picnic tables are available. If you are able to bring a canopy for shade, I’d recommend you do so. A cooler stocked with (non-alcoholic) beverages is also a good idea. Restroom facilities are portable toilets.

Please RSVP to Mike Myers at mike.myers@bmwia.org or 319-504-1025. Look for an additional announcement with confirmed prices and updated information when registration for the event opens at http://www.motorsportreg.com.

Plan to meet at the BMW Dealer Between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. Feel free to shop for your favorite next ride or accessory.

At 5:45 p.m. or earlier if everyone is ready, we will head out on a short 35 – 40 minute scenic non-direct drive to Rubes.

We can all go as a group following the leader or go at your leisure following the map.

Map of route: http://g.co/maps/f3wu5

We’ll make our way through the countryside to Ottumwa for lunch at the the Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company, then make the short drive to the airfield.

Maps of the routes are available at the following links:
Pella to Ottumwa: http://g.co/maps/xwe4m
Ottumwa to Blakesburg: http://g.co/maps/ax782.

The museum features a large collection of aircraft, many of which are regularly flown. The facility is host to the Antique Aircraft Association’s annual event at the end of August, known simply as “Blakesburg,” that brings aircraft from all over the nation.

Iowa weather being what it is at that time of year, this is a rain or shine event on paved roads. Dressing appropriately for the weather is recommended, as some of the aircraft are not located in a climate controlled areas.

For any other questions, or to assist with the event, especially if you live in the Pella or Ottumwa areas, contact Mike Myers at mike.myers@bmwia.org. An RSVP to the preceding address would also be appreciated to get a good attendance estimate to the restaurant for lunch.

Our Iowa BMW Car Club was organized over ten years ago for the sole purpose to establish high performance driving events for a few of the original organizers. And now, ten years down the road, we have established one of the premier High Performance Driving Schools in the country.

I can be positively assured, if you have never attended a High Performance Driving School, the thought that has often run through your mind while driving down the road is, “Man, I wish I could open this thing up to see what it can do.”

There is not a road in the world in which you can legally test the limits of your BMW’s performance or experience the limits of your driving skills. Our High Performance Driving School can improve your driving skills in many areas. In a fraction of a second, a good driver can process their car’s response to a number of adverse driving conditions and act accordingly to minimize the risk of an accident. We can teach you how to operate your car at its limits in a safe, controlled environment under the watchful eyes of our trained instructors.

Driving is the act of balancing the forces of nature; accelerating, turning and stopping your car; understanding these forces is fundamental to good driving skills.

Many people believe that you need a modified car to attend our driving school. The fact is a factory stock BMW is very sufficient for learning the skills we will teach at our school. A few years ago, we even had a showroom stock PT Cruiser attend, and the driver had a wonderful time.

We are looking forward to seeing you at our Longest Day Driving School on June 8-10 this summer. More details will be in the May issue of Newswerks.

When I was a new club member about 10 years ago, I was initially slow about attending my first event because I would not know anybody. But the members at my first event greeted me and were happy I was there. Therefore, I have been coming back ever since. So, what is holding you back?

In the fall of 2010, we had two brand new members attend Oktoberfest at Road America in Wisconsin as their first club event. They had a splendid time attending the many activities provided at O’fest, and since then, they have also attended the 2011 Fall Colors Drive and had the same wonderful time. So, what is holding the other 90% back? We have attempted to publicize our events via our newsletter Newswerks, via our Facebook and Twitter accounts and also through our email announcements. So, what is holding you back?

We are just a little over a month away from our signature event of the year, our Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet. For the first time in our history, the banquet will be held at one of our primary sponsors facilities on the showroom floor at BMW of Des Moines.

The site of 2012 Oktoberfest has just been announced which will be at Mid-Ohio Raceway from September 17-22.

So, what is holding you back?

If you have some direct insight as to what keeps you away from events, or what could attract others, let us know. Email me at president@bmwia.org.

The weather cooperated with us and we woke Saturday to a sunny day. For those in the Des Moines area, the tour started with breakfast at the 5 and Diner in Pleasant Hill at an early 7:30 a.m. We departed for Mt. Pleasant about 9:30 a.m. with 13 cars. We met 6 additional cars from eastern Iowa on our arrival in Mt Pleasant. We enjoyed lunch at a local bar and grill called Press Box Grill and Bar. This gave everyone a nice opportunity to meet and visit with the rest of the participants before heading to our final destination – Hannibal.

We arrived in Hannibal around 2:30 p.m., checked in to the host hotel – Best Western on the River near downtown Hannibal – and spent the rest of the afternoon sightseeing around the downtown area. At 6 p.m. we met at the Mark Twain Riverboat for an evening dinner cruise. The cruise was enjoyable although the early sunset prevented seeing much of the local scenery from the boat after dinner.

On Sunday, some early showers attempted to dampen our day but the weather once again cooperated and dried much of it off as a group of 9 cars met and drove a scenic loop south of Hannibal. We stopped at a few scenic overlooks along the way and everyone was able to get some photos of cars, scenery and old and new friends. A few hung around for lunch at a local café and then everyone was on their own for the trip home.

Thanks to everyone that participated and made it such an enjoyable weekend.

We came up with a TON of great ideas for the 2012 calendar, and maybe some that we can use in future years. Some of these ideas included doing a progressive garage tour, and sampling hors d’oervres along the way, a ladies’ night tech session, or how to take great automotive pictures.

We also discussed partnering with other car clubs and advertising their events on our website and vice versa. There are a lot of other great car clubs in the area, and maybe we could recruit some of their members to be a part of our group!

We discussed changing the format of the annual photo rally to make it more of a scavenger hunt or trap rally, as well as doing more driving-oriented events. Several suggested doing a Sunday drive to a wine tasting at one of the many Iowa wineries, or perhaps a drive to our monthly social dinner. All that attended the Vintage Torquefest and karting events in Maquoketa agreed that they were good events to add to the 2012 calendar.

At the end of the lunch, we started to firm up our 2012 calendar. Here’s how things shook out:

January: Social at an Iowa Energy or Des Moines Bucaneers games
February: Annual Dinner & Awards Banquet at BMW of Des Moines, Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m.
March: Spring drive to Blakesburg Antique Airplane Museum, starting in Pella, Marh 25.
April: Photo Rally in Des Moines, Sat. 28th; 14th — Tech Session at J&J in Cedar Rapids
May: Sunday 20th, karting in Maquoketa, Vintage Torquefest 4th & 5th
June: 8th-10th, Longest Day Driving School, Mid America Motorplex, Pacific Junction, IA; Possibly help with traffic at Iowa Speedway
July: Annual picnic, maybe near Des Moines; tech session at Jon Volz’ shop
August: I-Cubs game; possible multi-chapter driving school at Heartland Park Topeka
September: Oktoberfest, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Monday 17th-Sunday 23rd; Sunbelt/KC chapter driving school at Hallett Fri. 7th-Sun 9th; Salisbury House Concours d’Elegance Sat. 8th and Sun. 9th
October: Sun. 7th European Car Show at J&J in Cedar Rapids; Fall Color Tour, date & location TBA
November: Annual Planning Meeting
December: chili/video game session

Again, thanks to all who participated, and we hope to see everyone at an event or two in 2012! If you couldn’t make it out to the meeting, but have ideas, email Social Events Coordinator Alison Bell at alison.bell@bmwia.org.