This isn’t to preemptively rub it in. If you can get to this 48th annual Oktoberfest—beginning one week from this story—we’re confident you’re already registered or you’re about to register. But for those of you not able to make it, we don’t want to make O’Fest a giant secret only for the traveling masses ringing in the week on Halloween down in The Big Easy. Those of you have attended or supported any chapter or national event know that these events are not only made possible, but made even more engaging, through the support of our sponsors and partners. So here is a highlight of what we can expect and appreciate from many of our O’Fest sponsors and partners down in the Crescent City for the approaching O’Fest.
If you’ve peeked at the logo, you know that O’Fest is presented by Michelin. If you’re heading to O’Fest, there’s a chance you might come home with some Michelin tires. Well, fortunately, not the actual tires, but Michelin will be giving away certificates for five sets of Michelin tires throughout O’Fest. Michelin will be omnipresent at O’Fest, including the Vendor Hall, another fantastic Tech Talk, the engaging Drive and Compare program at the NOLA Motorsports Park Friday and Saturday and then hot laps with Michelin drivers in BMW M3s equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
Shell will be all over O’Fest, but their support will wind throughout New Orleans, too, even starting in Houston! That’s right, Shell is leading the Shell Energy Drive from Houston to New Orleans, stopping at a few Shell stations along the way, presumably fueling up with Shell V-Power NiTRO+. Stay tuned for updates along the ride in and then footage to follow the event. If you’re thinking, “But I wanted to do a ride with Shell, too!” there’s still a chance! Shell is also sponsoring the TSD Rally and the Fun Rally during O’Fest, too! Shell is providing a considerable amount of Shell gas cards during those rallies, but fear not because throughout O’Fest, including the $250 Shell gas cards for the Early Registrant Contest, Shell is providing more than $3,000 in Shell gas cards and you’ll have plenty of chances to win! Start out O’Fest with your best costume at the Shell-O-Ween Costume Party at Club XLIV, or hope to win gas cards at the Thursday Shell Performance Panel with BMW’s Tom Plucinsky and more.
Bridgestone will once again sponsor the Auto Cross and will be providing three sets of tires to lucky winners with one set being a door prize. Bridgestone will also be in the Vendor Hall and again hosting another great Tech Talk on Tuesday!
BMW will be supporting the event from three different departments, including bringing four amazing race cars to the NOLA Motorsports Park on Friday and Saturday. We’ll have the E46 M3 GT2, the E92 M3 GT and two Z4 GTLM cars but they won’t just be on display. You can register for charity rides in them and not just from any old driver, but from Mike Renner, Tom Plucinsky, Alex Schmuck and Bill Auberlen! After your head has settled from those charity rides, join us for the BMW Dinner Friday night at the track. The BMW Performance Center has contributed a two-day M School as part of the raffle items, too! You’ll get an early appreciation of BMW’s support at Wednesday’s BMW Classic Concours held at Audubon Park and then also get a chance to bid on a number of other prizes provided by BMW Classic, too!
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ing of the Concours, if you’re registering your car in the judged or display classes (or even if you’re not!), you’ll definitely want to visit the Griot’s booth in the vendor hall or clean up your car at the Griot’s Car Wash Corral. If you’re not clear on what to do with all the latest product and resources from Griot’s, come to their Car Care Clinic Tuesday afternoon. You’ll also have a chance to win a mechanical detailing kit and more through the raffle!
Another by-request event we’re bringing back to O’Fest this year is the Hagerty Valuation Seminar. We can’t yet tell you the value of your car, but with Hagerty providing their Valuation Guides to attendees, we can tell you the value of the seminar will be at least that guide’s $25 value! The seminar, to be held Thursday from 3:00 – 4:00, will be presented by independent appraiser and senior ASA member, Dave Kinney. In addition to the valuation guide, attendees will also receive Hagerty’s unique, custom made, BMW CCA-logo adorned hats, too! To value your BMW, head to Hagerty’s valuation tools. For additional information about Hagerty’s many services and resources, look for Hagerty’s Cris Vanderburg and Whit Montross on-site at the vendor hall and at the track. Hagerty track day insurance provides single-event High Performance Drivers Education (HPDE) coverage that is designed to protect your car from physical damage, both on the track and in the paddock, when you participate in HPDE events.
Thank you again to all our sponsors and partners of the club, including those who support many of our other events. This O’Fest is again looking to be a strong one, thanks largely in part to the fun and support partners have planned with us!
