About this event
As a mid season excursion, Windy City BMW Club will once again be heading out to South Bend, Indiana to have a weekend of fun with our cars. 2026 is the third year of the Yokohama Experience at the Tire Rack!
Weekend festivities will begin with a party on Friday night in the parking lot at our host hotel, the South Bend La Quinta Inn & Suites, 52554 State Hwy 933 South Bend, IN 46637. Festivities will begin at 6:00 pm local time with grilled meat provided. Bring a chair, a dish to share, and your favorite beverage for a night of fun and camaraderie! If you would like to stay at the La Quinta, please find the room block information on the club website or call 574-544-5851 and ask for our block. King is and Double is .
With the new Yokohama Experience, Saturday will no longer be a putz around day, it will be a competition at the Tire Rack Test Track! It won’t be for season points, but it will be for great prizes and special trophies. Following last year's positive reception, we will once again be having the traditional Test and Tune starting in the morning, and transitioning into car shennaings with a competitive Gymkhana around 1:30 pm once again! The afternoon fun is optional if you would like to participate. If not, you are welcome to explore South Bend and the surrounding area (just don't forget to come back for dinner!). There will be a brief safety meeting at 9:15 am, with the goal to send the first car off at 9:45 am.
Saturday evening there will be a group dinner once again at the Tire Rack, where our Gymkhana Saturday champions will be recognized along with other prizes raffled off. The entire Saturday event will be $30, otherwise if you just want to attend the Saturday dinner, the fee will be $15 (if registering via paper application, please make this check payable to Windy City BMW). You may BYOB, and you must be present to win a raffle prize!
Sunday is a competitive autocross on the Tire Rack's test track. Check-in will begin at 8:00am eastern time and close at 8:25am, with the mandatory drivers meeting to follow. Please be aware of the time change and make sure you're on time; missing the drivers meeting means you won't be participating on Sunday. We aim to wrap up the driving by about 3:00 pm eastern time, allowing everyone to get back home by early evening.
Yokohama Experience by Tire Rack - The Tire Rack - 7101 Vorden Parkway, South Bend, IN 46628
Driver Online Registration
Opens: January 10 - 12:00 AM
Shirt Deadline: May 8 - 8:00 PM
Closes: May 27 - 8:00 PM
What is Autocross? Click here.
Rules and classifications are here. Questions: autocross@windycitybmw.com
You must be a member or an associate member to participate as a driver in this event. Unfortunately, BMW Car Club of America has imposed a rule on club chapters that prohibits us from accepting non-member income from guests participating in club events, and unless this policy changes in the future, we sadly cannot allow guests to participate as drivers at our events moving forward. Guest spectators are still welcome!
Note: For those under 18 years old, you need a special minor waiver. Download it here. It must be signed by both parents and minor, then handed in at the event. Parent or guardian must be present for the entire event with a minor.
Event requirements
REGISTRATION ONLINE: Registration for Saturady exhibition event is $30 and Sunday event competition is $65 for each driving participant. Thanks to the generosity of Yokohama and the Tire Rack, 100% of the registration fee for Sunday's competition will go to your choice of charities: BMW CCA Foundation, GiGi's Playhouse, or the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
To register electronically for the Yokohama Experience at the Tire Rack, please make your charitable contribution of at least $65 FIRST to one of the club supported charities, and screenshot the confirmation of your donation as proof of payment, to be provided later in this registration form. You can donate to your preferred club supported charity below directly via their website:
- BMW CCA Foundation - https://bmwccafoundation.org/
- GiGi's Playhouse - https://gigisplayhouse.org/
- Northern Illinois Food Bank - https://solvehungertoday.org/
If you are not comfortable completing the donation electronically and would rather send a check, please complete the paper application instead and remit a physical check per the registration instructions, which can be found on the club website at https://windycitybmw.org/.
There is a calculator to assist you in determining your car’s points and its class here, Click here. If you have questions, email at autocross@windycitybmw.com, but please review the rules first. Helmets must be SNELL rated SA 2015 or newer, or M rated dated 2015 or 2020 only.
For additional information, please visit the Autocross Section of the club website.
