It’s been a while since we’ve held Oktoberfest, our largest celebration of BMW enthusiasts, in the Midwest. In fact, it’s been 13 years since our visit to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Columbus in 2012. Recent O’Fests have been coastal affairs, with just a few brave souls venturing across the continent. It was time to make a return inland.
By David Brighton, North Central Region RVP, BMW CCA
After I was elected regional vice president representing much of the Midwest, I started getting the same question, repeatedly: “When are we going to have an O’Fest here again?” I made a proposal to the board, clearly explaining that no, it would not be arctic conditions in Wisconsin in October and that members wouldn’t need snow tires.
I approached Badger Bimmers about hosting O’Fest at Road America, 15 years after our last visit to the iconic track in 2010. Considering that Ron Pace, Road America’s president, and David Burman, the track’s head of business development, are Badger Bimmers members, I thought we could pull this off.
After contacting Badger Bimmers’ president Jeff Fait, discussions centered on how to make this happen. Road America is a Tier I track, so it is booked and contracted nearly every weekend of the year. But a track event is very important to the success of any O’Fest, and there aren’t many tracks better than Road America. That’s when we saw the opportunity.
Badger Bimmers annual O’Fast driving school was already scheduled at Road America in October, so expanding that into a full-on national event would solve our conundrum. With that, O’Fest became O’Fast and the serious planning between Badger Bimmers and the national office could begin.
We went over our surveys, ensuring that we were meeting the concerns and desires of club members. It wouldn’t be a full week—that was too long. We’d provide gaps in the schedule for group or personal activities. And we’d keep items on the schedule that proved popular in the past. Mostly, we wanted to make sure we were providing a fun weekend for the members who took time out of their schedules to spend it with us.
After all that planning, we were greeted by a picture-perfect fall weekend. The weather was in excellent form, a little cool in the mornings, but free of rain, snow and tornadoes.
The location was spectacular. The Osthoff Resort—one of the finest in the upper Midwest—was the main location for lodging, evening events, and the hub of all activities.
Wednesday’s kickoff was the welcome reception at The Osthoff. Entertainment came courtesy of Tom Plucinsky from BMW NA interviewing the retiring Satch Carlson about his nearly 30 years at the helm of Roundel. It was also an opportunity for Tom and Satch to introduce our new editor, Travis Okulski.
Thursday began with Caffeine & Gasoline (and donuts) on the Osthoff ’s large green space right next to Elkhart Lake. Although the cars weren’t judged, most participants prepared their pride and joy for the many members who strolled with friends among the new and vintage BMWs. There were also cooking classes, a bourbon tasting and an evening reception at the Tufte Center located at the track. One of the many group drives on Thursday afternoon was planned by the Buckeye Chapter, who drove to and explored Door County in northern Wisconsin. There were also several self-guided drives offered, including the Historic Circuit around Elkhart Lake. Several points of interest were mapped out, such as the Kohler Company and the Wade House historic site in Greenbush.
Friday brought autocross—held on the go-kart track inside Road America’s grounds—as well as BMW CCA Club Racing which continued from Thursday. There was the car control clinic, more cooking classes, and additional self-guided driving tours. Several members drove to Green Bay and participated in public tours of Lambeau Field. Friday evening saw about 140 cars join the Sunset Parade Laps of Road America, followed by an evening reception with food, s’mores and live music.
The High-Performance Driving School—led by Badger Bimmers and many talented instructors from around the country—began on Saturday. For those not on the big track, karting was also available. That was all followed by the closing banquet honoring Satch Carlson, who regaled the room with tales from his decades-long tenure with the club.
It was truly a wonderful time, a special weekend put together thanks to the tireless work of Badger Bimmers and the national office. The chance to spend time with old friends and meet new ones who share this passion for BMW is always worth it. I’m already looking forward to the next one in 2027, currently planned for Pittsburgh. I hope to see you there
This column originally appeared in the Q1 2026 edition of Roundel.
