X Drives America started as a crazy idea that dreamer and former VP, Barön Selman, of the X Chapter hatched. He envisioned a member-to-member relay event with no set route or timeline in the X chapter’s early days. We became busy and lost focus on the event until this year…with it being not just the 25th anniversary of the X5 launch but also the creation of BMW’s X brand, we wanted something special and BIG to bring our members together around their collective passion for X. In conversations with BMW NA, we decided to host a celebration in the home of X, Greer, SC, in November. But that wasn’t enough, how could we make it bigger and better and involve those who wouldn’t be able to join us in November?

As the CCA’s newest chapter, we are also among the smallest and being a non-geographic chapter that means we are spread across not just the US but the world as we have members outside the US including Denmark and Hong Kong. So, the challenge was laid…how do we celebrate the much-loved X5, possibly revive Barön’s idea and do it in time for the November celebration? We reach out to and engage our WHOLE CCA family, of course. Thus, X Drives America was born!

Our goal: connect with all of our geographic chapters around their passion for the X brand (including X drive equipped vehicles) and our collective love of BMW. Our team designed a series of four routes that form (loosely) an X across the US and makes stops at each of our geographic chapters, assuming they opt in to participate. To keep things simple and timely, we assigned a date to each chapter and planned for each route to converge in Greer, SC in time for the November celebration. We then reached out to the respective geo chapter Presidents to ask for their support and participation. The ask? Host an event that showcases something unique about the chapter and invite members, asking them to bring X vehicles if they have them but being open to all members. X Chapter has provided four miniature models of each X5 chassis and assigned them to the four routes. Based on the launch date for each route we assigned the next X5 chassis. During the local events, the ask is to celebrate participating members, their vehicles (especially X and X drive equipped) and take fun photos with the mini X5 models to document the journey.

Miniature X Cars are traveling across America to visit local chapters. Photo by Valerie Caprigno

Produced from 1999-2006, the E53 was assigned to the Northwest route as our first route to launch with the furthest distance traveled and most stops.

The E53 began by traveling to Anchorage to meet up with an X chapter member who hosted a local event with other BMW friends. Next up, it headed to Portland, OR for a coastal day drive with the Oregon chapter. Then it was driven from Portland by VP Fred Krieger who joined the party at Puget Sound’s HPDE at Pacific Raceways on Friday, August 16. Thanks to Puget Sound’s leadership team and HPDE organizers, the X chapter and X vehicles were invited to attend for some parade laps during the HPDE’s lunch break.

Upon arrival we were able to check out what was happening on and off the track as well as socialize a bit. Then it was time to hit the track! Led by Scott Hieronymus, a former Driving Instructor intimately familiar with Pacific Raceways, the X crew set out once the all clear was given. Though parade laps are not at full speed for a variety of safety reasons, they allow drivers to get the feel for the track and how the vehicle handles in a track setting at highway speeds. Participants were pleasantly surprised at how the X vehicles handled on the track. Despite their size and higher center of gravity, they are surprisingly responsive and agile. At the end of the final lap, we paused at the well-known and picturesque Turn 5 for a photo op including the cars and their drivers, of course!

From left to right: Steve and Paul Melrose in the family X5, Scott Hieronymus with his new X3 and Valerie Caprigno, X Chapter President, with her rental X1. Photo by Christian Bouchez

To end the day, participants were also given the opportunity to ride along on some hot laps with Puget Sound driving instructors to get a feel for the track at speed.

To say it was a fantastic day is an understatement. We often say that we came to the club for the cars but stick around for the people, and the Pacific Raceways HPDE stop for X Drives America was no exception. The X chapter looks forward to partnering with Puget Sound on more X-centric events in the future.

In the meantime…interested in joining or simply learning more about the X Chapter? You can add the X chapter to your existing CCA membership at a cost of $15.30 per year at any time and also during your membership renewal. We welcome all who have a passion for X vehicles and/or own X drive equipped and X branded vehicles. Contact President Valerie Caprigno at president@bmwxchapter.com with questions or for help with adding the chapter. More information about the chapter and its activities can also be found here:

https://linktr.ee/bmw.xchapter.