The 2011 Driving Season is now formally over. The awards were handed out at the Annual Business Meeting in February and the results are published in this issue. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks for everyone who attended the Awards Presentation.

Now, all we have to do is make 2012 an even better Driving Season. But here I have to apologize a little bit. In previous years we always had the Driving Events calendar pretty much finalized at the Annual Business Meeting. Because of some family duties I wasn't able to devote the necessary time to get event organizers and dates locked in. Therefore, please keep an eye out for updates at the club website and in the Driveline because some event dates are still preliminary. However, as I wrote in my last column, the four “Biggies” are fixed, so please mark the dates on your calendars.

Detailed information on the first “Biggie” - Secrets of Jo Daviess County - was already published in the February Driveline. Information and registration forms for “Biggie”, number 2 - the GOF in St. Charles - are on the website of the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago.

And there is also some real good news about the GOF. The North American MMM Register has chosen to make this their annual national convention. That means

that you may expect a lot of pre-war MG's; Midgets, Magna's and Magnettes. The car show on Wednesday and the Rally to Volo on Thursday will be the main attractions of the GOF and are open to all MG's.

The event works a little bit different than an ordinary club event because registration is required. Therefore, not only mark your calendar for this one but click on the link and download the form. As co-hosts of the event, we have been asked to staff the rally and tour with at least 6 people to help start the MG's in St. Charles and assist line-up and parking at the Volo Museum finish. I will start to circulate a sign-up sheet at the next club meeting or you may call or e-mail me if you prefer. We'll talk about the rest of the four “Biggies” in one of my next columns.

Something else that is a little different this year is with the Spring Tune-up. Mark Leuck from Quality Tires in Willowbrook is not in town in late April and so he'll host our club on the first Saturday in May. That is still in time for the first Driving Event, the Spring Chicken Tour on May 20. Please join us to kick-off the 2012 Driving Season with an oil change, a tune-up, some bench racing, and a beer and a bite afterwards.

As always, please feel free to call or e-mail me at reinoutvogt@gmail.com and 847 342 9804.

"The more you drive, the more you smile".

-- Reinout Vogt