The Bulldog Motorsports Club hosted its first cars and coffee event of the semester, which brought community and club members together over the love of cars.
The club held its car meetup on Sunday, Sept. 8, in the parking lot of Bernie’s Place, where members and attendants could show off their various vehicles while sipping on coffee. There were around 30 different vehicles showcased, ranging from bikes, cars and trucks, and over 50 people attended the meet. Members used this time as an opportunity to meet new people and show them what the BMC is all about.
Welding engineering technology junior Ethan Tymensky is the social media coordinator of the club, and the BMC has been a big part of his life since coming to school. He believes anyone can get involved with this club because you don’t have to know much about cars or have a flashy vehicle to participate in their events and group outings.
“You don’t have to have a fancy car or know everything about them. Cars are what initially brings us together which tends to lead to non-car events like bowling or even axe throwing,” Tymensky said. “We have one of the bigger automotive programs in the state, so we have a lot of people to show and represent the love of car culture.”
The BMC tries its best to host smaller events like those as the winter starts to come around. An examplwe is NASCAR racing watch parties and going to go-cart tracks. Tymensky believes in hosting events like this that the community can get involved with, so they can have a larger outreach.
“We try to sell our T-shirts, just so we can put on little events,” Tymensky said. “It especially helps during the winter, when we don’t want to have our nice cars out. We have our little beaters and even sometimes driving those gets tight financially. Doing events like that gives us the chance to not drive them more than needed and get all of us involved.”
Mechanical engineering technology junior Corey VanOcthen recently became president of the BMC. The club members have supported him and helped get the club operational as he transitioned to a new role.
One of his goals for the semester is to grow the club by showing that there is a place for everyone within it.
“We try and welcome anyone regardless of what kind of vehicle they have,” VanOchten said. “Our only goal is to bring the community together. We’re completely non-profit and we just want everyone to get together to have fun.”
VanOchten was pleasantly surprised with the turnout for the first meet. The variety of different vehicles is what he believes attracts people to their events.
“It’s the first cars and coffee we’ve hosted since it has become a monthly event, and the amount of people showing up is almost as much as last year,” VanOcthen said. “Even the variety of vehicles we have displayed shows we welcome everyone. Whether it’s a motorcycle, a nice truck, a rust bucket or if you don’t even have a car, it’s a great time to meet and talk to people.
Welding and engineering technology junior Braden Cowell has been a club member since he started college. Due to the harsh winters that Big Rapids faces, he recognizes why meets held earlier in the year draw more attention.
“For the first event of the season, we are pretty happy with the turnout,” Cowell said. “These tend to be a little hit or miss further into the year with the weather but we always appreciate everyone who shows up to support us.”
Cowell has been around while the club has been restructured for the last three years, and a common goal expressed by all the members is a community appeal. He is proud of where the club is today and hopes they can continue to get students and the community involved with their events.
“It’s a good time for the whole family. It is free and gives people the chance to check out genuine vehicles that are built and owned by students,” Cowell said. “We enjoy connecting with people who live here and being able to hang out with everyone.”
The BMC plans on hosting its future cars and coffee events on the second Sunday of each month. To stay up-to-date with the BMC regarding car meets, fundraisers, and other events, check their Instagram page @bulldog_motorsports_club.