The Festorics Issue

die flüsternde Volume 37 Number 9October 2008

live green print green

let’s do business together

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P U B L I C AT I O N S D I R E C T O R I E S A N N U A L R E P O R T S M A N U A L S A N D M O R E

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On the cover

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Your input is encouraged! Magazine submissions deadline is the 1st of each month prior to publication.

Chapter Email List Disclosure:The Golden Gate Chapter has created an

email list from the National BMW CCA data-base to send out event announcements that don’t make it into print. We promise to respect your time and limit the frequency of these mes-sages to one or two a month.

This email list is sent to all Golden Gate chapter members who chose to provide an email address to the BMW CCA when they joined or renewed their membership. You have the option to add or remove your address from this list at any time. To add your email address visit http://lists.ggcbmwcca.org/mailman/listinfo/announce and follow the directions. To remove your address go to http://lists.ggcb-mwcca.org/mailman/options/announce, enter your email address and click on the unsub-scribe button. There is no password.

www.ggcBMWcca.org

1971-2008Golden Gate Chapter

Celebrating 37 years of BMW enthusiasm in the

Golden Gate region.

Classified Advertising Submissions:Our online Classified Ads are free to all current

BMW CCA members. To submit an ad, please visit Golden Gate chapter’s website: www.ggcb-mwcca.org. This magazine no longer accepts classified ads for print.

PublishingDie Flüsternde Bombe is produced monthly

(except for combined issues Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb). Article/photo submission deadline is the first day of each month prior to publication. Submissions go to the Assignments Editor at: AE@ggcbmwcca.org.

Commercial Advertising: This publication is read monthly by over

5,000 BMW enthusiasts in Northern California. Deadline for new ad artwork is the fifth day of each month prior to publication. Please submit artwork to the Advertising Manager.

Commercial advertisers are responsible for supplying their own ad copy. All commercial advertising must be paid in advance. Contact the Advertising Manager for further details: Advertising@ggcbmwcca.org. Please note, this publication is sent Bulk Rate USPS.

For Web or Email-blast advertising rates, please contact the Advertising Manager.

MAGAZINE AD RATES PER MONTH:Commit to: 1 issue 2-3 issues 4-7 issues 8-10 issues

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“ The Wh i spe r i ng Bomb”The Official Magazine of the Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA

Volume 37, No. 9 October, 2008 Die Flüsternde Bombe

Laguna Seca’s paddock is just one of the many exotic sights and sounds of the Monterey Historics weekend.

Photo: Jeff Cowan

Across The Board ......................................5Calendar Of Events ...................................6Announcements ........................................8News From National ..............................19Minutes .....................................................20Rumble Strip ............................................23New Members .........................................24CCA Discounts ........................................25Factory Authorized BMW Dealers ......25Chapter Information ...............................26

Area Meet & Greets ...................11 North Bay: by Amanda Topper East Bay: by Mary Sandkohl

BMWs: They’re Just Inevitable .. 12 By Ron Schmitz

2008 BMW Festorics ............. 14-18 Backroads Tour ................. 14

Friday Banquet ................ 15 Historic Races .................. 16 By Sven Schindler

Thirty Years As A Member .......27 By Elaine Ashby

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Acro

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By Tammi Hull, Treasurer

A s you read this, I’m either in Watkins Glen, New York at the annual BMW CCA Oktoberfest and BMW Club races, or driving the 2,750 miles (per Mapquest) back home. If you didn’t go, I can already tell you that you missed out on a couple of great events—over 800 members signed up to attend and 125 racecars were scheduled to compete! Even without those kind of numbers, O’fest is always a fun event!

If you missed it, there’s always next year, which should also be another exciting one. BMW CCA has chosen yet another great location—Road America! If you’re like me, and the expe-rience of viewing or reading about races at Road America has inspired you to drive that track, here is your chance!

I’ve been to Road America and it’s just as beautiful in person as it in on TV or in photos. The surrounding area—especially the famous Siebkens Resort—is spectacular! It’s worth visiting even if there wasn’t a world-class race track in its midst. So, start planning now!

Thinking ahead, should we work on a group deal to rent a couple of enclosed car transporters? Actually, if you can do long days of driving, it’s only a two to three day drive. Email me with your thoughts.

Why am I so enthusiastic about going to our CCA O’fests? First and foremost, I love this car club for the people I’ve gotten to know through it and the camaraderie of my fellow members. There are fervent racers I get to race with, the passionate O’festers who attend every year no matter where or when it’s being held, and the dedicated volunteers who organize great events and work behind the scenes to keep the chapter running smoothly.

Volunteers are the gears that keep this Club and Chapter running. You, too, can be a great help by volunteering to help out at an event. Pick an event you want to attend and, after you register, drop the organizer an email to ask how you can help. It’s that easy and it is SO appreciated.

And if you really want to get involved in the Chapter go-ings on, volunteer to run for a chapter office. If you’ve been laughing at the antics in the board minutes, then come to a board meeting to find out the things that AREN’T mentioned in the minutes. Yes, you guessed it, it’s that time of year again! We’re asking people like you to step forward to be a candidate for one of the board positions.

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Calen

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nts Find the most current calendar at: www.ggcBMWcca.org

To add an event to the calendar, email your information to: CommunicationsManager@ggcbmwcca.org

Dates Event/Location ContactOctober

Oct 3-5 Pacific Sharkfest 2008 Sonoma, CA Paul DiMauro www.pacificsharkfest.com pdpaintspaul@netscape.net Oct 3-4 Driving School Roadrunner/Sonora Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, AZ Rick Touton www.roadrunnerbmw.org RickTouton@aol.com Oct-08 SoCal Vintage Meet SoCal Vintage Woodley Park, Van Nuys, CA Jeff d’Avanzo/John Barlow www.SoCalVintagebmw.com socalvintagebmw@yahoo.com Oct 11-12 Club Racing School DCI/NASA Willow Springs Int’l Raceway, Rosamond, CA Oct 13-14 Driving School Inland Empire Spokane Raceway Park, Spokane, WA Scott Adare www.iebmw.org sadare@aol.com Oct-08 Board Meeting GG Chpt Gau Poang Restaurant, San Mateo Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org president@ggcbmwcca.org Oct-08 Car Control Clinic GG Chpt Marina Municipal Airport, Marina Bob Goebel & Grant Low www.ggcbmwcca.org carcontrol@ggcbmwcca.org Oct-08 Autocross GG Chpt Marina Municipal Airport, Marina Kris Linquist & Matt Visser www.ggcbmwcca.org autocross@ggcbmwcca.org Oct 25-26 Club Race GG Chpt Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA Mike Mills www.bmwclubracing.com chairman@bmwclubracing.com

Oct-08 U.S.S. Potomac Tour & Cruise GG Chpt Fremont and Oakland, CA Mike Zampiceni www.ggcbmwcca.org socialdirector@ggcbmwcca.org Oct-08 SLO Tour: Pozo GG Chpt San Luis Obispo County, CA Dennis Harold www.ggcbmwcca.org sloarearep@ggcbmwcca.org

NovemberNov 1-2 Infineon Driving School GG Chpt Infineon Raceway, Sonoma Billy Maher & Peter Vinsel www.ggcbmwcca.org trackschools@ggcbmwcca.org Nov-08 Tech Session GG Chpt BMW of Concord, Concord, CA Aleksey Kadukin www.ggcbmwcca.org technicalsessioncoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org Nov 8-9 Club Race LA Chpt Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow Patrick Avakian www.bmwccaclubracing.com patavakian@gmail.com Nov-08 Top Driver Shootout GG Chpt Marina Municipal Airport Kris Linquist & Matt Visser www.ggcbmwcca.org autocross@ggcbmwcca.org Nov-08 Board Meeting GG Chpt Gau Poang Restaurant, San Mateo Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org president@ggcbmwcca.org

DecemberDec-08 Board Meeting GG Chpt Gau Poang Restaurant, San Mateo Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org president@ggcbmwcca.org Dec-08 Not the 49-mile Scenic Drive GG Chpt San Francisco JP Collins www.bayarea02.com jp@bayarea02.com

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Die Flüsternde Bombe ScheduleThe production of the GGC newsletter is ten issues a

year. What that works out to is eight monthly issues a year plus two issues which are combined months: November-December and January-February. You can expect these issues to show up about two weeks later than the other issues. Of course, you can always find PDF versions of the Bombe on the GGC website under Communications.

U.S.S. Potomac Cruise Join your BMW friends on a boat cruise on the

famous U.S.S. Potomac, known as the floating White House of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is likely to be our last major chapter social event of the year.

The U.S.S. Potomac was built in 1934 as the Coast Guard cutter Electra. The 165-foot vessel—commis-sioned as a U.S. Navy vessel in 1936, renamed the U.S.S. Potomac, and served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential yacht until his death in 1945. Aboard this vessel in August of 1941, Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the first time to plan the future strategy for war-torn Europe.

The Port of Oakland purchased the ship in 1980, then spearheaded a cooperative effort with organized labor, maritime corporations, and dedicated volunteers to complete a $5,000,000 restoration in 1995. For more information on this ship, see www.usspotomac.org.

Our plan for the day—to get our adrenaline pumped up for the fresh sea air—is to start off with an optional short driving tour of the East Bay hills before the cruise on the U.S.S. Potomac. If you’re interested, meet at Star-bucks at 43941 Hugo Terrace in Fremont (near Automall Parkway and Fremont Blvd) at 9:00 a.m. for tire kicking, brief shmoozing, and a driver’s meeting. We’ll leave promptly at 9:30 for a one-hour tour of the east bay hills, then will arrive about 10:30 at Jack London Square in Oakland. The group will park at the Washington St.

Garage at Washington and 2nd Streets, and then head over to the Potomac office at 540 Water St.

At the office, we’ll watch a short historical video, then board the ship for an 11:00 a.m. departure. When we return—about 1:00 p.m.—we’ll walk a couple of blocks to the Fat Lady restaurant, known as one of Oakland’s finest lunch and dinner houses. (www.the-fatladyrestaurant.com) Menu selections range from $6.50 for a traditional two-egg breakfast to $19.50 for a steak sandwich.

To participate in this event, first purchase your ticket for the 11:00 a.m. cruise from Ticket Web:

www.ticketweb.com/snl/Search.action?query=potomac&regionId=sfbay

Tickets are $40, plus a $5 service fee. When you’ve purchased your ticket(s), send a note to me, Mike Zam-piceni, at SocialDirector@ggcbmwcca.org and let me know how many in your party are attending, include a contact number, and if you’ll be with us for lunch. Although there is no limit for those of you who want to attend the cruise, the lunch is limited to twenty people. Please don’t wait until the week before the event to pur-chase your tickets! Although the ship can accommodate 120 passengers, the cruises tend to book to capacity. If you are not going on the driving tour, go directly to the Potomac office at 10:30 where you can pick up your tickets (if they are for will call), and then meet up with the rest of us. If you are attending the driving tour, I’ll pass out route instructions at that time.

When: October 25, 9:00 - 3:00 p.m.; optional tour at 9:00 a.m.; cruise meets at 10:30 a.m. at tour office. Lunch at 1:00 p.m.Where: Boat cruise: U.S.S. Potomac, 540 Water St. , Oakland. Driving tour: Starbucks, 43941 Hugo Terrace, Fremont.Contact: Mike Zampiceni, SocialDirector@ggcbmwcca.org, 408 569-2579

SLO Group - Pozo Tour Join us on Saturday, October 25, for a tour of the

excellent driving roads in north San Luis Obispo County. Our destination will be the town of Pozo for a lunch stop, with a visit to some local wineries an option after that. The south county participants will gather in Arroyo Grande at 9:45 a.m. and join with others at a meeting point to be determined. Further details will be posted to the GGC site as the route is finalized.

When: October 25, 9:45 a.m.Where: North San Luis Obispo countyContact: Dennis Harrold,

SLOareaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

Club Race at Infineon RacewayCome cheer on your chapter Club racers in wheel-

to-wheel road racing. This is “gentlemanly” racing where contact or damage of any kind results in penal-ties. Some would argue it takes more skill to compete in this format. Come out to Infineon Raceway and judge for yourself!

When: October 25-26, 2008Where: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CAContact: Mike Mills, chairman@bmwccaclubracing.com

SoCal Vintage BMW MeetCome out to Van Nuys and be a charter participant

in the first Southern California Vintage BMW Meet on Saturday, October 11, 2008.

The SoCal Vintage BMW Meet will be in Woodley Park in Van Nuys, which is well known as the premier (and one of the only) places to host an outdoor car event in the Los Angeles area. We are already working very hard to promote this event, and we expect a very good turnout. We’ve long wanted a single event that would encompass the SoCal vintage-BMW community from the Central Coast to San Diego. Our aim is to bring together the many enthusiasts who’ve wanted a comprehensive second-generation BMW (E3, E9, 02s, Neu Klasse, and earlier) gathering. This will be a great opportunity to be out among our BMW community, as well as to see some old and new friends.

Do you cringe at the thought of a BMW meet with judges—with clipboards and Q-tips in hand—giving your car the once over? So do we! We are not the Pebble Beach Concours and never want to be. This is a show for drivers—that refers to the cars as well as the people driving them. The awards at the SoCal Vintage will be determined by the drivers!

We’re also expecting a good number of enthusiasts to put some tables up in the swap area to barter or sell their spare parts, so be ready and come prepared!

The aim of this is to be a fun and significant event that everyone will be happy to be part of. Our goal is for the SoCal Vintage BMW Meet to become an important and anticipated show for the vintage BMW community for years to come.

We look forward to seeing you in Woodley Park. Happy and safe driving!

When: October 11, 2008Where: Woodley Park, Van Nuys, CAContact: John Barlow IV & Jeff d’Avanzo,

SoCalVintageBMW@yahoo.com, www.SoCalVintageBMW.com

Last CCC for 2008!Join us at Marina Airport on October 18 to learn the

basics of performance car control by participating in slalom, skid pad, and emergency avoidance exercises with instruction. This event will be held in combination with the autocross on October 19. You can learn and develop new car control skills, and put them to the test at the next day’s autocross.

The car-control clinic is a day-long event that con-sists of three low-speed exercises: a skid pad, a slalom course, and a braking and accident avoidance simula-tion. These exercises will better prepare you for situa-tions on the track, as well as in everyday driving.

Event cost is $100 and includes lunch. If you plan to attend, please read our event overview. Note: Snell SA2000 or M2000 (or newer) helmets are required for this event. Registration opens September 23.

When: October 18, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Where: Marina Municipal Airport, Marina, CACost: $100, pre-registration required at www.MotorsportsReg.comContacts: Bob Goebel, CarControl@ggcbmwcca.org

Autocross 2008There are two more autocross events to be held this

year. The next one will be held in combination with the car-control clinic of October 18. Make the most of your new car-control skills and put them to the test at an autocross.

The last autocross is the year-end Top Driver Shoo-tout. All members may participate in this event, but only those who have participated in at least three of our 2008 autocross events will be eligible to compete for the Fechner Cup and title of Top Driver.

Autocross events are low- to medium-speed auto-motive events, that are often run in parking lots and on airport runways. Generally, a course will be defined using traffic cones. One driver at a time negotiates a course laid out with the cones, or pylons, testing their skill against the clock. Time penalties are charged for

Involvement with the BMW CCA can be ex-tremely rewarding. You make great friends and have a lot of fun connecting with others who share a passion for the Ultimate Driving Machine. The 2009 GGC board elec tions will be held in the late Fall and we need your help to continue our quest to be the best chap-ter for our CCA members.

If you are interested in running for a board position, please nominate yourself for one of the posi tions listed below. A description of each position can be found in the Operations Manual posted in the “About” section of the GGC Web site.

Please send your nomina-tion and a short candidate statement to Chris Webber at

secretary@ggcbmwcca.org no later than October 22, 2008.

PresidentVice PresidentSecretary TreasurerMembership Chair

Join the Team!

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disturbing cones. Generally, each driver takes six runs at an event, and is awarded the best time of all runs taken.

Autocross is an inexpensive, safe way to experience the dynamics of your car. It develops your driving abil-ity and helps you discover your car’s capabilities and limitations—making you a better, safer driver on the road. The greatest thrill of autocross is the challenge of beating your own time. It’s fun! Want to read more? Check out the Chapter website.

We no longer accept on-site registration. Event cost is $45 (bag lunch is optional for an extra $5). Our lunch break is only 45 minutes long. You must return on-time! The driver meeting begins at 9:00 a.m.—if you miss it you will not be allowed to participate in the event.

When: October 18, 8:00 a.m. November 9, 8:00 a.m.

Where: Marina Municipal Airport, Marina, CACost: $45, pre-registration required

at www.MotorsportsReg.comContacts: Matt Visser & Kris Linquist,

Autocross@ggcbmwcca.org

Infineon Driving SchoolDrive this world-famous track in California’s wine

country, with some of the finest instructors on the West Coast. It’s a great place to learn the art of high-perfor-mance driving from the dedicated team of experienced GGC instructors. You’ll go home with skills you can use on the roads every day as well as some great memories of laps at this fantastic racetrack.

Event pricing, details, and registration info will be posted as soon as it becomes available. Check the chapter website for updates.

When: November 1-2Where: Infineon Raceway, Sears PointCost: TBD, pre-registration required

at www.MotorsportsReg.comContact: Mark Dadgar & Kelly Collins,

TrackSchools@ggcbmwcca.org

Tech Session BMW ConcordBMW of Concord has just opened a new collision

center that features Cellete Fixture Systems. Each fixture is a unique mold for each vehicle model. This patented system guarantees exact fitment of all of the replacement parts in the same manner that the BMW factory uses fixtures to precisely build vehicles.

We’ll meet at the center on November 8 for approxi-mately two hours, with a possible tour and lunch to follow or precede the event. Watch the website or Die Bombe for further details.

When: November 8, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.Where: BMW of Concord, 1945 Market St., ConcordContact: Aleksey Kadukin, TechnicalS-

essionCoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org

11th Annual “Not The 49-Mile Scenic Drive”It’s the 11th annual “Not The 49 Mile Scenic Drive”

rally—a gimmick rally that requires you to follow clues and answer questions that relate to the scenery and places you drive past.

This December 13 event is hosted by Bay Area 02 and is loosely based on the more famous 49 Mile Scenic Drive originally developed in 1938 by San Francisco’s Downtown Association. It was created to highlight the city’s beauty and to promote it as a business and tourist destination.

Meeting place is the Ocean Beach parking lot (1000 Great Hwy) across the street from the Beach Chalet. The drive takes place within San Francisco city limits—the group stops for lunch following the drive.

When: December 13, 10:00 a.m.Where: Ocean Beach, San FranciscoContacts: JP Collins, jp@BayArea02.com,

www.BayArea02.com

North Bay Breakfast in July

Twenty North Bay area chapter members met for breakfast on Saturday, July 26 at Finnegan’s in Novato. There was a lot of laughter and fun, everyone was enthusiastic about getting together (most preferred weekend breakfast). Some people told some crash stories—testaments to the fine construction of our favorite cars. Ron Schmitz, one new members in attendance, told us how it took him just one test drive to convinced him to buy his new M6. And everyone was especially impressed by Elaine Ashby’s thirty-year membership in the Golden Gate Chapter. Go Elaine!

Members in attendance at breakfast included Barb Harrison, Brant and Lila Miller, David Gantsweg, Dean Lucke, Doug McDonald, Gary and Marsha Slack, Geri Gorski, Keith Brockgreitens, Lori Schifrin, Mart and Sherron Jaama, Nick Murray, Tom Royall, Walter Mallory, and North Bay area rep Amanda Topper.

I encouraged the new members looking to get in the swing of Club life to attend a car-control clinic and then move on to a high-performance driving school to how to get on the track with the Club (upcoming dates and deadlines were reviewed). In talking about our chapter calendar, I urged everyone to attend the BMW Festorics at the Monterey Historics, which resulted in some great conversations from the members about the amazing vintage cars and races they’d seen in the past at Laguna Seca

After a robust breakfast and many car tales (some of them tall), ev-eryone had their photos taken with their favorite cars.

- Amanda Topper, North Bay Area Rep

Once again, our hearty Golden Gate Chapter members suf-fered through commuter traffic to get to the Pasta Pelican in Alameda for an East area Meet & Greet. Heck, when there’s appetizers provided by the Chapter and “happy hour” prices, it’s worth the effort. Plus, Hadi, the owner of Pasta Pelican, set us at a big table upstairs with a great view of the bay.

Attendees included long-time members Jeff Cowan (president GGC), Bob Goebel (V.P. GGC), his wife, Yami, and Anil Singh (owner of Auto Analysts in Castro Valley). Their history with the Club provided valuable information to the new members attending. In that group was George McCuen—who drove all the way from Napa—and Nick Murray, who is originally from New Zealand.

Other members in attendance included Bill Bennett, Steve Sand-kohl (my husband), Jon and Kathy Walker, and their daughter, Whitney—they left their vacation a day early to attend! A. Elaine brought her mom, Betty, whose BMW 2002 was passed down to A. Elaine. (Thanks, Mom!)

The food and spirits were plentiful, as were discussions rang-ing from autocross to car-control clinics, from track experiences to social events. The noise level raised a bit when the band took the stage, but we managed to talk over the wailing saxophone. Overall, it was another great time with new friends!

— Mary Sandkohl, East Area Rep

Area Meet & Greets

Another Successful East Area Meet & Greet

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is a very fast BMW, but who knew the M6 is as fast as Superman beating out that speeding bullet?! I marveled at the speed and the unbelievable handling. Four or five miles down the highway—or should I say a second or two later—Marshall offered me the oppor-

tunity to drive this space ship back to the dealership. Now, I had never driven an M6, or SMG transmission, or a car this fast in my life. We made it back rather FAST and with all four wheels still attached.

Apparently, when I got out of the M6, Chuck Hebard (the Marks’ stepfather and a partner in the dealership) noticed that my eyes were about the size of silver dollars and my heart was pounding—I may have been a little excited after driv-ing this ultimate Ultimate Driving Machine! Chuck asked if I enjoyed the test drive and all I could say is, “YES!” He then took some time to explain the value of spending a little more (yeah, $25,000 more) to get what I truly wanted, instead of just

(just?) buying a 650i. I politely said, “No, thank you.” The M6 was beyond my sports car budget.

Over the next few weeks, my friend, Dean, assisted me in mak-ing the rounds to every North Bay BMW dealership to contemplate the different color combinations for my new 650i. While we made the rounds, I kept telling myself I didn’t need the M6. Being a good friend, Dean continued to encourage me to go for the M6. Then, maybe I was in a dream state, but on a quiet night in April, I sent Mark an email asking him to place an order for a Silver Grey Me-tallic M6 convertible.

You know, good friends like Dean are special!June 16, 2007 my special-order M6 was waiting for me on the

showroom floor of Santa Maria BMW, ready to come and live in Santa Rosa. Marc Englert spent the next three hours training me on how all the functions on the M6 work, and for that I am very thankful.

To this day, I still don’t believe I sent that email to Mark. Whenever I travel to see my mother, I visit Santa Maria BMW to say, “Thank you” to my friends for the opportunity to surprise my daughter, and to test drive an M6. Yes, Mark was right, some day I would buy a BMW… or two.

For Ashley’s birth-day, I took her, Mason, Dean, and his wife Pat on a Caribbean cruise. At a very special pri-vate dinner on the ship, I presented Ash-ley with a cheap little wood toy-car model I bought in Costa Rico. You can imagine how delighted she was to receive a wood car! Then I gave her a birthday card, and inside was a picture of her new ’07 328i Space Grey coupe. Ashley didn’t believe me and continued to look at the ten-dollar wood car from Costa Rico. Then I handed her the bro-chure for her BMW, and it hit her: I really was giving her a new BMW for her birthday! For the balance of the cruise, that BMW brochure never left her side, it was like her teddy bear.

We returned back home to learn that the EPA was holding her BMW in customs for weeks. Fi-nally, the car was released from the port and on a truck to the dealership in Santa Maria. From there, I was going to truck it to Portland, Oregon. All was going great until a snow storm closed I-5 to Oregon. Once the passes finally opened, the question was, where do we have the car delivered? Then I remembered my friend Art Smith, the general manager of the Ron Tokin Ferrari dealership in Portland. Now my luck was turning to the positive! Art (who drives a 645i as his daily driver) offered his dealership as the drop-off point for her 328i. In a very kind gesture, he also offered to detail the car, install a few extra accessories, and present the BMW to Ashley on the Ferrari showroom floor!

In March of 2007, Mark invited me to spend a day test driv-ing BMWs at his Santa Maria dealership. I accepted his invitation and met with Russ Howard—a seasoned BMW man—for a day of exciting FUN! We drove every 650i—new and used—on the lot, except one. Yes, there was one more 6 Series remaining on the sales floor—a black M6 coupe.

Apparently, I had that look in my eye of needing one more test drive. One of the dealer associates took me for a test run (and I mean run!) down Highway 101—he flew through the gears. Yes, the 650i

My first experience with a BMW was about 1973 when a co-worker offered me a ride in his new BMW 2002. Being a Corvette man (I’ve owned two), I had no knowledge of BMW other than it was a cool car to a college kid. My next ride in a BMW wasn’t until my brother-in-law, Paul Lebby, bought a new 2003 M3 convertible to replace his Z3. Okay, I could see the car looked cool, what’s the big deal? But then we went for a triple digit drive over the mountains. I could not believe the com-fort, safety, handling, and—of course—the speed of this M3. After a few miles, Paul offered me the controls to his new speedster. I had no idea how to drive this special car, but I learned fast. So fast that I was going over 80 when I spotted the CHP waiting on the side and I discovered the awesome BMW brakes—we’d been cruising at over 120 mph a mile or two back. We sauntered past the black and white at the legal limit. At that moment, I knew I wanted a BMW.

Over the next few years, I would visit my friend, Mark Bachman, one of the family owners of Santa Maria BMW, and looked at the lat-est BMWs. Mark told me, “One day, Ron, you’re going to buy a BMW.” I just continued to dream along with looking at Corvettes.

After a few years, the tide changed: my friend, Dean Lucke, had bought an ’03 330i about the same time as Paul bought his 2003 M3, and suddenly I was around BMWs more often, learning more with each ride. Next, my daughter’s boyfriend, Mason Walker, was given a new ’07 550i (with aero package) in September of 2006 as a thank-you gift for a job well done in helping build a start-up company.

That got me to thinking when my daughter, Ashley Schmitz, was nearing her 23rd birthday. That year, she had graduated from the university and had gotten a job working for the same company as Mason in Vancouver, Washington (just a tick north of Portland,

Oregon). With all these accomplish-ments, I wondered what I should give her this year. So I called Mark at my favorite dealership and asked for an idea for a birthday gift. The new 3 Series coupe was just being released that Fall, and we found a fully loaded ’07 328i coupe in Space Grey on a boat headed for California. I sent Mark a check and bought it sight unseen.

For me, I only wanted an unbe-lievably safe car for my daughter to replace her college car—a ’92 Ford Explorer. The four years of free Ultimate Service certainly is a benefit—you know dads do worry about their daughters!

BMWs: They’re Just InevitableBy Ron Schmitz

Mason seems to like his very special gifted ’07 550i.

Top photo: Ron’s ‘07 M6, modelling its new chrome wheels at Bodega Head in Bodega Bay.

Paul’s M3 is the troublemaker that started it all.

Happy Birthday, Ashley! (Finally.)

Ashley gives her dad, Ron, a much deserved “Thank you!” on her birthday.

14 October 2008 15October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

Monterey. The gracious clubhouse setting, with a 34-year history of culinary excellence, serves up an awesome meal. The seasoned wait staff provides the highest level of personal attention.

Larry Koch (M-Brand manager, BMW NA) and Jeff Cowan (GGC president) address the assemblage, providing the latest news on new car production and introducing various guests. Many volunteers are thanked and, although some may not have been mentioned, we all appreciate your help and support! And what night would be complete without a presentation of prizes and awards. A highlight for me was meeting the famed Kelly Kirkland and her new “Runnin’ on Empty” husband Satch Carlson. (I’m blushing! –kk)

The parking lot alone could have made the evening for me. It’s a spectacle of magnificence with all the BMWs shining in the glorious late-evening light cascading across the championship golf course. The 30-plus Z8s parked together make a tremendous showing and a unique experience for any BMW aficionado. My tongue is literally hanging out of my mouth as I walk past these elegant and meticulous retro-design beauties.

When I attend a Festorics dinner, I know I’ll meet some good old friends—some on two legs, others on four wheels! There’s always a new car

to see or a new owner to meet. Not all of us are race-car drivers or celebrities, but we all have stories about our cars, about our experiences, or just about celebrating BMW’s glorious heritage. It’s a time to come together and enjoy each other and add to our circle of friends—good times, indeed!

Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Cocktail Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And Hour… And

Then SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen SomeThen Some

Cocktail hour. I lift my glass to this venerable ritual that provides us the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy good company.I think people always remember what their parents

drank… at least I do. My mother and father’s cocktail of choice was rum and Coke. At the sunny Carmel Val-ley Rancho Cañada Golf Club, the cocktail hour for the Festorics Friday banquet was as fun filled and exciting as I remember my parents’ cocktail parties were. As a child, I would sit in the hallway peeking in on my par-ents’ parties—watching the merriment, and listening to conversations I rarely understood. Tonight, with the Club, I partake of the libations with my friends and watch others reconnect with friends they had not seen in a long time—or not since last year’s Festorics. With the addition this year of the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club and Z8 Club event attendees, there are many new acquaintances being made—both foreign and domestic. We have over 50 people from Europe here because of these two groups. I eavesdrop on some conversations—as I did as a child—and find that people are excited about meeting friends from home and abroad.... I love watching all the people enjoying their cocktails and munching on delicious hors d’oeuvres—which I must say are yum-o!

Eventually, the throng heads into the dining room where tables are decorated in the BMW blue and white tradition… a white-tablecloth affair to be sure! Many attendees stick with those they met over cocktails to continue their conversations. Some folks make the rounds to meet and greet new faces and old friends. My table consists of Wynn Manlapaz, Keith Matsu-moto, my good friends Peter and Diane Reyer from Fresno (Central Cal. Chapter), Christian Schmidt from the Lone Star chapter (who drove his 2001 Z8 from Texas with his brother—just in from Austria), and Larry Parma from Los Angeles.

Lively dinner conversation at the tables—including our own—center on our cars and all the great activities and experiences we’ve had or will have all week in

digi ts—we are desperately seek-ing shade. Inside the Hacienda, air conditioning awaits.

Crossing the Finish Line: You can see the end of the earth from here.Our afternoon is filled with narrow paved roads, hairpins,

and tree-covered s w i t c h b a c k s which snake up and down the hills leading to Pfeiffer Beach on the coast below Big Sur. We stop for drinks and a snack at Cafe Kevah in Big Sur and look out over the Pacific Ocean. Their decks have spectacular views of the coast—re-laxing and invit-ing. Upstairs, the Nepenthe restaurant presents even more breath-taking views!

What a day! New friendships are forged, old ones rekindled—awesome! Driving challenging roads in one of the most beautiful areas in California is an experience not to be missed.

S tart Your Engines: Man, there’s just no time to enjoy the view!The Festorics weekend is not complete unless you start it off with the Friday morning Back Roads to Big Sur tour.

David Crum leads the tour over very picturesque and less traveled roads of the area. This is my third time on this spirited drive through some of the most beautiful backroads in the Monterey region. Ap-proximately eighteen cars assemble, including one Ferrari, early morning in the parking lot at the Rio Grill.

First Leg: Moving fast, reacting, calculating, and shifting to maneuver through the turns.

The road vacillates between fun-to-drive inconsistent corners, second-gear hairpins, and a narrow two-way ribbon of asphalt. These are tight roads with loose gravel scattered on the edges. I notice that I do want to be careful—there’s only a foot of dirt on the road

side—just before a deep ditch. Some of the turns are outrageous hairpins—170 degrees or more, with blind spots—not to mention the occasional oncoming traffic.

Pit Stop: Weary travelers. Time to rest.

Our lunch stop, the Hacienda at Mis-sion San Antonio de Padua at Fort Hunter Liggett, is our rest-ing point to recharge our batteries. A hot breeze rustles the foli-age and the day turns drowsy—engines off, ultimate driving ma-chines silenced. The heat reaches triple

The Backroads to Big Sur tour kicks off Festorics.

Traveling at the Speed of a BMW!2008 BMW FESTORICS 2008 BMW FESTORICSStories by Sven Schindler

Photos by Sven Schindler

Photos by Jeff Cowan and Sven Schindler

BMW’s head of Mobile Tradition, Karl Baumer, came from Munich to be our guest speaker.

PeggyValentine (Mrs. V1)—3.0 CS co-owner—accepts the BMW NA award for “Car we’d most like to own” from BMW’s Larry Koch.

16 October 2008 17October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

some complaints were raised—everyone got a fantastic meal with premier seating.

Even latecomer Bob Hall managed to get his lunch. He had raced into the parking area looking worried in his 5 Series beauty and anxiously asked, “Have I missed the lunch?” After we assured him there was plenty left to

eat, he jammed on the accelerator and parked his car among the other 150 BMW and Minis in the Cunningham-BMW-sponsored corral on the hillside. Bob was later seen enjoying his food with a big smile on his face.

There were a lot of hopeful faces in the crowd when BMW’s Mike Renner announced it was time to raffle off a two-day M School (val-ued at $2,995!), courtesy of BMW Performance Driving School, to a lucky winner. Amit Patel of the Los Angeles Chapter was this year’s envied recipient. Once the raffle was over, the attention turned back to watching the old cars recreating history out on the track.

While the com-petitors on track at the Historics don’t back down from a good race, it’s a big no-no to bend any sheet metal. As a result, the em-phasis isn’t really on the results. It’s more about the uniqueness of seeing these mag-nificent racing cars

16 October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe

T radition has not been forgotten by BMW owners: we revere the company’s heritage as a living tradition, rather than a dead end. It’s a point of view I wholeheartedly agree with and have tried to ar-ticulate over the years, though perhaps not so eloquently or succinctly as I’d like.

There’s no doubt that BMW and the owners of BMWs have a respect for history and tradi-tion. I am reminded of that every time I see hundreds of these magnificent machines featured at our Festorics corral at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Historic Automobile races. That sense of tradition permeates through everything from our love of the antiques, to our preference for a certain design, to our close connection to our cars.

Thankfully, our appreciation for what has come before has evolved in ways that prove we’re anything but stuck in the past. BMW aficionados want action and excitement—like driving the new 1 Series or the mag-nificent new M3—while still enjoying the spunkiness of a BMW 2002. The future classics of BMW are direct descendants of the cars we have come to appreciate at the BMW CCA events in Monterey.

This year was no exception—“Mein BMW war da!” was Festo-rics’ motto; which translates, “My BMW was there!” It’s a phrase that conveys the sentiment of those who attended and perpetuates the fact that the Festorics means something significant.

We sign up and drive long distances—LA, Seattle, Texas, Nevada, and beyond—to come together and celebrate our BMWs’ heritage.

We converge in the Monterey area and admire each other’s vehicles—each with their own beauty and character. We can sit back and watch the many other historic marques parade around the track. These are just a few of the things which underscore that feel-good sen-sation of joining into special something—you know, like when you first said, “Yes!” to your BMW purchase.

As I look back at the 2008 Festorics event weekend, I have some impressions and

observations from the three days of fun at the track to impart. From vintage racecars to classic touring machines, there was something for everyone.

While many other Club members attended Central California Chapter’s well-executed show at Concorso Ital-iano, I began my long weekend with David Crum’s early Friday-morning Backroads to Big Sur Tour. The group visited 160 miles of some of the most scenic roads of this region. The day concluded with the ever spectacular Maggie-Albrecht-arranged BMW banquet at Rancho Cañada, a sun

soaked golf club in Carmel Valley. (See “Cocktail Hour” for details.)The Historic Races at Laguna Seca are always a spectacular

show, but this year the Festorics hospitality area really stood out. It was one of its finest moments, decked out with two huge event tents and pretty green Astroturf covering the otherwise dusty sur-face. Specialty BMWs were parked under the tent in full regalia, and guests sat near the cars and enjoyed their catered lunch, all while watching the races. Another addition this year, the very-well-received bleachers, provided a superior view of the races by Turn Five—an already prime viewing spot on the track.

Our Festorics parking corral(s) had a very special feature. It was actually a double corral, with two areas of BMWs parked on display. The added corral had two unique BMW clubs which joined our weekend festivi-ties: the BMW Z8 Club U.S. and the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club.

When the Z8—a design tribute to the BMW 507—came out, it was an instant classic. It still turns heads and inspires ardent BMW lust wherever it appears. It hardly seems like the Z8 has been around for nearly a decade! Cat-wrangler Andrew McPherson spearheaded the extravagant gathering of these 30-plus Z8s.

The V&CCC battalions were in Monterey for the start of their awe-inspiring two-week California Vintage Marathon—a 2,000 mile driving adventure through northern California organized by their president, Goetz Pfafflin. (Photos of the Marathon can be seen at the gallery link at: www.bmwVccca.org) Totaling 43 in all, the group consisted of many rare BMWs from American collections, two from Canada, and 25 vehicles shipped in from Europe! These classics included the likes of: a 1928 BMW R42/11 Motorrad, 1934 BMW 309, 1939 Frasier Nash-BMW 327/28, 1956 BMW 502 Baur convertible, 1957 BMW 507, 1970 BMW 1600-2 Baur Cabrio, 1989 BMW Z1, and MANY more! Most Americans have never before even seen a single Z1 in person, much less seven at one time!

These vintage and classic vehicles and the Z8s were staged just over the footbridge from the Festorics tents, in all their glory along the island’s prime Green Parking area. This was such an incredible display—for us BMW junkies and the other Historics attendees—that every so often you heard passers by asking, “Is BMW the featured marque this year?” Reasonable question since these vehicles are BMW legends that most people have only had the chance read about.

Back up at the Club hospitality area, the catered lunch was a big hit. After Jeff Gerken—hot off the track— brought up the Cunningham BMW 2002 racecar to give the Festorics attendees a private viewing, the plentiful lunch was served up. Even though the food lines were a bit long—

Photos bySteve Albrecht

Jeff Cowan Kelly Kirkland

Story by Sven Schindler

Mein BMW War Da!2008 BMW FESTORICS 2008 BMW FESTORICS

A peek into the Festorics compound over three 2002 turbos.

Seven BMW Z1s were shipped from Europe for the vintage tour.

BMW’s 2600 Luxus is considered a predecesor to the 5 Series models.

A Z1 hood makes a good canvas to show the Marathon route.

As BMW built motorbikes before they built cars, it’s appropriate to have some here to celebrate the history of the brand.

Mike Renner congratulates Amit Patel on winning the M Driving School raffle.

Festorics’ display tent had specialty BMWs from CCA owners—a little Alpina here, a little M there.

The BMW 507 always draws attention.

Stories by Sven Schindler

18 October 2008 19October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

pride they had for what they accomplished. If you have never attended these events, start planning for next year. It is well worth the trip—and you will not be disappointed.

Membership benefits continue to accumulate Have you checked out our Membership Benefits section

of the BMW CCA website recently? If not, take some time to check out the cool new things that you can do as a BMW CCA member for less money than other lesser mortals pay. For those of you who want to spend a weekend in Greenville at the BMW Performance Center, you can now do that for 20% less than non-members! The money you save on a driving school will more than cover a day or two of golf for you and your Significant Other at the world famous Grove Park Inn, where you also have the right to an exclusive discount. Don’t want to carry your clubs? We have you covered with discount club rentals from International Golf Rental and Sales.

Despite economic slump, BMW CCA membership grows slightly in August

Though current economic trends should produce stagnant or declining memberships in non-essential luxuries—including membership in “the best damn car club in the world”—our membership numbers actually increased in August, though compared to last year, we’re still down a few members.

With a little time left in our membership-increase contest, we’re curious about the source of new memberships. Are chap-ters actively recruiting? Are individual members buttonholing strangers and extolling the virtues of the CCA? (And are re-straining orders being issued against these stalkers?)

We’re preparing materials to help you do a better job of recruiting newbies, because satisfied members are the best testimony to the value of the Club. But we’re also looking for better ways to hang on to the loyal members we have!

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Frank C. Patek II, Executive Director

Oktoberfest 2008: Final notes Our Oktoberfest celebration in Watkins Glen (September

23–27) is shaping up to be the best Oktoberfest ever—if there’s a way of comparing the fun we have in getting together for our annual celebration of the marque. As of this writing, Oktoberfest registration shows 818 entrants (this includes our Club racers). And there will be a record number of track-event participants at historic Watkins Glen.

Monterey Festorics and Concorso Italiano Congratulations to BMW CCA’s Golden Gate and Central

California Chapters for their involvement in these two mag-nificent events. August 15 saw Concorso Italiano staged at an airport near Monterey, California. As the name implies, the event is mainly for the display of Italian marques, but because the Central Cal Chapter plays a major role in organizing the event, the biggest non-Italian corral there is for BMW CCA members. There were many fine examples of German-made beauty and muscle, especially the vintage cars supplied by the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club of America, who started their 2,500-mile California tour after the Monterey Historic Races.

For those who did not get enough weiss mit blau at Con-corso, there were two days of the Festorics, hosted by the Golden Gate Chapter at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Al-though there was no featured marque for the annual Monterey Historics this year, so prominent was the location of the Golden Gate Chapter Corral and so carefully planned the display of BMWs—the Z8 Club assembled more than 30 cars in a row, next to seven Z1s, and the rest of the vintage cars were arrayed in chronological order—that many people thought BMW was the featured marque.

The amount of time and work both chapters put into their respective events was equaled only by the well-deserved

Linda Axelson, National’s event coordinator, and Michael Mitchell from the BMW CCA’s Foundation are all smiles during their first visit to the Monterey Historics weekend.

2008 BMW FESTORICS

THANK YOU!The Festorics committee is extremely grateful for the on-

going support of the many volunteers who have contributed their time and talents in assisting us before and during yet another fantastic weekend. Every volunteer, no matter how large or small their contribution, is an extremely valuable member of the Club. Without your help and enthusiasm, the Festorics event would not be the success that it is today.

Success of Festorics can be rated in both attendance and in the magnitude of the event. And it is to the extreme generosity of our sponsors that we owe gratitude for our capacity to put on such a spectacular Festorics this year. Our sponsors—Mike Renner at BMW Performance Driving School, Larry Koch at BMW NA, Jeff Gerken at Cunningham BMW, and Carl Nelson at La Jolla Independent—have a strong belief in this Club, and have shown it in both their personal and monetary support of the event.

A special thank you goes out to Norco Printing in San Leandro for their speedy printing and discounted services for the Festorics event program.

We all thank both our volunteers and valued sponsors!

Maggie AlbrechtSteve Albrecht Jonathan Benson Jeff Cowan

David Crum Kelly KirklandSven Schindler

The Festorics organizing committee is:

The organizers and sponsors of Festorics 2008

back on their home turf, rather than in a museum. These races during the third weekend of every August create the sounds and sights that make it worth the trip to Laguna Seca—even all the way from Germany!

As a special presen-tation, the usual Saturday featured-marque parade was replaced with the Toyota Race of Legends—a session driven by top names from Formula One racing’s days past and present. Satur-day’s vintage race classes consisted of Pre-1940 Sports and Touring Cars, 1925-1950 racing cars and Indy Roadsters,

1950-1960 Sports Racing cars, 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am cars, 1966-1974 Historic Can-Am cars, and 1964-1975 FIA Sports Racing cars to end the day.

If there weren’t enough activities at the track for attendees, the RM Auction in downtown Monterey drew hordes of people inside and out. This year, Steve Albrecht secured a half-price deal for our Festorics registrants to buy tickets to that preeminent international auction held at the Portola Hotel and Spa. Saturday night I attended the standing-room-only, two-day sale. Over 170 quality collector cars crossed the block before an international audience. My buddies, Wynn Manlapaz and Keith Matsumoto, checked out non-automotive

beauties—this is the event for the Upscale Sugar Daddies and their young beautiful women! I saw Jeff Cowan and David Crum in the crowd sitting on their hands—avoiding any movement that might be mistaken for a bid. When you’ve got the bigwigs in the crowd, you don’t want to relieve an itchy nose and find you’re suddenly the high bidder on the Talbot-Lagos ($3,685,000), or GT40 prototype ($2,502,500), or 1970 Ferrari 512 S ($1,947,000)!

These activities and descriptions, drivers and races only rep-resent a small summary of the Festorics event at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. If you were there, then you know. If you weren’t… my advice? Sign up next year, join your Club friends, and get the full experience for yourself!

Jeff Gerken brought up the Cunningham 2002 racecar to the corral after practice.

Mary and Jim True, of San Jose, show off their 30-horsepower1934 309.

These are just a few of the splendid cars from the BMW Vintage Marathon’s group: one 328 and three 327s.

John Fitzpatrick is a regular racer at the Monterey Historics in his 328.

20 October 2008 21October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

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Golden Gate Chapter - BMW CCA Board Meeting MinutesBy Chris WebberSecretary, GGC BMW CCA

Does this sound like more fun than your usual business meeting?

You could be part of this chapter’s board... it’s just one day a month and you’ll even get free food!

All BMW CCA members are always welcome to the monthly board meetings. However, if you want to be part of what makes our chapter one of the best in the BMW CCA, nominate yourself for one of the board positions.

Put your mark on this great chapter by participating in the decisions that shape our organization.

Please send your nomination and a short candidate statement to Chris Webber at secretary@ggcbmwcca.org no later than October 22, 2008.

A description of each position can be found in the Operations Manual posted in the “About” section of the GGC website.

All positions are open for nomination:

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Membership Chair 2

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July 12, 2008Gau Poang Restaurant, San Mateo

Board in attendance: Jeff Cowan, President; Bob Goebel, Vice President; Kyle Breton, Membership Chair; Chris Webber, Secretary; Mark Dadgar, Driving Events Coordinator, Kelly Collins, Communication Manager.

Board members not in attendance: Tammi Hull, Treasurer.

Guests in attendance: Kris Linquist, Autocross Coordinator; Percy Chow, Ad Manager; Mary Sandkohl, East Bay Area Rep; Aleksey Kadukin, Tech Session Coordinator; Patrick Demorais, Newsmagazine Assistant Editor.

The meeting was called to order at 11:24 a.m.

Top issues

Receivables:• We have been chipping away at receivables, we have a

collections person on the hook, will charge 5% (not bad) to actually get arms broken to get this money.

• Hull isn’t here, but we have money.

Truck Lease:• Nuthin'.

Trailer Painting:• We have an appointment, but we don’t have someone to drive there

on 7/23. The problem is the trailer is in Gilroy and the quoting is in Alameda. It’s a whole day. Still in progress.

Content Management Systems:• Chico Web Design has been called; Dadgar is pushing this

forward. Apparently our current calendar doesn’t let you see events happening during the current day. GGC makes you plan ahead to get information!

• Linquist says he’s been “playing with it” at work. I hope he means the website calendar. Otherwise Webber is pretty certain Linquist may get fired.

Membership Tool:• It works, it runs, it’s automated. It isn’t quite ready for

shipping because the code isn’t super perfect. Breton was hoping to have it done by now, but buying a new house has distracted him. Imagine that.

Social Events Coordinator:• Cowan will call Zampecini after Zampecini returns from

vacation to discuss the plans for this role.

Brochures:• The brochure sucks, the Bombe is better. • Linquist suggests a new campaign “Bombes not brochures.”

Hilarious.• Goebel recounts the last meeting’s discussion verbatim, and

Dadgar suggests that Goebel is, in fact, Rain Man. Goebel begins mumbling, “Definitely, definitely a good meeting, I ran the meeting. It was a good meeting last time, definitely.”

• The waitress comes in and says, “I’ll take your pants off.” Seriously. That's all. “I'll take your pants off.” Everyone agrees that is what they heard. Much deliberation ensues. The group decides she meant to say “I will take your plates out.” Good Lord.

• We agree that no matter what we give to dealers, some dealers may work better for us than others.o How do we motivate dealers to push out GGC materials

and info? Free autocross? Lots of discussion around the pros and cons… maybe it becomes a salesperson-

only event? Morning CCC and afternoon autocross? Maybe we charge $25? This could be a really good idea. There are groups that do advertising for all the local dealers—that may be a good way to get in to the dealers. We would need twelve instructors, and a weekday. Lots of excitement here.

Show and Shine:• Cowan wants to put this on, and he feels like he’s got the time to

put one together.• Alameda County Fairgrounds? Palo Alto? Some grassy lot

somewhere? Cater it? Cowan is on it.

Monthly Updates:

Treasurer’s Update: • Webber to check the email and see about notes. Webber

didn't do it. Who wants to read about our receivables again, anyhow? Snoozer.

Driving Events:Driving Schools

• The “Thunderhill Thrash” is in full swing. We have 47 students; we have room for 80.

• We have 20 confirmed race-school entrants for the August event. We can take 30.

o What that means with the extra charge for the race school, we are close to break even already. Details coming together. Barbecue will be outside again—watch out for mosquitoes! Collins suggests that all participants keep their pants on this time. Webber imagines that to be a solid plan at nearly any GGC event.

• If Chris Goelkel moves away, we will have no one to drive the truck and trailer. We will need an autocross person, a CCC person, and a track person to start sharing the load.

Car Control • Goebel stands and shouts, “We need qualified instructors!!”

We have 106 on the roster, and we never ever hear from 50 of those. Webber is one of those that we never ever hear from.

• Bold and direct solicitation follows: Dear reader, are you an autocross addict? A track junkie? If you think you have the experience, knowledge, skills, and aptitude required to be a car-control clinic instructor, please contact carcontrol@ggcbmwcca.org. The CCC staff will work with you to determine your fit for the program, and reward you with riches heretofore unseen! (In point of fact, those riches will be unseen forevermore...)

• Lots of discussion about what makes a good instructor, how to get them, why they stop coming… Webber falls asleep for a few.

Autocross• We have two remaining spots open for the next event.• The new wireless timers work, tested by Matt Visser. Nice!

Membership Report:• We have members, but not very many! We have 4,926

members and associates. Gas prices driving members away? Webber thinks that’s unlikely.

• Webber may be one of the people who fell out… No! Breton checks, in real time! Webber has two months remaining.o The real-time check is impressive. Breton is the best

among us.

Communications Report:• Collins has an issue! “Big surprise!” says Collins. Webber

types, then deletes the “big surprise” part 34 times, fearing if it is included, it could be slanderous. But Collins said it about herself. But Webber doesn't want to paint an incorrect picture. But Webber must type what is said. Especially if it is funny. The anxiety is too much. Webber breathes into a bag for the next few minutes.

• Eblastso Festorics team sent out an eblast.

o MSR sent out a couple of messages too. o Since none of the event systems communicate, when

someone elects to remove themselves from one list, the others still send. No good. We shouldn’t expect our membership to understand that they have to remove themselves from multiple places, nor should we make them have to jump through those hoops.

o When this goes out, Collins needs to know, since she is the head of communications, and these are going out without her expressed consent.

o Cowan suggests that we, as a board, need to reach out and explicitly define the policies that people must follow.

o Collins suggests using MSR for all emails to people who are registered for an event. These are informational, and not solicitations.

o Collins to review the ops policy on this and clean it up. Dadgar has current version.

• Chapter’s monthly eBlast to go out Tuesday or Wednesday.

Advertising update• Chow says everyone is paying “Reasonably on time.” That's

reasonable.• New advertisers are paying up front, WHEN they order!

Hooray!

Secretary’s Report:• Webber has/does nuthin’. He cannot report because of the

hyperventilating. Webber is not up to the task of speaking. Webber turns to the window and trembles a bit, and waits for everyone to move on.

Tech Sessions• Diablo motors in the works.• Peter Pan in the works.• Yokohama not calling back.• B Line Body Shop in nascent stages – it’s a possibility for late

Fall or later.• Sadukin continues to bug Ramon Le Francois… perhaps

another ladies tech session?

Vice President’s Report:• Goebel has already vented. Nothing more to see here.

President’s Report:• Cowan got an email from Dennis Harrold, our area rep in

SLO.o He has reached out and done some fact finding with the

local Mini club to try to both involve the community and expand his events.

o If they come and sign the waivers, are we cool?x If they aren’t members, they are covered, regardless

of membership status. Since there is no revenue associated with these, we are cool.

o Cool? Cool. Cool!• Everything else is well in hand.

Social Events:• Zampecini is not here. His report is, though.• Zampecini will write up a report on the recent driving tour.

Apparently it was well attended by the local gendarme. Exciting.

• Zampecini has a lead from Amanda Topper about a car collection in Marin. Could it be Jim Smith? We don’t know.

• Zampecini will be working on hosting an event for October or November. Delightfully vague.

• Brian Ghidinelli is interested in putting together a summer picnic barbecue thing. He should know better than that!

Festorics• Quick update: going quite well, numbers are on track even

without the BMW vintage group. Budget is in the black, but we remain conservative with our spending. If there is an opportunity to add to the experience, we may.

• Tent is expanded this year.• Getting print and artwork.• Racecars from BMW NA have been canceled due to a

conflict– no Mobile Tradition cars, again.o Only privateer racing BMWs will be in the event.

• The Festorics committee is actually being run less and less as a separate committee from the rest of the Chapter/board, and that’s a good thing.

Area Reps:Peninsula, Breton

• Has an event this evening. Open house. He plugs it.• Scott’s Seafood in Palo Alto event on September 11.

East Bay, Sandkohl • She contacted the Oakland A’s for an event. We get our

logo on a billboard there for the last game of the season. Tailgating (no alcohol provided by the Chapter, of course!) and a game on September 21.

• 50 tickets reserved at $22, we can let them go a week in advance.

• We need a proposal for budget from Sandkohl.• Meet & Greet in Alameda also planned for August 28.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:09 p.m.

22 October 2008 23October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

Email your questions to: Rumblestrip@ggcbmwcca.org

Rum

ble

Strip

By Mark Dadgar

Talkin’ The TalkOne of the things that’s in-your-face overwhelming when

diving into the deep end of the motorsports pool is the for-eign language that everyone seems to be speaking. “Wow, the straight between the exit of 14 and the turn-in of 15 is really short—gotta get your heel-toe done real quick there, or you’re talkin’ serious oversteer when the engine-braking hits!” Umm, yeah, come again?

Allow me to break down the track vernacular for you.Apex: The apex is the part of the corner where the car is

changing direction the most and is generally the closest to the inside edge of the track. Since lateral g’s are the highest at this point of the corner, it’s also where your instructor is most likely to emboss his/her fingerprints into the grab handle on the right side of the car.

Early Apex. The act of turning into a corner earlier than you should, thereby describing an arc that is larger than the actual paved surface available to you. Usually results in your instructor whimpering like a little girl via the Chatterbox.

Late Apex. The act of turning into a corner later than you optimally should on an arc that is smaller than the actual paved surface of the corner, thereby leaving room for error. GGC schools traditionally teach slightly late apexes for safety and because we were running out of instructors.

Instructors: Brave souls, both overworked and underpaid, who give up their weekends in the pursuit of teaching Club members to drive, eat the Chapter’s food, and talk smackwith each other about how fast they were “last time when you weren’t here.”

Talking Smack: The traditional off-track pastime of stu-dents and instructors the world over.

Whimpering Like a Little Girl: The sound that instructorsof both genders involuntarily make when faced with potentially imminent demise.

Chatterbox: The brand name of a headset-intercom system employed to allow students to hear their instructors beg for their lives.

Heel & Toe: A complicated technique involving the man-agement of three pedals by two-footed drivers. Critical to the pursuit of being smooth, heel & toe is best learned on the street so it can be done without conscious thought at the track.

Being Smooth: What this sport is all about. If you can man-age to be smooth with the car—smooth on the gas, smooth on the brake, smooth with the steering wheel—then speed will come by itself. Note: this is difficult.

Difficult: Motorsports.Oversteer: The tendency of the rear of the car to want to

switch places with the front of the car, often due to sudden and unfortunate weight transfer resulting in a lack of grip from the rear tires. The opposite of understeer.

Understeer: The hugely frustrating unwillingness of the car to change direction when asked, requested, cajoled, bribed, or otherwise browbeaten. Often the result of a conser-

vative suspension setup from the original car manufacturer (read: the original car manufacturer’s legal team), understeer is considered to be much safer, if incredibly less exciting, than oversteer.

Weight Transfer: The act of either: a) eating lunch at the racetrack café, or b) moving the center of gravity of the car forward, backward, left, or right by accelerating, braking, or turning. Managing weight transfer (in both senses) is the key to developing advanced track-driving skills.

Lateral G: The centripetal force attempting to pull you out the driver’s door during right-hand turns, and sending you into your instructor’s lap in left-hand turns.

The Line: The line is the optimal path around the track (not to be confused with the shortest path around the track, or the queue of people waiting for food at the paddock café at Infineon Raceway) as defined by the path requiring the least amount of turning to circumnavigate the entire circuit. This results in very large arcs around corners in the pursuit of minimizing the amount of direction change per increment of forward progress. The Line is the fastest way around a given track and yet is, inexplicably, subject to endless hours of point-less debate on Internet forums everywhere.

Infineon Raceway: Sears Point.Off-track Excursion: The act of departing the paved surface

for points unknown and usually the result of an early apex or a spin. Also known as “mowing the infield,” “four-wheelin’,” and “I meant to do that, I swear!”

Spin: See rotation.Rotation: See spin.Okay, now that we’re all speaking the same language, see

you all at Infineon!

Mark Dadgar is a life-long car fanatic who always wins at Buzz-word Bingo. He currently serves on the board of the Golden Gate Chapter and as the driving events coordinator. As punishment for that, they make him set driving school prices and write a column for the Bombe. You can reach him at rumblestrip@ggcbmwcca.org

24 October 2008 25October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

Facto

ry A

utho

rized

BM

W D

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CCA

Disc

ount

s BMW Concord 1945 Market Street Concord, CA 94520 925 682‑3577

BMW of Humboldt Bay 1795 Central Ave. McKinleyville, CA 95519 707 839‑4BMW (4269)

BMW of Monterey One Geary Plaza Seaside, CA 93955 831 899‑5555

BMW of Mountain View 150 E. EI Camino Real Mountain View, CA 94040 650 943‑1000

BMW of San Francisco 1675 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94103 415 863‑9000

BMW of Santa Maria 2150 South College Drive Santa Maria, CA 93455 805 614‑0306

Claridge’s BMW 4421 5 Auto Mall Circle Fremont, CA 94538 510 360‑5900

Coast BMW 1484 Auto Park Way San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 805 543‑4423

East Bay BMW 4350 Rosewood Drive Pleasanton, CA 94566 800 505‑4801

Peter Pan BMW 2695 S. El Camino Real San Mateo, CA 94403 650 349‑9077

Prestige BMW 2800 Corby Avenue Santa Rosa, CA 95407 707 545‑6602

Sonnen BMW 1599 E. Francisco Blvd San Rafael, CA 94901 415 482‑2000

Stevens Creek BMW 3737 Stevens Creek Santa Clara, CA 95050 408 249‑9070

Weatherford Motors 735 Ashby Avenue Berkeley, CA 94710 510 654‑8280

One of the many member benefits of BMW CCA is a members-only discount at various participating services and dealers. Below you can find the businesses in our area who offer our members a discount. Please note that businesses often require you to show your current CCA membership card in order to receive the discount.

Please contact us with any deletions to the list due to a company being out of business. We ask that additions, changes, or deletions (no longer participat-ing in discount program) are requested by the business owner directly. Updates should be directed to: CommunicationsManager@ggcbmwcca.org.

Independent Service & Supply Discounts2002 Haus San Luis Obispo 805 541-2002 5% Parts

Bavarian Enterprises Sunnyvale 408 737-6100 Various Parts

Bavarian Motorsport Milpitas 408 956-1662 10% Parts

Bavarian Professionals Berkeley 510 524-6000 10% Labor

Bavarian Tuning Santa Rosa 707 575-3757 10% Parts/Labor

Berkeley Motor Works El Cerrito 510 528-1214 10% Parts/Svc

Bimmers BMW Service San Carlos 650 591-2474 Various

Catalpa Street Garage Santa Cruz 831 464-2269 10% Parts

Classic Euro-Asian Oroville 530 534-6887 10% Parts

Conversion Techniques Oakland 510 639-0911 Various

Diablo Motors San Ramon 925 830-4269 10% Parts/Labor

Dinan Engineering Mountain View 650 962-9401 10% Labor

Dinan Engineering Morgan Hill 408 779-8584 10% Labor

Double 02 Salvage Hayward 510 782-2002 10% Used Parts

Edge Motorworks Dublin 925 479-0797 10% Labor

evosport www.evosport.com 888 520-9971 10% Parts, $1000svc=free dyno

Extreme Performance San Jose 408 923-6404 10% Parts/Labor

German Auto Santa Maria 805 922-1262 10% Parts

GS Tuning Santa Rosa 707 284-2680 10% Sales/Service

Heynneman European San Rafael 415 499-1234 $50 off Service

Jam Engineering Monterey 831 372-1787 Various Parts

John Gardiner Automotive San Francisco 415 777-2697 10% Labor

Nate Smith’s Optimal Auto Santa Cruz 831 476-1332 10% Parts

M Service Walnut Creek 925 932-8744 10% Parts/Labor

Patelco Credit Union www.Patelco.org 415 442-6200 Special Offer

Phaedrus San Francisco 415 567-8000 10% Parts

Portola Valley Garage Portola Valley 650 851-7442 10% Labor

RennWerks Campbell 408 370-7480 20% Labor

Rossi’s Tire & Auto Service Salinas 831 424-0011 Various

SAS German Auto Pleasanton 925 846-4886 10% Parts

Schulba BMW Service Belmont 650 592-7352 10% Parts orders

Sound Innovations Hayward 510 471-9062 10% Parts

ToeOut Performance ToeOutPerformance.com 805 270-0118 10% Parts

Track Star Racing Mountain View 650 961-2350 10% Parts/Labor

Valley Motorwerks Rancho Cordova 916 636-9526 10% Parts/Labor

West Bay Bavarian San Rafael 415 457-0820 10% Parts/Labor/Dinan work

Dealership DiscountsBMW of Fremont Fremont 510 360-5900 10% Parts & Labor

BMW of Monterey Seaside 831 899-5555 10% Parts

BMW of Mountain View Mountain View 650 943-1000 10% Parts

BMW of San Francisco San Francisco 415 863-9000 10% Parts

East Bay BMW Pleasanton 800 505-4801 10% Parts

Peter Pan BMW San Mateo 650 349-9077 10% Parts

Roseville BMW Roseville 916 782-9434 10% Parts

Sonnen BMW San Rafael 415 482-2000 10% Parts

Stevens Creek BMW Santa Clara 408 249-9070 Various/20% Parts/Labor

Weatherford BMW Berkeley 510 654-8280 Various

New

Mem

bers

Welc

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e!

Last First City Model Year Refered ByLast First City Model Year Refered ByAbichandani Arun Alameda 323i 2000 August Christian Lafayette 503iA 2001 Belding Karen Salinas Bieniek Ryan Millbrae 335xi 2008 Blanco Sam Santa Clara M5 2006 Booth Alan Napa 2002 1973 Briggs Zachary San Francisco Brockgreitens Keith San Rafael E93 335i 2008 Bruns Laurie Lafayette 335xi 2008 Butler Dustin Half Moon Bay Calvillo Alejandro Hollister Cardei Vlad Mountain View 325i 2003 Chavez Alex Salinas 328is 1996 Chen Tony Milpitas Z3 1996 Cheung Joseph San Francisco E92 335i 2007 Chew Dennis San Ramon M coupe 2007 Clary James San Francisco Cleere Steven Novato 530i 2005 Cook Phil Palo Alto M5 2006 Cruz Rob Salinas Curley David San Francisco 135i 2008 Czak Chris Glen Ellen 528i 1998 Daunt Donna Pacific Grove Daunt Robert Pacific Grove Decker Eric Scotts Valley M3 2003 Esteban Jerry San Jose Ettefagh Farshad San Diego Friedman David Martinez Dinan 3S 2000 Galsim Garel-Lee Pleasanton 528i 1997 Garcias Orlando Belmont 650i 2007 Geving Gary Woodacre 850Ci 1993 Gilbert John Berkeley 3.0CS 1974 Goldberger Samuel Kensington 745Li 2003 Gottscho Mark Pleasanton Gottscho Richard Dublin Grecco Mark Livermore M6 2007 Greer Eric Lafayette 535i 1990 Hickey Steven Newark 2002 1969 Hodges Paul San Francisco 135 2008 Horowitz Alex San Rafael 325i 1993 Hulwick John San Francisco 328i 2007 Bill HulwickHusted Roger Carmel Valley 530xi 2006 Jain Nitin Vallejo E92 M3 2008 Richard TirrellJohannesen Branden San Carlos M3 1999 Khalfin Edward San Mateo Ko Nathan Castro Valley Labos Susan Walnut Creek Leibowitz David San Carlos

Leland Richard Vacaville 325Ci 1995 Lerner Riya San Francisco 2002 1973 Leung Albert San Francisco 335i 2008 Leung Larry San Bruno M3 1997 Luy Alan Martinez M3 1998 Gordon WhiteMarks Greg Petaluma M3 2008 Massey Kurt San Francisco 135 2008 Mcdonald William Boulder Creek 330Ci 2004 Mceldowney Nicolas Santa Cruz 540i 2002 Miller Hamp San Luis Obispo Monschke James San Francisco 335i 2008 Morse Robert Aptos Munoz Carlos San Ramon X5 4.8L 2008 Munoz Casoy Hollister Walter IrishMusco Gary Bodega Bay Z4 2004 Ng Esmond Moraga 335xi 2008 Michael HellerO’Nell Ryan San Francisco Orvis Drew` San Jose 325i 1989 Pace Robert Salinas 135i 2008 Kris LinquistPemberton Rex Pacifica Pinisetti Partha Los Gatos 911 4S 2002 Partha PinisettiQuarles John San Francisco 328 xiT 2008 Ramamurthy Nitin San Francisco 330ci zhp 2005 Rego Travis Castro Valley M3 1996 Retrum Michael San Luis Obispo E92 335i 2007 Richmond Tony Los Altos 535i 2008 Rose David Novato 330Ci 2001 Rosenberg Richard Sausalito Schlags Breanna Buellton 330Ci 2001 Erik GlendinningSchummer Ed San Francisco E93 M3 2008 Scott Marelius Pebble Beach Sekhon Jasjeet Berkeley E92 335i 2008 Service Charles Oakland Z3 coupe 2001 Shepard Lee Redwood City 335i 2008 Shields Don San Jose 535i 1986 Toofan Bejan Gilroy 330Ci 2001 Trac Vince San Francisco 330CiC 2001 Tsao Danika San Luis Obispo 2002Tii 1972 Ke-Ping TsaoWhittaker Jeff Livermore 335i 2008 Charles EylerWillis Denise Martinez Woods Gregory Walnut Creek E92 335i 2008 Woodworth Katherine San Francisco Young Eric San Luis Obispo M3 1999 Zhao Xu Albany M3 2005 Raza Uddin

26 October 2008 27October 2008Die Flüsternde Bombe Die Flüsternde Bombe

Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA, Inc. is a non-profit California corporation, it is a chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, and is not connected with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW of North America. Die Flüsternde Bombe is a publication of the Golden Gate Chapter, all ideas, opinions, and suggestions expressed in regard to technical or other matters are solely those of the authors, and no authentication, endorsement, or guarantee is expressed or implied. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA, Inc. assumes no liability for any of the information contained herein. No fac-tory approval is implied unless so indicated. Modi-fication of your BMW within the warranty period may void the warranty, and some modifications may violate federal or state laws or regulations. All contents remain the property of the chapter, but BMW CCA and BMW ACA chapters may quote or copy from the publication, provided full credit is given to the author and the Golden Gate Chapter, unless otherwise noted or specifically prohibited.

Chapter Mailing Address: Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA909 Marina Village Parkway, PMB #189Alameda, CA 94501

The BMW Car Club of America, lnc. is a not-for-profit national association of over 70,000 members, dedicated to the enjoyment of driving BMWs. Membership is not limited to BMW own-ers and aimes to provide access to driving and social events, maintenance and technical informa-tion, parts discounts, and more. Dues are $40 per year, with an associate member added for $5 more. Members receive the monthly Roundel magazine and a newsletter from their local chap-ter, or from a chapter of their choice. The Golden Gate Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the BMW CCA with over 4,500 members.

For a new membership or to renew an existing one, please call toll free 1800 878-9292 or visit www.bmwcca.org. Visa and Mastercard accepted.

BMW CCA mailing address:640 South Main St., Suite 201Greenville, SC 29601 Phone: 864 250-0022Fax: 864 250-0038www.bmwcca.org

BMW CCA

GGC, BMW CCA

Membership address corrections are only accepted at the BMW CCA website or national office.

Member Updates

By joining the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA), you provided personal information that allows us to contact you. BMW CCA provides this information to the Golden Gate Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America (GGC BMW CCA) for the following purposes:

To send the GGC magazine (• Die Flüsternde Bombe) by U.S. Mail.To help us create content and events most • relevant to you. To alert you to updated information and • other new services from ggcbmwcca.org using an email announcement list.

GGC BMW CCA does not distribute personal information to any third parties. The information you provide to BMW CCA to be used by the GGC will not be used for any other purpose—we promise.

Privacy Statement

Board MembersGGC BOArD Board@ggcbmwcca.org

PrESIDENT Jeff Cowan 650 322-4938 x2 President@ggcbmwcca.org

VICE PrESIDENT Bob Goebel VicePresident@ggcbmwcca.org

SECrETArY Chris Webber Secretary@ggcbmwcca.org

TrEASUrEr Tamara Hull Treasurer@ggcbmwcca.org

MEMBErSHIP CHAIr Kyle Breton 510 573-4894 MembershipChair@ggcbmwcca.org

MEMBErS-AT-LArGE Mark Dadgar DrivingEventsCoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org Kelly Collins CommunicationsManager@ggcbmwcca.org

Event StaffCHIEF DrIVING INSTrUCTOrS Billy Maher 707 546-5572 Peter Vinsel TrackSchools@ggcbmwcca.org

CHIEF STEWArD Peter Guagenti ChiefSteward@ggcbmwcca.org

TrACK SCHOOL PrOJECT MANAGEr Kelly Collins/Mark Dadgar TrackSchools@ggcbmwcca.org

DrIVING EVENTS COOrDINATOr Mark Dadgar DrivingEventsCoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org

CHIEF SCrUTINEEr Ramon Le Francois 408 956-1662

CAr CONTrOL CLINIC COOrDINATOrS Bob Goebel, Grant Low, Martin Umeh, Canyon Chan, and Paula Williamson CarControl@ggcbmwcca.org

AUTOCrOSS COOrDINATOr Kris Linquist / Matt Visser Autox@ggcbmwcca.org

AUTOCrOSS CAr CLASSIFICATIONS Rodger Ball 415 566-1239 AutocrossClassify@ggcbmwcca.org

TECHNICAL SESSION COOrDINATOr Aleksey Kadukin TechnicalSessionCoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org

CLUB rACING Mike Mills ClubRacing@ggcbmwcca.org www.bmwccaclubracing.com

BMW FESTOrICS COOrDINATOrS David Crum / Jeff Cowan info@festorics.org

SOCIAL EVENTS DIrECTOr Mike Zampiceni SocialDirector@ggcbmwcca.org

CHArITABLE EVENTS COOrDINATOr Joe Fant CharitableEventsCoordinator@ggcbmwcca.org

Chapter InformationBombe TeamEDITOr-IN-CHIEF Kelly Kirkland 650 400-9300 Bombe@ggcbmwcca.org

ASSIGNMENTS EDITOr Robert Pavel 415 752-7720 AE@ggcbmwcca.org

ASSISTANT EDITOr/COPY EDITOr Patrick R. Demorais Bombe-Assist@ggcbmwcca.org

ADVErTISING MANAGEr Percy Chow 925 323-4844 Cell 925 215-3547 Office Advertising@ggcbmwcca.org

AD BILLING MANAGEr Tamara Hull AdBills@ggcbmwcca.org

rEGULAr CONTrIBUTOrS Jonathan Bush, Jeff Cowan, Mark Dadgar, Kris Linquist, and Donovan R. Unks

PrINTING Commerce Printing (Please don’t call with membership questions.)

requests for replacement or extra copies of the GGC newsletter should be directed to the membership chair.

Communications TeamCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGEr Kelly Collins CommunicationsManager@ggcbmwcca.org

WEBMASTEr Mark Dadgar Webmaster@ggcbmwcca.org

GrAPHIC DESIGN Percy Chow www.percydesign.com

Area representativesNOrTH BAY Amanda Topper 415 279-0740 NorthAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

SAN FrANCISCO Ken Glidewell 415 345-3128 SFAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

EAST BAY Mary Sandkohl 510 530-4871 EastAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

PENINSULA Kyle Breton 510 573-4894 PeninsulaAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

SOUTH BAY Kris Linquist 408 392-0890 SouthAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

MONTErEY BAY ArEA Ken Whitson 831 625-5133 MontereyAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

SAN LUIS OBISPO ArEA Dennis Harrold 805 931-0433 SLOAreaRep@ggcbmwcca.org

BMW CCA Pacific Region V.P. Steve Johnson 858 451‑8906 PacificRVP@bmwcca.org

By Elaine Ashby

This July, I went to the North Bay breakfast gathering seeking other motor-heads who would like to work on cars, but I forgot that most people with cars that cost over $50,000 aren’t generally fond of wrenches—not even the people with four-wheel drive cars want to go car camping these days.

As a thirty-year member of the BMW CCA, I remember when I wasn’t the only wrench in the crowd. I got my first 2002 (a used 1970 model) when I got out of grad school and got a paycheck. My father was appalled that I sold my ‘71 Vega to get an even older car. Several years later, Larry Resnick—another longtime Club member—helped me rebuild the 02’s engine. Afterwards, on a zoomy ride up the San Francisco hills, a friend claimed that the little BMW’s 9.3:1 compression gave it so much power that it dislocated his pelvis. Some years later, my wonderful car was left for scrap after someone jumped a light—but I have since owned a ‘71, and now a ‘74 2002. Gotta love the big bumpers for city parking!

About ten years ago, Larry convinced me it was time for me to buy an E30 M3—so I wouldn’t be dependent on a car with over 300,000 miles. Now, I simply have two old cars! And, if it weren’t for Jenny Morgan talk-ing me out of it, I would probably be trying to restore an Isetta, as well.

I’ve been appreciative of the BMW CCA discount on parts, as I still do most of my own work. When I was in medical school, I had NO money; the choice was either do all my own work or sell the car. Besides, when I don’t do it myself, it seems that very bad things happen to the cars. It is so satisfying to fix a problem—and know it’s done right. Additionally, it impresses the guys if you can do roadside repairs faster than a tow truck can get there.

I used to be fairly active in the Club. I took the Bondurant Driv-ing School at Sears Point organized for the GG