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Mont Themblanthosts Bimmers Across The BorderOver fifty Club racers from the Northeast

and Canada converged on Le Circuit MontTremblant in August for the ninth runningof Bimmers Across The Border. the BostonChapter's combined race and driving-schoolevent. The slower Group A was dominatedby the E30 M3s of J-Prepared winner ScottCasagrande and J-Stock winner Eric Hein-r ich. and the H-Stock E36 M3 of SteveMertz. Chuck Stickley took C-Mod and theoverall win in Saturday's sprint with adramatic drive through the pack, while GregRead, who had led most of the race, won hisclass and finished second overall in his super-charged B-Mod E36 M3. Saturday's Super-Mod winner, Steve Fitzgerald (323i), had tosettle for second in class in Sunday's enduro.Ron Checca's high-strung D-Mod E30 washooked up at Tremblant, and was unbeatablefor the weekend.

As part of a noise-reduction plan, Trem-blant race groups are restricted to thirty cars,so GroupAracers had their ownAndy Warholminutes of fame, exceeding the promised frfteenby a factor of at least six, not even countingFriday's fun races. The downside was thatChuck Stickley was black-flagged out of anenduro that he should have won: too noisy.

Tn Saturday's Group A points sprints. runafter the ten-lap fun races, pole-sitter EricHeinrich soon fell back a few positions, buthe held on to his J-Stock lead. In the earlygoing, the order at the front was Casagrande,Mertz. Ericson. and Heinrich. After a full-course black flag that quickly went to yel-low, the track retumed to green with just twolaps left, and the top four held their positions,with class wins going to Casagrande, Mertz,

mobile. The Stock class caters to those whowant to take a basically unmodified streetcar, add the appropriate safety equipment,and go racing. Some Stock class racers stilldrive their race cars to and from the events,showing the dual nature of these vehicles.

Prepared class cars take the Stock philos-ophy to a slightly higher level, allowing greaterleeway in the areas of suspension, drivetrain,and weightreduction, but still keeping withinthe spi-rit of the original vehicle.

Modified is the "sky's the limit" class,allowing fundamental changes to the natureof the car while still requiring the use of a

ClassPos. Pos. Driver Car Best Lap1 1 JP Sc0ttoasagrande E30lM3 01155.22 1 HS Steve l\,4edz ... E36 tVI3 ' 01:56.23 2.a B ar l - r . .or l30lv3 0-:56.14 1 JS Erlc Heinrich .i ' . E30 l\43 01:56.65 3 JP N4arcThomaes ' E30 N13 01:56 66 2 J\ L eo l-ergr .01 I 30 M3 l] l:bb 27 4 lP Srott Hall E36 325 01:56.1B 1 KP K€ith Hammitle E30 325 s 01 57.2I 2 KP Doi Stevdir'son 830 3251s 01:58.70 1 .S Cl drles Beloil | 30 lV3 0r:58.1

' ' 3 .S P ri Abrdr' 130 lM3 0 :5q.b12 lSpE36,01nCOLl ier L3b325is 0-:^9.013 4JS DdvdAl 'dwa! 130V3 02:02014 sJS Bil yG avin E30 Nl3 02.02215 6JS Arr Ld p0" lor r le -30VJ 020..316 2 Sp E16 lvi. 6de 6 lben c36 J25 s 01 58.417 3 KP Rob Jackowilz E30 325 02A2.318 4 KP [/]ark Gal agher E30325is 01:59.2D0 5 JP Nlichael Goulde E36 325is 02:01.1

ClassPos. Pos. Driver Car Best Lap

JP Scotl Casagrande E30 N43HS Steve N4edz E36 tu13JS Eric Heinrich E30 lU3JP Scott Hall .' E36 325i

01:5401:5501:5601:56Ul:Jh

01:5701:5701:5901:5901;5801 5902:0102:01A2:0201:5601:58

1011121314DNF

2 JS Ferqusonl,ryeinsteir E30 l\433 JP li]arc Tl]omaes E30 Nl31 KP Keith Hammiiie E30.325is1 Sp E36 Cl-0!ti€r/Po]l0led0 E36325is3 JS PliitAbra,,iri:t]ti rE30 NI32KP Don Stevenson E30 325is4 JS Anf Lamoort Hammitte E30 lM35 JS Davrd Allawa\/ E30 M36 JS Bil v G avin E30 [/33 KP Rob Jackowitz E30 325iJP Brian Erickson E30 I\13

DNf 15 Chdrles Beno r EJl] lV3

10111213t41516171B19202122DNF

1 CIV Chuck Stickley E36 l\ l3 01:45.31 BlVl Greq Fead E36 lV3 01 45.82 CIM A lan Lew s E36 325 01:48.21 SlVl Sleve FitzOefa d E21 323i 01:48.62 SM lke Neilson E36 N43 GTR 0l:49.71 DlVl Ron Checca E30 lV3 A149.73 C[/] John Dimolf E36 lvl3 01:50.14 CM Bob Solomon E36 325is 01:51 02 DIV Louis Payart E30 N/3 01;51.5I HP Peter Catro I E36 lM3 0l 53.31 P Davis R eman, Jr E36 lM3 01t53.55 CIM S€foe Chamouf E30 lM3 01:54.02HP Jeaf Luc Berger0r E36 lVI3 01:56.32lP Jacqres Rimokh E36 N/3 0T:56.46 CtV Bob Gofe E30 325is 01:56.17 CM ls d0re Papad0pou os E36 325is 01:55 7B CNI Georqe l\4outafis E36 N/3 01:56.43 lP Steohef Ayers E36 lV3 01 58.54 P David Seidman E36 M3 02.A2.53 SIV Fred Landwehr E36 325is 02101.5I C[n T i]othy Pe oso E36 l\13 02:03.110 Cl\/ l Bruce Lumm s E3031Bi 02:04.011 ClVl Phi Sans0ssi0 E36 lvl3 01:51.4

10il12'1314151617181920DNF

1 SVI Neils0f/Povo edO E36 N43 GTR 01:44.52 SNI Steve Fitzqerald E21 323i 0l:46.61 Clll Allan Lewis E36 325 01:47.91 D[i] Ron Checca E30 l\13 01:49.42CM Johr Dimoff E36 lV3 01:49.33 Cl\l Bob So omon E36 325is 01:49 51 HP Peter Catrol E36 lvl3 A1.52.22 Dl!1 Lou s Payant E30 N/3 A1.51.2'I lP P0v0 ed0/R eman, Jr E36 [/]3 01:52.12lP Jacques Rimokh E36 M3 01:54.84 ClVl lsid0re Papad0p0ul0s E36 325is 01:53.82lP Jean Lrc Berqef0f E36 l!13 01:56.05CNl Lummis/Rochon E3031Bi 01;52 16 CIV George M0rtalis E36 lV3 0l 55.27 CIV Gore/Ga lits E30 325 s 01153.93 lP Stephen Ayers E36 [i]3 01:56.04 lP David Seidman E36 Nl3 01:58.6I CIVI T mothy Peloso E36 m3 02:06.63 SIV Fred Landwehr E36 325is 02.04.4I C[i] Chuck Stickley E36 l!13 01;44 6C[i] Cham0un/Gress E30 l!13 02 06.0

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a place to take it to the next level and experi-ence the thrills oftrue wheel-to-wheel racing."Club Racing is the perfect place for theBMW enthusiast to begin their amateurracing career," said newly-appointed BMWCCA Club Racing Chairman Mike Mills lastsufilmer. "With its unique mix of competitionand camaraderie, Club Racing makes for aneasy transition from chapter driving-eventsprograms, but maintains a steep leaming curveto keep racers challenged."

Built upon five main classes of car prepa-ration, Club Racing has a place for anyoneinterested in competing in a BMW auto-

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CR director Mills wants more racer involvementBMW CCA Club Racing will begin its

fourleenth season in 2008. Over the course ofalmost a decade and a half, racers have comeand gone, BMWs have grown bigger, faster,and more expensive, but Club Racing hasstayed true to its heritage and to its roots. Theseries offers all BMW CCA-licensed Clubracers a competitive driving experience con-ducted in a fun, safe, friendly environment.The primary emphasis is on clean driving,machinery preselation, and racer camaraderie.

Designed as the "next step up" from drivingschools, BMW CCAClub Racing gives BMWowners who've honed their skills at the track

lO6 nouruorr. NovEMBER2ooT

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' l:ril:Ell.lW GGA Club Racing is supported by The Tire Rack (title sponsor); HMS (official supplier of safety gear);y0kohama Tire (sponsor Spec E66 Series); motorsportcoverage,com, Summit Modgage, UUC Motorwerks,ihd VAG Motorsports, (primary sponsors); and Grassroots Motorsporfs magazine, fhe ilational MotoristsAssociation, and W Motorsport (associate sponsors), RACING BRIEFS

, Automatic Racing to run MO in RolexSeries: Automatic Racing, the team that runs f0urM3s in Koni Challenge, will run in the R0lex SeriesGT class in 2008-in a BMW M6. Well, sort of:The car wi | | be a silhouetie racer that /ooks I ike anM6, but has little resemblance to the street version0f the car under its skin; a Riley tube frame chassis,the car will be powered by a BMW VB.

t BMW racers lead Koni Challenge: Abroken axle on the Automatic Racing M3 of JetfSegal and Jep Thornton kept them from clinchingthe Koni Challenge Grand Sp0rt drivers'title atMiller Motorsports Park in September, buttheyheld a substantial lead going into the finale at VIR inOctober, The Miller race was won by MattAlhadeffand Joey Hand in a Turner Motorsport M3. Turner330i racers Adam Bunows and Trevor Hopwood,who finished sixth in class atMiller, held aslimlead in Speed Tuner driver poinls over Acura racersKarl Thomson and Bi lly Johnson going into VlR.

* Pliaulx takes the WTGC lead lrom Farlus:BMW Team UKs Andy Priaulx moved into firstplace in the World Touring Car Championship witha win in the second sprint at Brands Hatch in Sep-tember lt was his f irst win in his home race; he fin-ished seventh in the first of the two Brands Hatchraces, BIVW Team Germanys Augusto Farfus, wh0had led going into Brands Hatch, scored no pointsthere and fell to second in the standings, 1 2 pointsbehind Priaulx-the series' defending champion-with the 0ctober Monza races and the Novemberf inale in Macau lefl to run.

n BMW-Sauber clinches second in Fl:BMW-Sauber clinched second place in FormulaI constructors' points with a seventh-place finishby Robert Kubica in the Japanese Grand Prix, arace run in a downpour at the Fuji circuit on Sep-tember 30. His teammate, Nick Heidfeld, exitedthe race with unspecified technical problemswith just one lap to go. In the September racesrun before Jaoan, Heidfeld and Kubica finlshedfourth and fifth respectlvely in ltaly and fifth andninth respectively in Belgium.

The rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prixcapped a month even more crazy than usual inFormula 1 : The World lV0t0rsports C0uncilremoved all 0f lvlcLaren-Mercedes Constructors'points after reviewing the teams role in a spyscandal in which it received confidentialinlormation about Ferrari s cars. McLaren wasalso fined $1 00,000,000.

McLaren's disqualif ication immediately gavethe Constructors' Championshio to Ferrari andmoved BMW-Sauber into second. Then, eventhough both Renaults iinished ahead of theBMW-Saubers in Japan, BMW finished the racewith enough p0ints t0 secure its positi0n.

Mclarens Lewis Hamilton won in Japan,while his teammate-and rival f0r the worldchampionship-Fernando Alonso, crashed 0ut,giving Hamilton a twelve-point lead going intothe series' last two 2008 races in China andBrazil, Ferrari s Kimi Rii ikkdnen, 1 7 pointsbehind Hamilton, is the only other driver with anumerical chance to win the cham0ionship.

Heinrich; and, a few spots back, Keith Ham-mitte in K-Prepared (E30 325is), CharlesBenoit (E30 M3) running solo in I-Stock,and John Cloutier (E36 325is) in SpecE36.

The Group B sprint looked to be ownedby Read, but Stickley made a determined tocharge through the pack, and on the final lap,after a late-race yellow, he ran side-by-sidewith Read and then got by for the overall winwhen Read bobbled a shift. Just a few spotsback were class winners Peter Carroll (H-P)

and Davis Rieman, Jr. (I-P), both in E36 M3s.Saturday night at Tremblant means dinner

and sunset at the top ofthe mountain, reachedby a gondola from the resort village. Asalways, the dinner was sold out, as racersbring their families to Tremblant, where out-door activities, shopping, and restaurantsoffer great diversions away from the track.

Sunday's enduros were mn at mid-day togive the racers with long tows and bordercrossings ahead of them time to get home.The Group A race began at 11:30; by 11:40Casagrande was in for his mandatory five-minute stop, giving the overall lead to Mertz,who held on until his late-race stop at about12:10. Casagrande regained the lead, andheld on for his third overall and J-Preparedwin ofthe weekend, ahead ofrepeat classwinners Mertz (H-Stock) and Heinrich (J-

Stock), with K-Prepared repeat winner KeithHammitte finishing seventh, ahead of

SpecE36 winner Cloutier, who shared his carwithAaron Povoledo.

It was to be Povoledo's first of three classwins in two races. The Canadian racing coachstarted the Group B enduro in Davis Rieman,Jr.'s I-Prepared E36 M3 and then switchedto Ike Neilson's Super-Mod E36 M3 GTR. Inthe early going, both before and after a full-course yellow to remove an errant racer'scar, it appeared that Chuck Stickley wasgoing to win it all. But then the township andtrack did what the other racers could not do,vanquishing Stickley with a black flag for anoise violation. The lead then went to a side-by-side battle between Super-Mod runnersFitzgerald and Povoledo, with the Neil-son/Povoledo car having the edge at the end.Allan Lewis won C-Mod with his third over-all finish, just ahead of D-Mod winner RonChecca, completing his weekend sweep. Car-roll repeated in H-Prepared, and Rieman/Povoledo took the I-Prepared win with aninth overall finish.

Bimmers Across the Border is a specialevent at the most spectacular venue in ClubRacing; try to be there for the tenth anniver-sary edition in 2008. Stan Parker, kept busyin the aftermath of all the full-course yel-lows, was competition steward, Bruce Smithand Dick Cadieux were tech stewards, andLarry Fletcher was timing-and-scoring stew-ard.-Brian MorRan

BMW engine and.transmission. This is theclass to enter if you are interested in aerody-namics or extreme engine development, whileSuper Modified is for cars that exceed Modi-fied's guidelines; it's also for purpose-built(i.e., non-series production) BMW-poweredrace cars. Super Mod cms me rare, but the occa-sional PTG-prepared M3 makes it out to a ClubRace to thrill racers and spectators alike.

The SpecE36 class is intended for racerswho desire an "even playing field" with atightly specified level ofpreparation. Ifyouare attracted to a cost-controlled, competi-tive class, SpecE36 may be your new homel

"The charter of the Club Racins Chair-

man is to steward the organization, keepingthe mission and the class philosophy para-mount," says Mills. "It is important that weadvance the interests ofthe four stakeholdergroups, the staff, the sponsors, the hostingchapters, and the racers, to meet the missionof BMWCCACIub Racing."

Mills has outlined a plan of increasedcommunications to all of the constituentgroups, in addition to the wider motorsportscommunity. Central to this scheme is theexpanded role ofthe renamed-for-2008 RacerAdvisory Committee, a group of racers fromvarious regions participating in the annualrules-change process.-M ark D ad gar

RoUNDEL. NoVEMBER2ooT 107