Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of … · 2013-03-09 · Magazine of the...

Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America January/February 2013

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2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

3 FROM THE EDITOR

4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

5 COMING EVENTS

20 TRADITIONS

28 CLASSIFIEDS

28 ADVERTISERS INDEX

VOLUME 43 | NUMBER 1 8 Towson BMW Collision CenterWelcomes NCC MembersBY PHILLIP CUMMINGS

10 The BMW Performance Center DeliversBY JOHN HARTGE

15 New Members FetedBY MARIA STEWART OWCZAREK

16 2013 Orange County Auto Show: The Cars Are The StarsBY JAMES CHEW

20 Going Places in a ‘76 1502BY SAMULI SALMINEN

24 You Had Me at Hello: A Candid Confession of a Newly MintedHPDE JunkieBY KELSY HILL POLIFKA

27 Winter Prep Detailing WorkshopBY JOHN MCWILLIAMS

Cover: A 1502 resting at the highest pointin the Großglockner Alpenstraße. See storyon page 20. Photo: Samuli Salminen

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Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America

January | February 2013

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National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America

Chapter Officers (Please call 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.)

PresidentPaul Seto . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 301.908.1928Vice PresidentAlgie Livingston . . . . . . . [email protected] 703.455.4717TreasurerDave Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 703.304.7950SecretaryZach Pullins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Membership ChairJames Laws . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 240.424.5380Social ChairPaul Seto . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 301.908.1928Driving School CoordinatorMatt Oleksiak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] ChairJohn McWilliams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Schlossman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] CommitteeJonathan Thayer . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] ActivitiesBob Stern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 410.602.0175Club Council RepresentativePete Lem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

der Bayerische StaffEditorJim LaFemina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . [email protected]/Layout Raine Mantysalo . . . . . [email protected] 301.318.9949Advertising ManagerSteve Lim . . . . . . . . . [email protected] 240.888.8943Contributing WritersJames Chew, Phillip Cummings, John Hartge, Kelsy Hill Polifka,John McWilliams, Samuli Salminen, Maria Stewart Owczarek Club AddressNCC BMW CCA, P.O. Box 685, Arlington, VA 22216National Membership Toll-Free Number800.878.9292

der Bayerische is the official publication of the National Capital Chapterof the BMW Car Club of America, Inc., and is not in any way connected withthe Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW of North America, Inc. It is provided by and for the Club membership only. The Club assumes no liability for any of the information, opinions or suggestions contained here-in. No factory approval is implied unless specifically stated. Modificationswithin the warranty period of a vehicle may void the warranty. Deadline forall material is the 21st of odd-numbered months. All articles are subject toediting and must be received by the Editor. Send all photos to theProduction Manager. For placement of commercial advertisements contactthe Advertising Manager. See Classified Ads for information on memberadvertisement submission. Contents may not be reproduced without permission in writing except by the BMW CCA and its Chapters.© 2013 NCC BMW CCA

President’sMessageWelcome to 2013 and another exciting year for our CCA members. But, before any of that,let's take a look back at 2012 and some of the outstanding events we enjoyed! Our HighPerformance Driving Events (HPDE) were very successful, introducing many BMW owners to the track for the first time, as well as providing advanced training to those who tookpart in our Club Racing School. We sponsored 12 DIY events this year, where members wereable to change their own fluids, replace their brake components, and take on many otherrepairs and routine maintenance tasks. One of the countless benefits of being around otherBMW owners is that you're never short of getting great advice on fixing or modifying your car.In fact, I've saved thousands of dollars over the years by working on my own car and everymember should be able to do the same. Looking back further, we did so much last year.Spring started out with our annual Deutsche Marque Concours and this year marks the 30thanniversary of that great event. Autocross had an excellent year, bringing in many new motor-sport participants, and we expect even bigger AX events this year. We also sponsored twotop-notch Street Survival schools where more than 50 teenagers were able to learn the basicsof car control and what it takes to become better drivers. As one of our premier programs, wepride ourselves in teaching the younger drivers the rules of the road before we release themto the cruel world of beltway traffic.

All in all, we close the books on another exemplary year where we had a great time everyweekend. But you know what really makes this club run – and that’s our volunteers. Nothingis more rewarding for me, as chapter president, than seeing members leaving our events witha smile, knowing that they had a good time. And those good times are made possible becauseof the select few that spend their own time planning events, handling excruciating details, andmaking sure everything runs smoothly. The past few years of tough economic times havebeen very challenging for us, but people continue to step up and ensure that our members getvalue out of their membership and participate in fun, well-run events. That said, I amannouncing our new Volunteer Recognition Program and will offer more details soon. To startthings off, here are a few volunteers that made a big difference in 2012, in no particular order:

Kelsy Hill Polifka almost single-handedly pulled together our Baltimore Grand Prix carcorral with just six weeks to prepare. She worked closely with BGP officials to set up ticketsales, arranged for all catering and amenities, and tirelessly worked through race day operational issues. In addition, Kelsy assisted our Driving School Steering Committee(DSSC) this year by helping promote several HPDEs reach their targeted enrollment. Thiswas significant as our showcase driving events were highly successful this year and recovered well from prior year financial difficulties.

James Laws headed up our re-established Membership Committee, focusing on welcoming new members to the club, recruiting prospective members, and addressing retention issues. Starting mid-year, Jim was able to pull together his committee, initiate several New Member parties, and introduced more than 100 new members to our programs.

Steve Lim seamlessly picked up all dB advertising duties, overall marketing activities,and assists various program events like DIY, New Member parties, membership drives,Baltimore Grand Prix, and other Board-initiated projects. Through Steve's work with varioussponsors, NCC was able to get significant funding and product contributions to help offsetthe cost of programs as well as providing increased member participation and enjoyment.

Phil Yates revived our autocross (AX) program by implementing various promotionsthat increased AX participation and overall CCA membership, as well as, building a new AXcommittee for continued growth. In addition, Phil managed to go beyond the call of duty byselling the old trailer and getting a new AX van which makes transporting equipment easierfor everyone.

While there are plenty of other volunteers who have contributed significantly, I hope allof our volunteers are proud of the events that they make happen. In fact, our Annual HolidayParty is coming up in February, and I hope you will join us as we announce the first winnersof our new Volunteer Recognition Program.

We are fortunate to have the largest BWW chapter in the world, but even luckier to havethe great group of volunteers that help run our programs. I want to personally thank you all,and I hope that all of our members take a moment to do the same.

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FromThe EditorSo here we are, January 2013, andit looks like the Mayans got itwrong. In hindsight, I probablyshould have figured as much andthought a little bit more about fillingthis valuable real estate with actualwords. Truth is, I’ve been a littlepre-occupied, having added aFIFTH vehicle to the LaFemina fam-ily insurance policy. For a family offour, all of whom are drivers, that’sreally not so bad. It won’t surpriseanyone to learn that our newestaddition is of German descent, andis also now the oldest in the drive-way. But I have strayed. She’s not aBMW, but I’ve kept the E36 M3 fordaily driving. No, this new andcompletely enchanting diversion isa 1978 Champagne EditionVolkswagen Westfalia pop-topcamper. Having spent much of the1980s driving around the east coastto Grateful Dead shows in myfriends’ buses, I am absolutely tick-led to finally have one of my own.So lacking anything more useful tosay, a friend suggested this wouldbe a good time to remind our read-ers that driving around in winter,

and the associated conditions,requires a little extra thought andpreparation. So, until the springreturns again to the Washington,DC metropolitan area, here’s a goodlist of winter driving tips, courtesyof the Automobile Association ofAmerica;

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly.Applying the gas slowly to accelerateis the best method for regainingtraction and avoiding skids. Don’ttry to get moving in a hurry. Andtake time to slow down for a stop-light. Remember: It takes longer toslow down on icy roads.

• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads.Accelerating, stopping, turning –nothing happens as quickly as ondry pavement. Give yourself time tomaneuver by driving slowly.

• The normal dry pavement follow-ing distance of three to four sec-onds should be increased to eightto ten seconds. This increasedmargin of safety will provide the

longer distance needed if you haveto stop.

• Know your brakes. Whether youhave antilock brakes or not, thebest way to stop is threshold break-ing. Keep the heel of your foot onthe floor and use the ball of yourfoot to apply firm, steady pressureon the brake pedal.

• Don’t stop if you can avoid it.There’s a big difference in theamount of inertia it takes to startmoving from a full stop versus howmuch it takes to get moving whilestill rolling. If you can slow downenough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.

• Don’t power up hills. Applyingextra gas on snow-covered roadsjust starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed andproceed downhill as slowly as possible.

• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’snothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flatroadway before you take on the hill.

• And finally – the best advice ofall, stay home. If you really don’thave to go out, don’t. Even if youcan drive well in the snow, noteveryone else can. Don’t tempt fate:If you don’t have somewhere youhave to be, watch the snow fromindoors.

Jim

January I February 3

Richard Pineda (left) handingJohn Estep Sr. the second placeprize in the 2002 class onOctober 2, 2005 at the DeutscheMarque Concours. Photo byBob Stern.

In MemoriamJohn Estep Sr.

OK, so it's not a BMW.

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2 0 1 3 C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

January

3 NCC NoVa Social - Velocity Five, Falls Church - New Location!6 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix9 January Board Meeting/Social - Hamburger Hamlet Bethesda10 NCC Columbia Social - Corner Stable, Columbia, MD13/ Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix27/ Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix

Fenruary

3 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix7 NCC NoVa Social - Velocity Five, Falls Church9 Annual Meeting & Holiday Party (Potomac, MD)10 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix17 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix21 NCC Columbia Social - Corner Stable, Columbia, MD

March

10 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix13 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix24 Karting @ Allsports Grand Prix

May

16-20 Spring Tour 2013 Tail of the Dragon/Asheville & Waterfalls

August

19-24 44th Annual BMW CCA Oktoberfest (Monterey, CA) (*)

* Not a National Capital Chapter-sponsored event

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C O M I N G E V E N T S

January

NCC NoVa Social Thursday, January 3, 2013Velocity 5 – New Location!8111 Lee HighwayFalls Church, VA 22042703.207.9464

Come join fellow National Capital Chapter members for a bite toeat and an evening of fun and socializing. Our socials are reallyjust “mini-meets;” informal gatherings of BMW enthusiasts. All members are welcome.

Karting at Allsports Grand Prix45915 Maries Rd.Dulles, VA 20166Sunday, January 6, 2013

From the chapter website: Once the NCC Winter Karting Leaguecompetition series concludes in March, the Roundel Groupbegins a series of kart race meetings at Allsports Grand Prix everyother Sunday for the rest of the year. These races are for fun ratherthan a points competition and are attended on an "as available"basis. Each Monday before a race, an email is sent out as areminder to register at Motorsportreg.com if you would like toattend to following Sunday.

November Board Meeting and SocialWednesday, January 9, 2013Hamburger Hamlet10400 Old Georgetown Rd.Bethesda, MD 20814301.897.5350

Our Board meetings are open to ALL MEMBERS and this is agreat opportunity to meet other NCC members and see whatgoes on behind the scenes in the club. Our volunteers put a lotof time and effort into planning all of our member events, so forthose interested in getting more involved, this would be a greatplace to start.

Please note that alcoholic beverages are paid for individu-ally (not by NCC) and that there will be a nominal $10-20 contri-bution to offset the majority cost of dinner/gratuity.

We'll have our own private room and there's plenty of freeparking.

NCC Columbia SocialThursday, January 10, 2013Corner Stable 8630 Guilford RoadColumbia MD 21046240.755.0188

Come join again at our new winter location, Corner Stable, locat-ed in the Kings Contrivance neighborhood of Columbia, MD. Wehave reserved a huge private area that should hold all of us andthey can handle however many people show up (a big problem formany other locations). There is also plenty of parking for us tohang out towards the back of the lot near the church.

The chapter will pay for a portion of the evening's food, butmembers are expected to pay for the rest of theirfood/drink/tax/gratuity





February

Karting at Allsports Grand Prix45915 Maries Rd.Dulles, VA 20166Sunday, February 3, 2013


NCC NoVa Social Thursday, February 7, 2013Velocity 5 8111 Lee HighwayFalls Church, VA 22042703.207.9464

Come join fellow National Capital Chapter members for a bite toeat and an evening of fun and socializing. Our socials are reallyjust “mini-meets;” informal gatherings of BMW enthusiasts. Allmembers are welcome.

Annual Meeting and Holiday PartySaturday, February 9, 2013Normandie Farm, 10710 Falls RoadPotomac, MD

Join us for an evening of fun, food, door prizes, and BMWs as weventure to Maryland for our Annual Meeting and holiday celebra-tion.

Each attendee will enjoy a buffet dinner and receive onedrink ticket. Additional drinks can be purchased via a cash bar. All attendees will be entered to win some great door prizes at theend of the night.

Remember, this is the meeting at which our Board members will be announced for the 2013 term. Please visit thechapter website for more information.

Cocktails will be served starting at 6:30 p.m. Dinner willfollow at 7:30 p.m. The annual meeting will commence at 8:30 p.m.

This event offers online registration and payment throughMotorsportReg.com





NCC Columbia SocialThursday, February 21, 2012Corner Stable 8630 Guilford RoadColumbia MD 21046240.755.0188

Come join us for our new winter location, Corner Stable, locatedin the Kings Contrivance neighborhood of Columbia, MD. Wehave reserved a huge private area that should hold all of us andthey can handle however many people show up (a big problem formany other locations). There is also plenty of parking for us tohang out towards the back of the lot near the church.

The chapter will pay for a portion of the evening's food, butmembers are expected to pay for the rest of theirfood/drink/tax/gratuity.


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For President – Paul Seto

As president the past few years, I have led this chapter through many majorchanges and tough economic conditions. I have provided financial leader-ship by implementing program budgets and more focused oversight of allexpenditures and investments. In addition, the chapter's cash flow hasimproved significantly providing additional program subsidies for our members and the creation of new events, like our Baltimore Grand Prix carcorral. I've also led the effort to develop additional sources of income/good-will through sponsorships and advertising with local companies. Again,these agreements go directly to our membership in the form of countlessBMW and car-related products and services. Finally, I've developed ongo-ing processes to drive the recruitment of new members so that NCC willalways be the largest and premier chapter in the world.

I am asking to continue to lead this organization as president. Thisyear, I promise to enhance the overall CCA experience so that all can clear-ly see the value and fun that membership brings. In addition, I want to focuson recognizing our outstanding group of volunteers that put on all of eventsand who so graciously spend their free time to ensure that our membersenjoy themselves. I ask for your support to continue with these goals andthe opportunity to serve the club.

For Vice-President – Steven Lim

The role of vice president is mainly to support the president of the chapter,to be the liaison between the board of directors, the program directors, andto schedule events. These are all responsibilities I have met while servingas the chief marketing officer and advertising manager for the club. I haveworked with the president, board members and program directors to securefunding by selling the most advertisements this year to date and have helpedin planning for many of our events. Currently I belong to the BaltimoreGrand Prix Committee and the Do-It-Yourself Committee. Voting for me as vice president will allow me to further help the president and this organ-ization to continue to help plan quality events worthy of the cars we drive.

For Secretary – Gina Hector

While I am a life-long BMW enthusiast, I have been a happy owner (andmember) since 2007. In that time, I have enjoyed being actively involved inalmost every program that the club offers, especially the HPDE's, tours, andDIY's. I also frequently volunteer at club events. I would like to deepen myinvolvement and understanding of the club by serving on the board. I'masking for your support of my candidacy for secretary of the BMW CCANational Capital Chapter for the 2013 term.

For Treasurer – Dave Miller

As the current treasurer, I would like the opportunity to continue to serve ourchapter in this capacity. As we come out of the recession we are seeingincreased participation in our programs and hope to grow them further. I willwork to support balanced investments in our programs and return of valueto our members, while at the same time maintaining our solid financial base.I ask for your support and vote to continue these initiatives and for theopportunity to continue to serve the club.

C A N D I D A C Y S T A T E M E N T S F O R N C C E L E C T I V E O F F I C E S 2 0 1 3

For President❏ Paul Seto❏ Write-in______________(signature) ____________

For Vice President❏ Steven Lim❏ Write-in______________(signature) ____________

For Secretary❏ Gina Hector❏ Write-in______________(signature) ____________

For Treasurer❏ Dave Miller❏ Write-in______________(signature) ____________

Your Name__________________________________

Membership #________________________________

Please select one person for each position. Write-in candidates must give their consent and signature.

If mailing in ballots, please send to NCC BMW CCA, P.O. Box 685, Arlington, VA 22216. They must be received no later than January 31, 2013.

2013 Annual Elections

T H E O F F I C I A L B A L L O T

Below please see statements from those Club members seeking to serve asChapter officers for the coming year. If there are other members interested intossing their hats into the ring, by all means you are encouraged to do so.Please submit a candidacy statement letting your fellow members know why

you wish to be considered; we'll need those emailed to the editor by January31st. Any additional candidacy statements received via email will be uploadedto the website, and voting is scheduled to take place February 9th at the annual holiday party.


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(Left) Club members enjoyed dis-cussing a range of care and mainte-nance issues with the courteousand professional staff at TowsonBMW Collision Center.

It has been several years since theDIY Program of National CapitalChapter conducted a Technical

Session, hosting instead a longseries of very successful hands-onDo-It-Yourself events that we hadbegun overlooking this kind ofimportant learning opportunity. Sowhen Robert Lettiere, the director ofTowson BMW Collision Center toldus he would be willing and able tohost a tech session, we jumped onthe opportunity.

Rob has a long career workingwith BMWs and with the BMW CCA.He ran a big Euro Care repair facilityin Los Angeles prior to coming toBaltimore to establish this operation.He has worked hard to make this oneof the premier repair facilities in ourarea. The center has been certified byBMW North America for BMW andMini repairs. That certification doesnot come easy, it involves a rigorousprocess that requires technicians andthe equipment they use to meet BMWfactory standards.

So on the morning ofNovember 10, approximately 35members of the National CapitalChapter gathered at the TowsonBMW Collision Center on East JoppaRoad in Parkville, Maryland. Roband his staff really rolled out the red carpet for us. The friendly staffprovided continental breakfast foodwith coffee and fruit juices and eachmember in attendance received aCollision Center T-Shirt. At the endof the session four lucky memberswon door prizes. Each received aBMW detail kit with products for both

interior and exterior care.We began by touring the facility,

where Rob had placed several BMWsand Minis in various states of repair.It was clear that this operation notonly does great work, but also takesgreat pride in the facility itself. Robertled a very interesting and informationdiscussion on the care and mainte-nance of our BMWs, answering ourquestions and covering a variety oftopics, including; paint care, painttechnology – new water-basedpaints, interior care, winter care,detailing, summer care and collisionrepair. Rob highlighted the impor-tance of using genuine BMW partsand BMW-trained and certified technicians to repair your BMW sothat it remains the “Ultimate DrivingMachine,” even after some inattentivedriver gives your baby a “love tap.”

All those attending this eventremarked about how much theylearned, a testament to the profes-sionalism and level of knowledgedisplayed by Robert and his staff.NCC owes them all our gratitude foropening up their top notch facilityand allowing us to ask them anythingabout our cars. It was clear that theentire staff, technicians and frontoffice personnel are committed torepairing BMWs right and makingtheir customers happy.

R E T U R N O F T H E T E C H S E S S I O N

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TOWSON BMWCOLLISION CENTER

WELCOMES NCC MEMBERS

By Phillip Cummings


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• Computerized engine analysis

• Repair, restoration, modifications

• Parts availability and expert maintenance for all BMW and MINI models and years

• German connection for hard-to-find parts

Open weekdays 8:00-6:00 • Shuttle to Twinbrook MetroBMW CCA members receive up to 10% discount on parts (must present membership card)

www.bmwexcluservice.com

Why pick up your new BMWat a local dealer and settlefor a quick

drive home when youcan take a meanderingthree-day drive homefrom the PerformanceCenter in South Carolina? Because,it is the long way home. Fromwhere I sit, most of the fun of

10 derBayerische

The BMW Performance Center By John Hartge

having a BMW is driving it, so it is appropriate, some would say

required, to spend daysrather than minutesdriving the newBimmer home alongscenic, twisty roads.

If it happens to be the colorfulautumn season in the Appalachians,well that’s even better. I chose the

long ride home in my 335is.There is no additional cost for

the Performance Center Delivery,except your trip to get there. Oncethere, BMW provides dinner, a one-night stay for two at the localMarriott, breakfast, and lunch ondelivery day. Upon arrival at theuser-friendly Greenville-Spartanburgairport, call the hotel. A BMW shuttle picks you up and delivers you to the hotel. After an early breakfast the next morning, a shuttletakes you to the Performance Centernear the factory.

The Center’s professionalinstructors give you a brief class-room presentation on BMW handling technology, and then youand your guest are assigned a newBMW roughly similar to your newcar (automatic trannies only).

There’s a 90-minute on-track car-handling session including braking,mini-autocross handling and wetskid-pad driving. This is to demon-strate BMW’s dynamic stability controls, only briefly touching onbasic driving techniques (hands at 3and 9, eyes up, look where you wantto go). I focused on this instruction:“not your car.” In other words, “driveit like you stole it” and delivery partner Woody Hair and Idid exactly that. We’ve been arounda few tracks in our decades in theclub, but we still had a blast doingthese brief exercises in their car.Then we climbed into new 560-horsepower M5s as passengers,while instructors gave us a roaring,sideways, tires smokin’ (yee-ha)drive around the track.

Next up is a tour of the U.S.

Most of the fun of having a BMW is driving it.


National Forest and onto the BlueRidge Parkway. The target for dayone was Asheville, home of somefine brew pubs, uh, I mean the artsy,cultural center of Western NorthCarolina.

Blue Ridge Parkway and, after a bit ofpaper-map navigational confusion inBristol, drove “the Snake,” on US421 in Northeastern Tennessee.Running a bit late, we reluctantlyabandoned the fun roads and hit I-81

all bodies are welded and paintedand the X5 and X6 are assembled.They did not want us to see any earlyproduction X4s before their publicintroduction.

BMW provided X3s for ourshort drive to the factory. On the wayback, we were led where few X3drivers ever go – off road. Wow.These things really do work, instreams, over hills, tilting ever soprecariously.

The Center’s cafeteria offered avaried and delicious menu for lunch,which was served (thankfully) afterthe off-road adventure. As I finishedlunch, I was curious and a little anxious. Where was my car? Iroamed the hall and discovered it ina private showroom, partiallyobstructed by blinds. The real funwas about to begin. A Center specialist presented me with keysand manuals and gave a detaileddemonstration of the car’s features,knobs, buttons, etc.

After a quick trip to the Zentrummuseum to pose the new car for photos and visit the displays, we hitthe roads. We drove northwest to US276 for an uphill climb (easy withturbos) over a mountain calledCaesars Head, through Brevard, pastLooking Glass Falls, into the Pisgah

factory where BMW assembles all ofits SAVs, except the X1, which ismade in Germany. Seventy percentof the plant’s production is exported.I think this was my fifth visit since itopened in 1994, but the facility isconstantly changing and expanding.This time we saw the new buildingwhere the X3 is assembled. Theykept us out of the main plant where

On day two (holding revs underthe break-in 4,500 RPM redline, harrumph), we climbedMount Mitchell, highest peak in theEast (cheers again for turbo torque),enjoyed colorful leaves along the

Delivers

(Opposite page top) The newlydelivered car poses in front of thefactory's Zentrum museum, whichis open to the public most week-days. (Opposite page bottom)Awaiting delivery, the new car hidesbehind blinds in a private show-room. (Right) Colorful autumnscenery along the Blue RidgeParkway.

(Above) The delivery specialist,unaware of my DIY inclination,says I will only have to open the hood if I need washer fluid or a jump start. Photo by Woody Hair.

12 derBayerische

northbound for some speed. On day three, we escaped the

interstate onto VA 56, a very twistymountain road, passing CrabtreeFalls. My navigator, Woody, has discovered some great roads in hisOne Lap of America adventures andmany, many years of just plain look-ing for fun roads. He also knowssome good eating (beer) places. Atlunchtime we found a mountain-viewtable at the Blue Mountain Brewery,west of Charlottesville. We found ourway onto US 29 for the final leg northand home. The new car returned a

T H E P E R F O R M A N C E C E N T E R D E L I V E R S

Performance Center, which offer awhole day or more driving their carslike you stole them – for a fee.

Anyone interested in a similaradventure can learn more about aPerformance Center delivery atwww.bmwusa.com and on theBimmerfest forum. If you decide togo this route, be sure to select thisform of delivery before your newvehicle is shipped from overseas sothat it’s positioned on the vessel foroff-loading in Charleston, and not theusual port for our region, Baltimore.If you’re buying a South Carolina-

(Above left) Part of the deliveryexperience is a little wet skid padtime. (Above) X3 acrobatics weredemonstrated when we perchedthe vehicles in this tipsy position.(Below) The turbos made easywork of the climb up Mt. Mitchell,the highest point in the East.

respectable 25.5 mpg on its initial818 mile journey.

Judging from the trans-Atlanticshipping schedule, I probably couldhave gotten the car directly from thedealer about six weeks after orderingversus eight weeks at thePerformance Center, but the firstdrive would have been so muchshorter and so much less fun. Withthis no-cost-to-you delivery program, BMW is trying to buildcustomer loyalty. The company alsois promoting the various driver- training programs available at the

made SAV, indicating your preferencefor a Performance Center delivery willkeep it off a truck destined for yourdealer. Your client advisor makes allthe arrangements.

14 derBayerische


Toward the end of October, newmembers of the NationalCapital Chapter were welcomed

into the fold at a reception hosted by Russel BMW. The day dawned alittle foggy, but cleared up nicely with the morning sunshine. It was alovely day for a drive to Catonsvilleto meet fellow enthusiasts and discover exactly what you had gottenyourself into by joining the club.

Attendees were greeted at thedoor with smiles, handshakes, andperhaps most importantly, freebiesand a raffle ticket. After the initialintroductions, members were invitedto make their way to the buffet tables,laden with chicken Caesar salad,pasta salad and sandwiches ready tobe made into a delicious panini bythe attending chef. Sweet teeth werealso satisfied with assorted cookiesand treats.

New members began meetingone another and seasoned memberscirculated. The group’s bonhomieinfected the entire dealership and thegathering grew as customers anddealership employees joined theconversations. Drives in many ofthe new models were offered andtech tips and advice given.

Soon enough it was time to getdown to business and new membercommittee member Rob Hollistercalled the group together. Everyonewas welcomed into the largestBMW chapter in the world andencouraged to listen to all the club had to offer members and toparticipate in as many events asthey wished. Russel BMW washeartily thanked for hosting thereception; sales manager DaneSpealman and service manager JeffSterry added their welcome to theclub members and expressed pleasure at a continued close relationship between the club and thedealership. Russel’s event coordina-tor Lori Connolly advised membersthat they’d receive another goodiebag at the end of the event and itwould include a unique membershipcard giving them discounts on service at the dealership.

NCC committee chairs then

New Members Feted By Marla Stewart OwczarekPhotos by James Laws

spoke about many of the differentevents and groups organizedthrough the club. Drivers who wishto learn the limits of their ultimatedriving machine and responsiblypush those limits can participate inautocross schools and competi-tions. If you’d prefer not to test thelimits in your own car, or just need

a driving fix during the winter, kart-ing events offer a great experience.Autocrossing and karting are greatfun for novice and more experi-enced drivers alike. For a morerelaxing and scenic drive, membersand their families can participate intours. The tour group travels a pre-determined route along back roads

and visits local sites and eateries.For a really casual get together,members can attend one of the various socials around the area forgood conversation and good eats.Do-It-Yourself events allow members to take over portions of adealership or other service facilityto perform maintenance or makerepairs on their BMW. Supervisionand assistance are provided byexpert mechanics, technicians andproficient NCC members. A rela-tively new great event is theBaltimore Grand Prix. It featuresboth the IndyCar Series and ALMS;the latter including BMW Team RLLwhich races two M3 GTs. Kelsy HillPolifka touted the perks for NCCmembers, including superior parking, corral with food and drinks, special meetings with theteam drivers and behind-the- scenes access.

After the informational portion,it was time to announce the rafflewinners. Russel BMW provided giftcertificates for auto detailing anddiscounts on service. One luckycouple walked away with two gifts!The official reception ended withmembers saying goodbye to newfriends and driving off into the sunshine.

NCC new members learnedthat while our love for BMW bringsus all together, there are outlets for many passions through the club. A vast array of information is available through the chapterwebsite (www.nccbmwcca.org) andin issues of this magazine andRoundel. All members, guys, gals,young and young-at-heart, can findways to enjoy their ultimate drivingmachine and even try new things.See you at the next event!

(Above) New members werewarmly welcomed into the club by our friends at Russel BMW inCatonsville, Maryland. If you'renew to our ranks, check the calendar for future new memberparties.

16 derBayerische

October and November are greatmonths for Southern Californiaauto enthusiasts. It’s auto show

season, with the Orange County AutoShow in October and the Los AngelesAuto Show in November. Of course,BMW is well represented at bothshows. We’ll discuss what we sawfrom BMW at the recent OrangeCounty show and what we think we’llsee from BMW at the Los AngelesAuto Show.

All in White (Except for the M6)We enjoy the Orange County

Auto Show because it’s quite enthusiast-friendly. It doesn’t have the suffocating crowd, so one can seeeverything at an enjoyable pace.

The Cars Are The StarsBy James Chew

One can see all the products, talk with the manufacturer and dealerreps, and participate in all the family activities in four hours or less –

leaving plenty of time in the rest of theday for Southern California outdooractivities – such as surfing, going tothe beach, going to Disneyland, and

watching USC and UCLA football.For the third year in a row, the

BMW exhibit at the Orange CountyAuto Show featured their entire product line in white. The noticeableexception was the M6, which was inSahkir Orange Metallic. Subtle.Needless to say, it stood out andattracted more than its fair share ofattention. This was quite impressive,considering the Ferrari andLamborghini displays were across the aisle. While I still think it’s more fun to drive someone else’s M vehicle, the new M6 convertiblewould be a welcome addition to anyBMW enthusiast’s garage.

The surprising star of the BMWdisplay was the new X1. Judging by

2 0 1 3 O R A N G E C O U N T Y A U T O S H O W

this vehicle was launched in NorthAmerica. Globally, the 1 Series hasbeen a strong seller, but NorthAmerican sales have not beenimpressive – yet. Based on ourobservations at the Orange County

(Bottom) The stunning profile andcolor are classic Adrian VanHooydonk tocuhes that distinguishthe new M6 from the competition,but is still unmistakenly a BMW.

show, the X1 may be a sales successin North American because it not onlyfills the 3 Series wagon market, butgives the driver a higher seating position, the driving dynamics of theE90 chassis, and a lot more useful

the people that I saw inspecting thisvehicle, BMW may have launched itsfirst true Orange County family car.The number of wives who told theirhusbands, “I want one” after sitting inthe vehicle and seeing if their kidswould also fit was surprising. Itwould not be shocking to see the newX1 replace the Lexus RX as the preferred young upwardly mobilefamily vehicle in Orange County.

The is, Ms, and Xs have itBMW plans to introduce an

alphabet-soup lineup of new productsat the Los Angeles Auto Show, andwe’ll be quite interested to see how theX1 is received by the Los Angelesautomotive press. We really liked theX1 when we saw it in Europe twosummers ago. At that time, BMW hadno plans to bring that vehicle to NorthAmerica. After seeing many X1s onthe road during our tour of eightEuropean countries we knew that itwould only be a matter of time before


18 derBayerische

American launch of the i3 in2013/2014. However, there is arumor that an i4 will debut at theshow. A sportier version of the i3, thei4 may be closer to what a productionversion of the i3 will be. There shouldbe some more details of the i3 and i8launch, as well as the details on the

room. The interior felt as roomy asthe first generation X3. The standardtwin-turbo four-cylinder engine willyield outstanding fuel economy forthe premium crossover SUV owner. Itwill most likely be quite popular withthe suburban mom who’s tired of driving a full-sized SUV. Interestingly,BMW NA is positioning theX1 as a youthful lifestylevehicle. A special “ski-equipped” X1 is scheduled tobe on display. Even thoughI’m not a skier, this car shouldhave wide appeal for bothyoung women and men.

Based on the inventorywe’ve seen at the SouthernCalifornia BMW dealers, itwould be safe to say that thedealers have adopted a wait-and-seeattitude.

I predict the M vehicle displaywill again be a show stealer. Havingthe M3, M5, M6, XM5, and XM6 alltogether guarantees a high concentra-tion of testosterone-laden men of allages – even without the size 2 carshow model. And there will be at leastone person who will either brag thatthey either own, or know of someonewho owns, a limited-edition 1M.

We anticipate that a significantamount of room in the BMW displaywill be devoted to the upcoming iSeries. BMW plans the North

supporting home garage infrastruc-ture for these vehicles, announced atthe Los Angeles show. And we havebeen asking about the i8 – this couldbe the “must have” hybrid electricBMW for future BMW enthusiasts!

Even though it’s a 2013 model,the new 3 Series is already old news.The number of new 3s we’ve seen onthe Southern California roadsdemonstrates that the car is a salessuccess. It would not surprise us to

see a 3 Series convertible show car,based on the new 3 Series, on display. But as of this writing, nosuch vehicle has been announced.

For us BMW fans, vehicles thatwe should inspect at the Los Angelesshow are the new Cadillac ATS, theCadillac XTS, the Buick Encore, andthe entire Audi product line. It wouldbe worth your while to see what Lexushas to show – though that brand hasbeen relegated to also-ran status interms of the premium performanceluxury market.

Technology will again be a dominant feature at this year’s LosAngeles show. From things that makevehicles more fuel efficient whilemaintaining performance to the newdriver’s information centers, the carmanufacturers are introducing a tidalwave of new technology to the market.

We will have fun at the LosAngeles show. We will be quite interested in your reaction to the X1and the i Series vehicles!

The Los Angeles Auto Show willrun November 30 – December 9 at theLos Angeles Convention Center, andyou’ll have a full report in the nextissue....so stay tuned.

(Above ) The new i3 Concept electric "city/suburban" vehicle in near showroom form.

(Above ) The new i8 Concept plug in hybrid sports car in near production trim.

2 0 1 3 O R A N G E C O U N T Y A U T O S H O W


Fifty years ago, in September1963, the car guys in Munichintroduced the second model

in what was being called the NeueKlasse, or New Class of BMW auto-mobiles. Apparently when the BMWboard gave their approval to buildthe 1500 there was some disagree-ment between the guys in businesssuits and the gear heads, chiefamong them engine builder AlexVon Falkenhausen, as to the size ofthe engine for the first New Classcar. The board of directors favored,and finally decided upon the 1.5 literengine, but the engineers, as onemight expect, preferred a larger displacement. The 1500's enginewas designed with enough extra volume in the block to allow for

growth, and for 1963 the base fourdoor body was offered with a new1.8 liter engine.

The 1800 was to becomearguably the racing heart of the newclass, later giving rise to the 1800 TI(shown in these period advertise-ments) and 1800 TISA. The lattercar is considered by many to be the spiritual ancestor to the M5, yet fewpeople know of its existence today.Given a production run of just 200,that is really not surprising.

It’s amazing how far we’vecome in half a century. The 1800 TIshowing the maroon and black seatsgoes on to tout the vehicle with thefollowing ad copy, “The BMW 1800TI sets an entirely new standard inmotoring,” calling it a “masterpiece

of modern automobile engineeringand true thoroughbred.” Needproof? A little further readingrevealed that “In just 11.8 secondsthe speedometer needle touches 62 m.p.h.” Naturally, this kind ofraw power gives the driver “…asense of superiority in all traffic

Golden YearsBy Jim LaFemina

situations.” Oh my. I don’t know about that, but

there’s no disputing the lineage. The BMW 1800 is an important link in the chain of BMW’s developmentand a clear forerunner of the car that changed everything, the mighty 2002.

BY

PHOTOS

Samuli SalminenMunich, Germany

Samuli Salminen

Traditions

20 derBayerische

Going Places Sometimes, you just have to be

a little bit lucky. That’s how itwas for me in 2001, when a

friend of mine let me know about amint-condition BMW 1502, a carwhose second owner was about toput up for sale. Naturally, I saw thecar and bought the car on the sameday. With only 39,000 miles on the

clock and realizing the car, in stunning Veronatrot, was absolutelyperfect and in original condition,the decision was an easy one tomake. The car needed nothing, sofor the first few years I simply kept it clean, added historic plates andenjoyed driving it. I made the decision to move the car from

unplanned yet thankfully uneventfuldelays. That first summer backhome in Bavaria was a real joy,driving the roads in and around ourhome in the 1502. I replaced thewater pump and radiator, adding all new rubber hoses as the waterpump-shaft seal – after just 34

mounted to the car. With 2009 coming to an end, I

made some time to take the 1502out in mid-December to let her seethe snow. The roads aroundBavaria were naturally clean anddry. The contrast between clean,white snow and the bright red car

T R A D I T I O N S


(Opposite page) 1502 at the high-est point in the GroßglocknerAlpenstraße. (Above) Gettingready for the mountain race atRossfeld Historic Race.

in a ‘76 1502Finland to Bavaria aroundChristmas 2008. I had been livingin Germany since November 2006,and it was time the 1502 joined usthere. In many ways, this is ahomecoming story, and the enjoy-ment of bringing my car back towhere it was born, on April 6, 1976,thirty-two years later.

years – started to leak. The BMWquality for the new part was notquite there. After few hundred kilo-meters of driving the new waterpump started to squeak and after abrief discussion with the folks atBMW’s Niederlassung MünchenParts department, they took the carinto their service and replaced thewater pump at no cost.

Later in 2009 I replaced theoriginal shocks with Bilsteins, butsoon realized they were not good achoice for 1502. So I went back tothe Fichtel-Sachs shocks as theyare closer to the nature of this car.Naturally, new springs and all sus-pension related rubber parts werereplaced. My 1502 missed thesway bars when she was manufactured, however they wereavailable as an optional extra forthe 1502. Optional extras are OK tomount afterwards, so I managed tofind the sway bars, sand blastedand painted them. However, whilewriting this, I realized they are stillsitting in the garage and not

was just amazing. After that it wastime for a good winter sleep. I chosethe CTEK MX 5.0 intelligent chargerdevice to maintain the battery whileshe rested.

In early May 2010 my goodfriend Tuomas Vaaranta fromFinland joined me to participate in the Rossfeld Historic Race, amountain rally with a “same time”race feature. It means you drive thecourse to get a reference time, thenrun the course again trying yourbest to duplicate your referencetime exactly. We were certainlyquite amused when we noted ourcompetitors had 300-horsepowerracing machines and we couldclaim just 75 horses in a smallBMW ‘02 chassis. Luckily it wasnot about the highest engine output

As the Easter holiday is typically a long weekend in Europe,my spouse and I decided to fly toFinland and take the 1502 toGermany by ferry. We then bookedseats on an auto train fromHamburg to Munich and loaded the1502 onboard as well. Eventuallywe arrived in Munich after some

22 derBayerische

spot! That winter passed withoutany major improvements or repairsfor the 1502, she was just standingin our garage under the custommade Covercraft Dustop car cover.

When spring arrived again Iwas quick to get back under thehood, even if it was only routinemaintenance on the schedule. I changed the oil and replaced thebrake fluid, eager to participate inthe Bavaria Tour in mid-June. Thisspectacular ‘02 event is probablythe biggest in the world, with more than 300 vehicles and 600participants from 17 nations. Thethree-day event was extremely wellorganized and naturally the drivingroutes were around Bavarian Alps.Evening programs were wellplanned and executed – we evenmet a couple from Finland with a2002 automatic. They had drivenall the way down and were enjoyingsummer vacation. All good thingsmust come to an end, and so it waswith the ‘02 Bavaria Tour.

The last event I participated inwas the 2011 BMW Club EuropaTreffen in Mayrhofen, Austria. Beingvery close to Munich, I decided Icould make it happen, despitereturning from a business trip inLondon the night before. I hadparked the 1502 in the airportgarage and hit the road around mid-night, arriving in Mayrhofen twohours later, and was fresh the nextmorning to take part in the day’schallenges. I was one of only twodrivers running an ‘02 as the field ofvehicles seemed to be focusedmore on the newer BMWs. Sunday,I did something I had wanted to dofor a long time; drive the legendaryGrossglockner Glacier Alpine road.It took us the whole day but it wasworth it; great views, challengingroads and great weather. It was latewhen I finally made it home, verytired, but also very happy.

Two weeks later we began thejourney to take the 1502 back toFinland. Again, we found ourselvesaboard the auto train from Munichto Berlin, and the ferry from Rostock

T R A D I T I O N S

but accuracy: we ranked third in ourclass (cars manufactured between1972 and 1982) and finished ineighth place overall, among nearly40 participants.

In July 2010, my spouse Outiand I participated in the BMW ‘02Tour in Rheine river valley nearMainz in Germany. This was thefirst time we got in touch with thelocal ‘02 Club. This event was arally, with participants given a roadbook of mileage and directions –but no map. We found this formatvery pleasant for the co-driver too.In each of the villages we drovethrough, we were asked to find different artifacts detailed in the picture book, and answer some difficult questions along the way aswell. As we were in the heart of aGerman wine region, we decided todo some shopping and ended uploading several cases of Rieslinginto the 1502’s trunk. After we gotback home, I calculated the totaldriving distance with the 1502: 870miles in one extended weekend.

Later that year I realized the ‘02Club would be organizing thefamous Bavaria Tour for the sum-mer of 2011. I enrolled us and the1502 in October 2010 and we werefortunate to get the last available

(Above left) Tuomas attaching our racing number. (Above right) Withoutsway bars at one of the Rossfeld Historic Race turns. (Below) Proud1502 and the prizes. (Bottom) At the Walchensee Hydroelectric PowerStation during the Bavaria Tour 2011.


to Finland. I noticed the clutch wasreleasing very late, so we visitedTuomas and replaced the clutch inhis garage in Finland. Finally Idrove the 1502 back to her homegarage.

The time we spent with thisEurope-only model BMW in andaround Bavaria was extraordinary.Looking through all of the photoswe took at some of these eventsbrought back many fond memories.I hope the readers of der Bayerischehave enjoyed hearing about ourgreat adventure.

T R A D I T I O N S

(Top left) Interior of the 1502 –basic model line. (Above) Enginecompartment and trunk after somecleaning. (Right) Returning backto Finland on the Ferry.

Few links to the places:http://www.rossfeld-historic.dehttp://www.bmw-02-club.de/cms/index.php/galerie/category/52-bmw-02-tourhttp://www.bavaria-tour.infohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5foMg1_po

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMfCO0kIUGQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0TBlQszFewhttp://www.bmw-02-club.de/http://www.grossglockner.at/en/

Technical Specifications - Four-cylinder M10 engine of 1573 cc/96.4 cu in displacement- Power output 74 hp/75 PS (DIN) @ 5800 rpm- Four-speed Getrag 245 gearbox- Max torque 87 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm- Curb weight 980 kg/2160 lbs- Top speed 155 km/h (96 mph)- Acceleration 0-60 mph 13.5 s,0-100 km/h 14.3 s- Fuel consumption official; average estimated: 9.3 l/100km/25.5 mpg (U.S.) - Manufactured 1/1975 - 07/1977, totalproduction volumes 70,742 LHD and 822 RHD

24 derBayerische

There comes a time in a girl’s lifewhen she has to show theworld what she’s made of. Fear

not – this isn’t an article aboutupsetting the gender bias of auto-motive racing and car enthusiasm.It’s an article about the simple act ofopening the garage, looking a BMWin the headlamps, and saying,“Hello, you ultimate drivingmachine, you. We have a date thisweekend and it’s going to be awesome!”

Now, I’m sure some of you areconsidering turning the page rightnow because this isn’t a technicalarticle. In an effort to rope you in, Idrive a 2011 X5 35d (diesel) by dayand track a 2011 M3 coupe by

H I G H - P E R F O R M A N C E D R I V I N G E V E N T

weekend. I have a sneaking suspi-cion, or maybe it’s just a hope, thatyou’ll tough this out and finish read-ing it if for no otherreason than the factthat every gearheadalways reads thetales of anothergearhead’s journeydeeper into carobsession. Plus,there are photos ofcars on a track inhere and I knowyou’ll want to seethose. Doesn’t itfeel like the der Bayerische is a“Where’s Waldo?” for car enthusi-asts? See, we’re thinking along the

You Had Me at Hello: A Candid Confession of a Newly Minted HPDE Junkie

By Kelsy Hill Polifkasame lines, and now you’re hooked,and now you want to see where thisis going.

This is an arti-cle purely for enter-tainment purposes,as the next fewpages share thecandid thoughtsabout my first High-PerformanceDriving Education(HPDE) weekend.It is my hope thatyou will be inspiredto join us at an

HPDE weekend in 2013 and experi-ence it for yourself. After all, don’tyou deserve a weekend at the track?

Oh yes, yes you do!I would like to start this article

with a shout-out to the female members of our club since we arepart of a stereotypical demographicthat I will forever and fondly refer toas “BMW Wife,” a term that came tobe at this year’s ALMS/BaltimoreGrand Prix weekend. As I stood onW. Hamburg Street assisting the traffic cops with their efforts to flagour members into the car corralentrance, I was approached by a guytrying to figure out where to drop offa local dealer’s display PorscheNaturally he assumed my NCC poloand corral passes with BMW symbols all over them meant that Iworked for Andretti Sports

I didn’t just buymyself a fancy carto get to work – I bought a race carand I freakin’ droveit like I stole it!


(Opposite page) Race numbersand remnants of the weekend ondisplay in the Summit Point paddock.


Marketing. Instead of telling him toturn his head about 110 degrees sohe could see the huge Porsche signemblazoned on their sub-par corral’stent and flags, I politely correctedhim with a cheerful, “Oh no, I don’twork for Andretti – I’m with BMWCCA,” to which he looked at me,pooh-poohed me, and then said,“Yeah, you look like a BMW wife.”Thanks, I think, but what does thatmean?!

I’m telling you about PorscheGuy to set the stage for what I wasexpecting going into the HPDE. I amwell aware that I do not fit the typicaldemographic of someone who lovescars and is into driving at tracks. I dress wildly inappropriate for mostof our events and activities – I’msorry and you’re welcome too. I alsoremain 99% sure that most peopleemail Doug Verner, our HPDERegistrar, with technical questionsabout the upcoming weekend.However, my email went somethingalong the lines of, “Doug: I am SOexcited for this weekend!!!! But Ihave to ask you – what is everyonewearing? Does everyone do full race suits & gloves? Or is it morecasual jeans, shirts, and the like?Thanks!”

Now, why did I ask Doug aboutwhat to wear? Frankly, I wanted tobe comfortable so that I could focuson learning and not on freezing mybutt off or being too hot in a full racesuit, thus the outfit recommendationwas of very high concern to me.Plus, I also knew that there were

going to be a few Porsches andother makes at the track and apparently I’ve got that whole “BMWWife” reputation to keep up for therest of the CCA membership in theUnited States, perhaps the world.

First things first – I continue tobe impressed by the genuine interestour members have in getting toknow each other. Sure, we all have acommon interest in cars but it’smore than that. Throughout theHPDE weekend’s lunches, free time,and Saturday night BBQ, I was ableto meet many of the members of ourcar club. I wholeheartedly mean itwhen I say that the NCC is made upof some really fascinating people. I found myself being carried away in conversation and there wasn’t asingle instance that was lacking anengaging story or hilarious lessonsomeone learned the hard way.

Each HPDE weekend truly isfocused on and around education.Each day you experience a combina-tion of educational sessions in a

classroom setting and technicalskill-building sessions out on thetrack, spending the weekend in aninfinite loop of learning and applica-tion. I learned more in one weekendabout my car, how to handle my car,how to read the track and its features, and, most importantly,what not to do when I was in certainsituations than nearly two decadesof driving has taught me.

I have to say that the best partof the weekend is meeting yourinstructor. Picture an awkward highschool dance but with instructorsand students timidly mingling, wait-ing to lock eyes with “the one.”Fortunately for me, Woody Hair andI have met at NCC board meetingsand other events so I was able tohunt him down pretty easily.Probably less fortunate for Woody,he knew who I was but had no ideawhat he got himself into by being inmy passenger seat. Another amazingperk of the HPDE experience is thatboth the instructors and the drivers

learn from each other – it’s a give-and-take relationship, regardless ofwho is behind the wheel and who isholding on for dear life.

The individuals behind plan-ning the HPDE weekend are amazing!One person who gets all theheadaches and none of the fun isGlen Speakman, our chief instructor.I asked Glen for some thoughts onHPDE and he shared this: “At the endof the weekend, when students walkup to me and thank me and the clubfor putting on a great HPDE weekend,when they say they really had a wonderful time, that they learnedsomething, that their instructor wasamazing and they’d love to havehim/her again… well, all the nega-tives melt away and I feel really goodabout what we’re doing for our membership. And I’m glad to bedoing it again next year.”

Glen, I think I speak for theclub’s attendees in saying that we had a blast over the weekend! I appreciate being able to spend timewith someone who knows the techni-cal skills of driving as well as Woodydoes. He encouraged me to push iton the straightaways, yet be patientwhen approaching Turn 1 so that Icould hit the best axis and set up the rest of my lap appropriately. Hehelped me learn the safest ways to

26 derBayerische

pass at high speeds and, possiblythe most important, to trust my gutinstincts in reading the track and theline versus watching the car in frontof me.

I’d like to think that I taughtWoody about the merits of driving incowboy boots. I find it highly ironicthat Woody would comment that hecould see, out of the corner of his eye mind you, that I wasn’t grippingthe wheel precisely how I ought to bebut somehow he didn’t notice that I forgot to change my shoes until aftercongratulating me on my best tracksession of the weekend. I’m chalkingthe great session up to having theright outfit (including, of course, myfavorite boots). Regardless, we bothleft the track laughing and verypleased about the elevation in mytechnical driving skills and decreasein my lap times.

As the sun set at Summit Point,I couldn’t help but laugh as I loadedup my car. Picture the most beautifulsunset you have ever seen, paintingthe sky a bright pink, with its lastounces of light spilling onto therolling hills of West Virginia. And there, in the middle of this picturesque moment is my Jerezblack M3. But here’s the catch – it’sfilthy. I’m talking about filth like youcan’t even imagine unless you’veseen it before.

The entire passenger side wascoated with the remnants of the waterfrom several precocious laps aroundthe Skid Pad, each one filled withcries of, “ooohhh noooo! Bob

Hopkins you are evil – I don’t think Ilike this!” while I circled around infull understeer.

The rims that I hand-clean tomake sure I get in between each ofthe spokes with a cloth and mypointer finger were caked with brakedust. Chrome no more!

And then there was my undertray. It was a scene of absolute carnage. Listen, if you ever are inquestion as to whether your undertray is fully attached just come ondown to an HPDE weekend andyou’ll get an answer. I promise youthat after you hit 140 on the straight-away, no less than five people willremind you between sessions thatsomething looks like it is dragging

under your car when you hit topspeed. I had a tag-team of individu-als who tried to help re-attach theright side of my under tray. Ducttape? Failed. Gorilla tape? Failed.Woody and I even jacked up my carso that we could drill some holesinto it and zip tie it to the rest of thefront nose. That too failed. But youknow what didn’t fail? The care andconcern of everyone in the club.That, my friends, is what the club ishere for – we help each other, welook out for each other, and we askeach other, “How the heck did youmanage to do that!?” I still have noidea.

For the first time in my lifetimeof constant concern over what to

wear and a habitual OCD regardingthe cleanliness of my cars, I wasn’tembarrassed about how dirty my carwas or the fact that my favorite jeanswere covered in grit and grime. Infact, I was proud to take my filthy carhome and drive it around town forthe following week so that peoplesaw I didn’t just buy myself a fancycar to get to work – I bought a racecar and I freakin’ drove it like I stole it!

In closing I want to thank youfor letting me be part of the NCCmember experience. I am so happy Itook the time to do an HPDE week-end, and I can’t wait for the 2013schedule to be set. I’m realizing Icould have saved you the last threepages of jibber jabber and just wrote“Hell yeah- what a weekend!” in themiddle of the included photos butwhat’s the fun in that? You wouldn’tknow about Porsche Guy and ourBMW Wife stigma, or that I have anaffinity for cowboy boots, or thatDoug puts up with people like me allyear long. The NCC membership isa very special thing, and you honestly did have me at “hello.”


(Above) The beautiful sunset completed after a busy day of learning at thetrack. (Below Right) Woody escaping me, enjoying some friendly compe-tition with his fellow instructors. (Bottom) Last laps around the carouselbefore the sun set.


Thanks to Brian Lewis ofSpeedFreak Detailing and AbeHamrah of Designo Motoring

Inc. in Sterling, VA for hosting thisevent the week beforeThanksgiving. Brian covered a lotof ground, stressing the importanceof thoroughly cleaning and prepar-ing the paint surfaces before apply-ing your last-step product.

A new alternative to the claybar is the Nanoskin Autoscrub system, which uses a rubber polymer to remove surface contaminants safely and easily.When used with a dual-actionorbital polisher, it safely and easilyremoves paint overspray, waterspots, tree sap, rail dust and otherbonded surface contaminants fromthe surface of automotive paint,glass, moldings and plastic. It alsoworks well in combination withGlide Instant Detail Spray lubricant.Unlike the clay bar, the Autoscrubcan be cleaned by simply rinsingoff the accumulated contaminateswith water. If you drop it on theground, no worries, just rinse thesponge pad clean and you're readyto keep using it. Easy glides allowsfor sturdy and controlled handling,

unlike clay bars where constantreshaping is required.

For durability on cars drivenover the winter or parked outside,Brian suggested using a syntheticsealant. These chemically bond tothe paint surfaces, repel water and dirt, and can last 3-4 months.Use these on your painted wheelsas well.

Look for another seminar fromBrian in the spring, where he willspend more time covering machinecorrection of scratches and swirls inpaint finishes.

Brian Lewis – SpeedFreak [email protected]

(Top) Brian works the Nanoskin AutoScrub with his Flex polisher. (Left) Before and after, as Sonax Full Effect wheel cleaner dissolves the irondeposits left by brake dust. (Top right) Car shampoo applied with a chenille microfiber wash mitt, before using detailing clay bar.

WINTER PREP DETAILING WORKSHOP

November 17, 2012By John McWilliams

28 derBayerische

A D V E R T I S E R S

Alexandria Bavarian Service........................................................................... C3

At Speed Motorsports.................................................................................... 13

AutoWerke & Autoy......................................................................................... C3

BMW Excluservice......................................................................................... 9

BMW of Silver Spring..................................................................................... C3

BMW of Sterling............................................................................................. C4

BMW of Towson/Bel Air/Rockville.................................................................. 14

Curry’s Auto Service Inc.................................................................................. 9

Fairfax Service Center...................................................................................... 4

J&F Motors, Ltd. ............................................................................................ 4

Martin’s Auto Service....................................................................................... 28

OG Racing....................................................................................................... 13

Passport BMW................................................................................................. C2

Radial Tire........................................................................................................ 7

Reflections Auto Salon ................................................................................... 9

Road Race Technologies ................................................................................ 7

C L A S S I F I E D S

CARS FOR SALE CARS FOR SALE

MISCELLANEOUS

Ads are free to current club members. Membership numbers must be included. Commercial ads are $30 per issue. Personal, non-member ads are $15 per issue.

Please see the chapter Web site at www.nccbmwcca.org and click on “Classifieds” to submit an ad. Ads for coming issues of der Bayerische will be pulled from theWeb site on the first day of even-numbered months to appear in the subsequent issue of der Bayerische (e.g. ads for the Jan/Feb issue will be pulled on Dec 1st, ads for Mar/Apr issue will be pulled on Feb 1st, etc).

Classified ads will not be accepted by e-mail.

COST

HOW TO SUBMIT AN AD

IMPORTANT

CLASSIFIED AD REQUIREMENTS

Classified Reminder…when posting a classified ad on the NCC website, be sure to include appropriate contact information (phone number or email address) so yourad can be re-run here on the pages of der Bayerische. – Jim

2000 M Roadster102k miles, fun, fun, fun! Red with black & red interior, priced at $13,900....also have an 840ci for sale $14, 500black w/ gray interior, 131k miles smooth running. Serious calls only, 410-206-4481.

2006 BMW M3 Dinan S Hardtop Convertible (E46) offered at $28,500.00. I am the original owner. The M3 was purchased newon 5/6/06 from BMW of Sterling. This is truly a unique vehicle that gets a lot of attention! 64,500 miles, 6-speedmanual transmission, always garaged, never driven in rain or snow. Dinan S package installed by BMW of Sterling in July 2009, consisting of a Dinan air intake, Dinan front sway bar, Dinan matte black double tipexhaust, recalibrated engine software, Dinan aluminum pedals and a Dinan badge of authenticity. Interested parties may contact Steve at 571-246-6292 to make an appointment to inspect the vehicle.

745liVIN: WBAGN63413DR17850, black / black, asking $15,000 obo, with 116,500 4 Door, Automatic Transmission,Alloy Wheels, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Dual Climate Control, Heated Seats, Leather Seats, Power DoorLocks, Power Mirrors, Power Seats, Power Steering, Power Windows, Rear Defrost, Tilt Steering, TintedWindows, Alarm, AM/FM Radio, CD Player, Driver Air Bag, Passenger Air Bag, 20-inch staggered chrome rims,wood grain steering wheel, reclining, massaged, heated and ventilated back seats, soft close doors, rear spoil-er, power read window shades, chrome mesh grille, park distance, paddle shifters, sports package. Call Bookerat 301-385-3726

E90 Dinan ExhaustThis is a used exhaust for E90 series BMWs and fits specifically the 325i & xi (E90) 2006, 328i & xi, (E90) 2007-2012, 330i & xi (E90) 2006. Asking $899, reasonable offers will be considered. Call 410-712-4290 and ask forBill if you have questions. This is a terrific buy from list price!

• Factory Trained Master Tech

• Over 28 Years of Experience

• Factory Scheduled Maintenance

• Free Shuttle Service to Metro between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

• Free Tech Inspection for Driving Schools

• Superior Service at Competitive Prices

8100 H Beechcraft Ave.Gaithersburg, MD 20897

in the Montgomery County Airparkwww.danmartinsautoservice.com

DAN MARTINMASTER TECHNICIAN

301-926-8977

AUTO SERVICEBMW SPECIALIST

ARTIN’SM

WE GOT YOUR BACK PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL CHAPTER OF BMW CCA

The Ultimate Driving Machine®

Original BMW Parts & Accessories

bmwofsilverspring.com

301-890-3010

Original BMW Parts & Accessories BMW of Silver Spring3211 Automobile Blvd.Silver Spring, Md. 20904Parts Direct: 301-890-3010Visit us on Facebook: bmwofsilverspringretailparts

NCC BMW CCAP.O. Box 685Arlington, VA 22216

National Capital Chapter BMW Car Club of America

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