Fall 2013 BAYERISCHE - gvc-bmwcca.org · Fall 2013 BAYERISCHE ... model names and logo are registered trademarks. BMW of Rochester 4250 W. Henrietta Road Rochester, ... [email protected]

G E N E S E E VA L L E Y C H A P T E R B M W C A R C L U B O F A M E R I C A

Fall 2013

BAYERISCHE

BMW to Showcase 1979 Andy Warhol M1 Art Car at ARTcetera 2013 in Boston.See page 6

BM

W

BMW of Rochester

4250 W. Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14623(585) 359-7373

JOY IS TIMELESS.

JOY IS BMW.

Joy is a story that has no end. Every page is a milestone. Every chapter a breakthrough.

Innovation may be our backbone, but Joy is the heart that carries on the BMW legacy. An

ongoing tradition from the first car we ever made to our latest design. Joy is never-ending.

©2010 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

BMW of Rochester

4250 W. Henrietta Road

Rochester, NY 14623

(585) 359-7373

The Ultimate®Driving Machinebmwrochester.com

The story of Joy continues at bmwrochester.com .

bmwrochester.com

BMW of Rochester

4250 W. Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14623(585) 359-7373

JOY IS TIMELESS.

JOY IS BMW.

Joy is a story that has no end. Every page is a milestone. Every chapter a breakthrough.

Innovation may be our backbone, but Joy is the heart that carries on the BMW legacy. An

ongoing tradition from the first car we ever made to our latest design. Joy is never-ending.

©2010 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

BMW of Rochester

4250 W. Henrietta Road

Rochester, NY 14623

(585) 359-7373

The Ultimate®Driving Machinebmwrochester.com

The story of Joy continues at bmwrochester.com .

bmwrochester.com

der bayerische brief 3

Contents

REGISTRARJim [email protected]

SOCIAL EVENTS CHAIRMichelle [email protected]

AUTO CROSSSteve Lawless, [email protected]

Paul Smith, [email protected]

DRIVING EVENTS COMMITTEEBill O’Neill – DEC Chair & Driving School Chief [email protected]

Dave Lanni – Driving School [email protected]

Jim Dresser – Driving School Student [email protected]

Ken Buschner – ITS Chief [email protected]

STREET SURVIVAL SCHOOLIke Nielsen – Street Survival [email protected]

Seth Berlfein – Street Survival [email protected]

CLUB RACINGJohn Bulbulia – [email protected]

Mary Pierotti – [email protected]

NEWSLETTERSeth Berlfein – Editor & Art [email protected]

Elaine Lanni – [email protected]

Staff WritersHal Miller – [email protected]

Russell Labarca – Bimmer [email protected]

Kevin VanValkenburgh – Das [email protected]

Marc Minnick – Das [email protected]

WEBMASTERJim [email protected]

MARKETINGKarla [email protected]

AD REPGene [email protected]

PRESIDENTAndy [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENTPatrick [email protected]

SECRETARYBill O’[email protected]

TREASURERJoe [email protected]

MEMBERS AT LRG.Karl Hughes – [email protected]

Robert Kraus – [email protected]

Adrienne Hughes – Rochester585-352-5938

Contacts

Fall 2013 Volume 57 • Issue 2

Club Hotline 585-624-9890 Email [email protected] Web Site www.gvc-bmwcca.org

Genesee Valley Chapter BMW Car Club of America

SponsorsPlease support the advertisers who support us...BMW of Rochester........................................ 2Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen ...................... 8Mini of Rochester ....................................... 11Bavarian Autosport .................................... 15Gault Auto Sport BMW ............................... 15Towne BMW ............................................... 17AutoLinc ..................................................... 18Eksten Autoworks ...................................... 18 SpeedShield ............................................... 20Turner Motor Sport .................................... 21The Little Speed Shop ................................ 23

Credits: Images and text with BMW have been taken from the BMW Press Club web site.

Cover photo by BMW

BM

W

4 • BMW Motorrad Istanbul Races

6 • Art Car at ARTcetera 2013 in Boston

8 • Bimmer Boy Adventures in Incredible India

12 • Das Fahrersitz Race Day at the Glen

18 • Perspektive Hybrid Caper: The Sequel

22 • Calendar of Events See all 2013 events!

der bayerische brief is a publication of the Genesee Valley Chapter, Inc., (GVC or The Club) a non-profit New York corporation and chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, Inc., and is not affiliated in any manner with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG or BMW NA. The Club assumes no responsibility for any of the information contained within. Ideas and technical information are solely those of the authors and no authentication is implied. Contributions from all members are welcomed and encouraged! Information contained within the newsletter is for The Club’s use and permission is granted to reproduce material only if GVC’s der BAYERISCHE brief is given credit.

4 der bayerische brief

cont inued on page 10

BMW Motorrad

ISTANBUL RACESSunday, 15th September 2013 Weather conditions: Sunny.Temperature: Air: 24 °C, Track: 32 – 40 °CNumber of riders participating: 16/15 from 12 teamsFastest lap Race 1: Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 1:55.673 min (lap 2)Fastest lap Race 2: Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) 1:55.768 min (lap 3)

The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team stepped onto the podium at the Turkish debut of the FIM Superbike World

Championship. Factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) finished second on his BMW S 1000 RR in today’s first race at “Intercity Istanbul Park”. In race two, he was fourth. His team-mate Chaz Davies (GBR) had issues in race one and finished eighth. It went better for him in the afternoon, when he crossed the line in sixth. After 11 rounds of the 2013 season, Marco is fourth in the riders’ championship with 290 points, 33 points behind the lead. Chaz follows in fifth with 239 points. In the Manu-facturers’ classification, BMW is currently third with 354 points. Both races today were won by Eugene Laverty (IRL).

At the start of race one, both BMW factory riders gained posi-tions. Marco improved from seventh to fifth, Chaz from eighth to sixth. After the first lap, Marco was in fourth while Chaz was sitting in seventh. In the early stages, Marco lost a bit to the leading trio, but halfway through the race he started to catch up and closed the gap to the top 3 with every lap. On lap 14, he overtook Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) to take third, entering lap 16 he passed Tom Sykes (GBR) for second. He then tried to close the gap to leader Laverty but the Irishman was too far away to catch him up in the remaining laps. Marco rode his RR to second on the podium behind Laverty. Chaz meanwhile was fighting in a group of four and was temporarily lying in fifth. But a massive lack of grip meant he could not hold the position. Throughout the race he lost positions and crossed the line in eighth.

In race two, Marco was sixth after lap one, Chaz seventh. In the early stages of the race, they were involved in several battles, gaining positions. After lap six, Marco was fourth and Chaz sat in sixth. But this time, Marco struggled to catch up with the front runners and the gap increased throughout the race. In the end, he rode a lonely race to finish fourth. Chaz had a bet-ter feeling on his RR in this race. On lap 16 he improved to fifth, but lost one position again on the final lap to come home in sixth.

M ar c o M e landr i:Resu l t Race 1 : 2nd / Gap to 1s t : 0 :02 .009 min / Fas test Lap Race 1 : 1 :56 .102 min ( lap 8 )Resu l t Race 2 : 4 th / Gap to 1s t : 0 :10 .860 min / Fas test Lap Race 2 : 1 :56 .265 min ( lap 4 )

“In race one, I lost a lot of time in the first laps. With a new tyre our bike is always very nervous. On the first lap I had to shut the throttle on the straight as the bike was shaking too much. But then after ten laps, because there was less fuel the bike became lighter and it was easier to ride. At that time I was quite fast and I caught up with the top guys. But when I passed Tom, Eugene was already very far away and for me, second place was already a very good result. After race one, we made some changes to the setting of the bike but, prob-ably because of the higher track temperature, the grip went down. We tried to balance the bike with some changes to the rear but as consequence, I started struggling with the front. I couldn’t be fast entering the corner and I had some issues trying to brake. In the end I could not get the same result as

Danilo Coglianese


BMW Motorrad Motorsport


Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – September, 3, 2013 . . . BMW of North America is pleased to feature its M1 Art Car by Andy

Warhol at Boston’s biennial ARTcetera fundraising event to support the AIDS Action Committee. Originally raced in Le Mans, Warhol’s hand painted BMW M1 is the 4th in the Art Car collection, and showcases the artist’s unique depiction of speed. In his own words, Warhol described the piece as “Portray[ing] speed pictorially. If a car is moving really quickly, all the lines and colors are blurred.”

The Art Car series began in 1975 when Le Mans driver Hervé Poulain commissioned American artist Alexander Calder to transform his racecar into a canvas. Since then, the collection has gone on to feature dynamic and impressive artists from around the world, including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. Warhol’s M1 Art Car has amassed an impressive resume from museums and galleries worldwide, and will serve as the perfect complement to the high caliber pieces up for auction at ARTcetera.

Additionally, the Massachusetts BMW centers are pleased to announce their first year of sponsorship for ARTcetera 2013. Established by Boston area artists as a response to the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980’s, ARTcetera has flourished into one of New England’s premier art auctions, as well as an invaluable yearly fundraising event for AIDS Action. ARTcetera asks artists, both established and emerging, to submit pieces representative of their unique style across a wide range of mediums. In addition to the artwork, local and national sponsors help to ensure the biennial continuation of the program. The event will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Park Plaza Castle in Boston. Information for purchasing tickets or making donations can be found at www.aac.org.

As a longtime proponent of the arts, BMW is proud to partner with ARTcetera 2013. For years, BMW has been a long term partner of Art Basel, Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze London and New York, as well as Tefaf Maastricht and many other international artistic gatherings.

artcarBMW to Showcase 1979 Andy Warhol M1 Art Car at ARTcetera 2013 in Boston.

BM

W


With more than 100 programs worldwide, BMW Group cultural commitment has been an essential part of corporate communications for over 40 years. Unrestricted freedom of creative potential is equally crucial for the field of art as it is for groundbreaking innovations within a business enterprise. Accordingly, the BMW Group places the main focus of its cultural commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design.

More Information on the Massachusetts BMW Centers can be found at: http://www.bmwmass.com/

BMW Group In AmericaBMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-

Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the

United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations

for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the

Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in

California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout

the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s

global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5

and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales

organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car and

BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 139 BMW motorcycle retailers, 119 MINI passenger

car dealers, and 34 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW

Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com

BM

W


THE BIMMER BOY story by

RUSSELL LABARCA

I had this issue’s article all written in my head before the event even took place. I had a

business trip planned to the home office in Germany, which would route me through Mu-nich. As a happy coincidence, I had some free time to spend in Munich. It’s been two years since my last BMW Welt visit, and I was excited to see what was new and being showcased: 3-series GT’s, new 1-se-ries hatchbacks, Rolls Royces, Minis, and may-be even a hybrid or two. But then, a little over a week before my de-parture, my boss wondered: Can you go to India instead of Ger-many next week? The query was somewhat rhetorical, though in reality it would take nearly the entire week to get my paperwork in order to be sure I could travel. I hung on to my Munich tickets as long as possible, just in case. As a US citizen, travel to Germany involves buying your ticket, taking the flight, and giving a good reason for entry at the cus-toms desk (it’s slightly more complicated if you plan to stay for

a while and work). To enter India, though, everyone needs pre-approval from the Indian government in the form of an ironed-in passport visa. After a crazily hectic week of visits to New York City to get that visa, to doctors to prescribe preventative medicine, and to pharmacists to pick up the medicine, I found myself on a non-stop flight to Delhi. And then I could finally ponder: what is the car situation like in India?

I had heard stories, of course, about taking a tuk tuk (motorized rickshaw), and I’ve seen pictures of trucks piled high with personal ef-fects and people, out on the highway. I had even watched Top Gear’s India special, with-out knowing the trip was upcoming (and hav-ing re-watched the episode after returning, I can assure you, there is less embellishment compared to most of the series’ other epi-sodes. The streets really are that crazy). I didn’t even remember that driving is done on the left-side of the road until we were

about 5,000 feet off the ground on landing. Out my window into the cloudy/smoggy/smoky night, I saw the headlights and taillights of congestion on the Indian roads; at first I thought I was just jet-lagged, but then it hit me that yes, the red taillights should be on the left side of the road, the yellow headlights on the right, opposite to what I normally would see. There would be many of these opposite moments throughout the trip. OK, I thought: right-hand drive cars; Tatas, Mahindras, and other low-cost domestic brands. But what about BMW? Their

presence must be limited, and I may go the entire week without seeing one. There, as I entered the Delhi terminal, hang-ing on every column down a long hallway, was a large 7-series advertisement. At first I thought again I was confused and jet-lagged; surely they aren’t ad-vertising their top-of-the-line models, this the land of cheap...everything. Then I suddenly had hope: maybe 1er’s would fill the street and give the impression of a nice Ger-man road! Maybe my hired driver would pick me up in a 5 series, and I would roll to the hotel in style! No. Over the week, I saw four BMWs through-out India: two 5er’s, an X1, and an X5. This was actu-ally two more than the total number of Tata Nanos I saw, which does not bode well for its sales outside of India. But I can understand, generally, drivers not wanting to subject BMWs to the rigors of Indian city driving. At a stoplight, with three lanes, it was nor-mal to have five to six cars ready at the front of the line - difficult to squeeze any BMW with more than

two wheels into that type of situation. Beyond that I made a series of observations: Horns, in Indian driving, have a variety of uses, and are likely the most-used driving aid on the car (more than, say, turn sig-nals, lights, or wipers). My driver from the airport showed me the correct usage: honk at the car you’re passing on the right to let him know you’re there; same for cars on the left; honk at the slow-moving obstacles (tuk tuks, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, livestock; this is on the highway, remember); honk

Adventures in Incredible

India


at the guy who cut you off; honk at the guy you cut off; et ce-tera. I saw some very bald tires; I think they would replace the horn sooner if it were to wear out than the rubber on the road; it’s that much of a necessity. Standing at the airport taxi queue, very quickly I had a good impression of what the drive to the hotel would be like. Want-ing to protect myself, I chose the backseat when picked up, thinking that it should be safer in a collision. I went to pull the seatbelt out, and found no seat bottom anchor connector in which to plug it. My driver looked back: “It’s OK. Only these required,” he said, pointing to the front seat belts. Lesson learned. I instead gripped the door handle tightly. In total, I rode in 10 different cars and two tuk tuks during the week. The Tatas were quite bear-able; basic transportation in this century is greatly improved over years past. All had air conditioning, which surprised me, but is a bit of a necessity when the temperature stays in the 100’s, and cools to only 85°F or so at night during the late spring (summer heat had not yet started). The SUV we rented one day gave us the appropriate ground clearance for our expedition, though it had minimal design fea-tures: no power steering, two-wheel drive, and a leaf-spring suspension, like the back end of a pickup truck (which basically describes the ride in the back-seat). Space was never a problem in Indian vehicles. My three colleagues and I, plus our driver, and our lug-gage, all fit in the tuk tuks without a problem. Another similarly sized tuk tuk, also on the road at the same time, showed it could hold twice as many people. Not everyone was technically ‘in-side’ the vehicle, but they were all being driven, albeit slowly. One Tata, with only myself and one other colleague, did have a trunk space problem for our suitcases (I had a large one for my week, he had a smaller roller for the brief trip); mine got to ride on the top luggage carrier, secured only by gravity, on our hour drive to the airport. This surprised me, until I saw the giant compressed natural gas tank in the trunk. Images of self-conversion (I know this car started life running on gasoline), being hit by a truck, and fire-balls all flashed (very brightly) through my mind. But I shook the thought of my crispy demise out of my head, because up to that point, and in fact throughout my stay, I nei-ther witnessed nor was involved with any type of motor vehicle accident. There were many times when I thought for sure some paint was going to be traded, but it never happened. There was one close-call (close even for the Indians based on how they reacted), where an on-coming motorcyclist clipped the elbow of a pedestrian, weaving him toward the path of our SUV. But he swerved back out of the way, and managed to stay upright even after passing us (we all turned around to watch, our driver included). The hired drivers were pretty outstanding overall: they kept cool under (my perceived) pressure; they were knowledgeable

of the streets (no GPS required); able to drive through “mov-ing gridlock” as I call it, while on their mobile phones; and very good tour guides for me as well. I tried not to mentally backseat drive too much for my own sake, but I can’t help but watch out the front of the car to see the road ahead; it’s a habit of curiosity. One evening as dusk fell, I really thought our man should turn his headlights on (to better see other unlit motorists/pedestri-ans/bicycles/livestock/etc., and to at least be seen). When he

started to squint a bit, I really wanted him to turn his headlights on. Then, thankfully, finally, he did. The squinting did not stop. Then I remembered what it’s like to drive at dusk without my prescription lenses, and wondered whether this guy had ever even seen a doctor. I stopped watching the road ahead. The drives in India are best described as a video game. There are games out there where all you have to do is follow a pre-scribed course without hitting whatever the computer will throw at you. I think if a programmer were to take the reality of India and code it into his game, it would seem too unrealistic to be believed. Just when you’ve cleared all of those cows, dogs, pull-carts, and middle-lane-disabled-trucks, out of nowhere comes a motorcycle with matching speed who wants to be in your lane right now. The game never ends. My drives, and my overall first Indian visit, were successful. I bought two Indian car magazines so I could read about the Chevrolet Enjoy, the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, and the Force Gur-kha (whose DNA is that of a classic G-wagen). One is the Indian version of the German auto BILD, in which the reviewers talk a lot about top speeds easily reached, at over 100 miles per hour. I’m not sure where these speeds can actually be attained in their country, given the combination of traffic and low-quality roads I witnessed; these not conducive to high-speed runs. But it must happen somewhere, and, if I’m lucky, my next In-dian business trip will take me there.


in race one. We have still three races to go and, even if it’ll not be easy, I continue to believe. I want to fight and give my best in each race.”

C ha z D a v ie s:Resu l t Race 1 : 8 th / Gap to 1s t : 0 :21 .491 min / Fas test Lap Race 1 : 1 :56 .082 min ( lap 2 )Resu l t Race 2 : 6 th / Gap to 1s t : 0 :12 .396 min / Fas test Lap Race 2 : 1 :56 .354 min ( lap 2 )

“After missing a lot of track time yesterday, it was dif-ficult today. In the time available, we struggled to find a good set-up. I was lacking grip on the front and the rear and also struggling with the stability and balance. I was not happy with race one. After warm-up, we made a small change to the balance to try and find more grip in the rear but it just made the front worse. It was so easy to lose the front; I think that happened to me 10 to 15 times throughout the race. I couldn’t enter the corner fast; every time I tried to use the front brake with any lean angle I would tuck the front and not only that but I also struggled with rear grip. I wasn’t able to do any bet-ter so that was very frustrating. I was much happier with race two which was definitely better. It was half the gap to the leaders than in race one but in the end it was not good enough. We really made a step in the right direc-tion but we could not completely solve the issues we had in race one. I think a third race would have suited us today. I am not sure if I would have been in podium contention then but for sure we would have further im-proved and would come even closer.”

A ndr e a B uz zon i (G en er a l M ana g er B MW M ot o r r a d W S B K ):“Today’s results were not what we expected. Marco rode the first race in a very clever way. In the first few laps he was a little slower than the leading group. Then he increased the rhythm, closing the gap to the front, and was second at the finish line. Maybe with two more laps, he could have been in first position. This result brought him closer to the top of the riders’ ranking. In race two, on the contrary, something didn’t work and he couldn’t repeat the result. In the end the gap to the lead in the ranking has increased a little. But regarding the cham-pionship that does not affect us too much: we’re still in the game and we have to keep concentrated. Chaz couldn’t find the right balance and the performance of the bike which all of us expected during this weekend. Unfortunately he had to limit the damage. Looking to the championship ranking, the gap has increased, but he can still fight. We are heading Laguna Seca where we have good conditions to get a good result. Our riders like the track and both know it very well from already riding there. In addition the track fits very well to the characteristics of our RR. We have to achieve a great re-sult to continue to fight for the title.”

Istanbul Races f rom page 4

Cont inued on page 16


MINI OF ROCHESTER3875 West Henrietta RoadRochester, NY 14623(585) 334-MINIMINIofRochester.com

IT’S GOT THAT NEW CARDEALERSHIP SMELL.You know that new car smell? It’s nothing comparedto new dealership smell. With subtle, fragrant notes of freshUpholstery and new leather, it’s our newest scent,

AND IT’S HERE IN ROCHESTER!

Sales Hours:Monday - Thursday 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Friday - Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Service & Parts Hours:Monday - Friday 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

$20 GIFT CERTIFICATEANY ACCESSORIES OR MOTORING GEARTo redeem offer on-line at MINIofRochester.com, enter PROMO CODE 03312013

$20 GIFT CERTIFICATEANY SERVICEOR MAINTENANCE

Offer valid only at MINI of Rochester. Minimum purchase of $100. Price excludes tax. One per customer. No cash value. Ad must be presented & redeemed at time of purchase. Discount applies to retail price of product & not to any sales or value-added tax. Excludes tires. Expires 3/31/2013.

Offer valid only at MINI of Rochester. Minimum purchase of $100. Price excludes tax. One per customer. No cash value. Ad must be presented & redeemed at time of purchase. Discount applies to retail price of product & not to any sales or value-added tax. Excludes tires. Expires 6/30/2013.

PROMO CODE 06302013


The first NASCAR Grand National stock event at Watkins Glen was run in 1957 at this newly built 2.3 miles race track, and at this race Buck Peters beat Glenn ”Fireball” Roberts for first place.

In later years I don’t know what became of Buck Peters, but Fireball Roberts died in a fiery crash seven or eight years later. As a pre-teen I built the “Fireball Roberts” Revell model car and painted it “Fireball Roberts white and Red.” From that moment on I loved cars. A couple of years later I switched my interest to the Beatles and that’s probably the reason I associate a lot of the music of the sixties with automobiles. Today is June 30 and it is race day at the Glen. The sun is shining. The motors are purring. The svelte young Mazda girls are strutting their stuff, asking for e-mails and pumping the crowd for personal information. They really don’t know what they are talking about if you ask them an automotive question. But what does it matter? It’s race day, and that alone makes it a good day. My wife and I arrive at the park too late to catch the Porsche GT3 Cup race, but I explain to her that this is not the main event. The main event starts at 11:00 am. It is a Rolex sports car series race, and this year Sahlens Hot dogs is the corporate sponsor. I explain to her that it’s going to be a little loud at times so we’ll stop at the race souvenir store and buy earplugs. She gives me a strange look and says, ”I don’t know about this.” I say “You’re going to love it!” It’s her first Grand –Am type race. I really don’t know how she will do, so I keep my fingers crossed and soldier on. I’m lovin it already and race hasn’t even started.The clock strikes 11:00 am and the Canadian and American national anthems are sung, the single prop aircraft buzz the crowd, and the fireworks salute the race with a plethora of explosions, custom-made for a Chinese new year.

Race day at the Glen“I got a 57 Ford, painted Fireball Roberts white and red, “Got a 57 Ford, baby painted Fireball Roberts white and red, I haven’t run my last race darlin, But sometimes I wish I did.”

MARC M. MINNICKDAS FAHRERSITZ story & photos by


day

“Gentlemen, start your engines!” This race is comprised of three different class-es: Daytona Prototypes (mid –engine race cars built only for competition), GT class (production based race cars that look like the cars we all know and love (BMW M3) -- but are lighter and have higher engine revving limits -- and a new class to me -- the GX class. GX class are also production based sports cars. GX is the first class to feature a high-output 4 cyl-inder turbo “diesel“ engines. Team Mazdaspeed/Speedsource will run with these. It’s going to get interesting. I saw the Mazda guys at breakfast at the ho-tel in Horseheads. My wife said they looked too old to be race drivers. I explain they are probably engineers that work for Mazda. What a job! Eat breakfast at strange Marriotts and travel the race circuit…Word to the wise… if you ever have to stay in Horseheads/Elmira New York eat at the Texas Road House near the Fairfield Inn. The Sir-loin steak is exquisite and the Horseheads Ale is smooth and delicate…..What about the finish, you ask? Yes .I finished mine and my wife’s too.The team to watch I tell my wife is Team Sahlen. Team Sahlen is running 2 BMW-powered Dayto-na prototypes. The Cars are red with yellow and black accents. Sahlen’s is underscored by “since 1869” -- affixed to the port and starboard of the race car in contrasting red cursive script. ”I got a 57 Ford baby, painted Fireball Roberts white and Red.” I’m interested to see how Turner Motorsport will do. Turner will feature GT class production BMW M3’s. Production stock BMW M3’s produce 440 HP from their cars and other than the fact that these cars are lighter and have larger tires, they aren’t too much different from street legal M3’s.But they sure do look different. Top speed on these cars is 180 MPH. My wife and I extract our folding camp chairs from my 320xi and plant ourselves under a Club umbrella and soak in the sights and sounds of the race. After 45 minutes of ooh’s and ah’s, it’s time for Lunch. Lunch is fried chicken (my choice ) and pulled pork (my wife’s choice). Under the Club tent we continue to watch the race on closed circuit TV and the Speed channel. ”Hey there’s our tent on national TV!” How cool is that? I love this! We finish our lunch and now it’s time to ex-plore the park. We hike over to the pedestrian tunnel under the track before Turn 11. There is an excellent viewing area on a berm, near the Ries-beck bleachers. We watch the cars come down

Cont inued on page 14


the last straightaway before turn 11 and the home straight. I try my camera skills (not to much success with a Kodak). Sorry Kodak. We cross the pe-destrian bridge and head for the “Esses” near the east tunnel. Take some photos there. Nice clear shot of the cars and not many people to impede the view. From there we hike down the back straight to catch the cars as they are braking before they decelerate quickly before Turn 5. This is noth-ing short of awesome. My wife asks, ”Why do the cars disappear after this turn?” They go into the “Boot.” What’s the Boot? “The Boot is the part of the track where the cars descend into an unknown zone of mysterious road tricks and magical illusions.” She gives me a strange look and says,” Can we go now?” I say not until we view the race from the Jackie Stewart Grandstand.I go on to tell her how I met Jackie Stewart at the Glen in October of “72 and got his signature on my race magazine and yada yada yada. She looks at me and says “You must have told me that story a hundred times.” She’s right I do repeat myself; it must come from growing up in a family of 5 and jockeying for a position at the dinner table. Thus ends a wonderful day at the Glen. Meeting club members and tell-ing stories and reminiscing about the good old days of Formula One at the Glen. But today new memories and friends were made, and that is a good day. That is race day at the Glen.

“Don’t feel sorry for our love babe. Nah we stuck it right down in the turn. And it’s not everyday you can walk away with put these few memories to burn”

Music and Lyrics byJohn Hiatt,Album “The Open Road” 2010

Race Day at the Glen f rom page 13

“The Boot is the part of the track where the cars descend into an unknown zone of mysterious road tricks and magical illusions.”


The Enthusiast’s Store for all BMW toys!

Authorized Sales, Service & Parts. A fully equipped collision center. BMW Car Club Discounts, Tech Inspections, Free Loaner Service and Pick-up & Delivery. • Tom Marcy - Service Manager

GAULTAUTO SPORT BMW

2507 North Street • Endicott, NY 13760888-424-2858www.buybmw.com

The Ultimate Driving Machine

TM

Membership cost is only $48 for one year, $91 for two years, $134 for three years, $178 for four years, or $220 for five years! You will receive the monthly Roundel, our informative 140 page magazine, which many consider to be the world’s best car club publication. You’ll become a member in one of our 67 local chapters or 14 Special Interest Groups (SIG’s) which publish newsletters, conduct driving schools, tech sessions, social events, and assist you in servicing and enjoying your BMW. In addition, BMW CCA offers a long list of additional benefits & services.

Contact National Office: BMW Car Club of America

640 S. Main Street, Suite 201 • Greenville, SC 29601 [email protected] or call 864-250-0022

Membershipin BMW Car Club of America


cont inued on page 18

16

A n dr e a D o s o l i ( Te chn i c a l D i r e c t o r B MW M ot o r r a d G o ld B e t S B K Te am):“Congratulations to Marco for his podium in race one. He put in another strong performance here in Istanbul, a track where he has been successful in the past. But overall we have to say that our competitors have done a better job than us today. Even if Marco was able to get the maximum of the package in race one, he was struggling in race two. As soon as the track temperatures increased, he was lacking grip and struggling with stability. Chaz had some issues in race one, where he was not comfortable with the bike. Unfortunately, due to the limited track time, the set-up was not perfect for race one. His crew improved the bike for race two but it still was not enough. The main areas we have to work on are grip and stability. Our target is to improve that for the next round at Laguna Seca. We must keep working hard in order to prepare best for the next races. The championship is still open.”

Istanbul Races f rom page 10

ALL NEW. EXCEPT FOR THE THRILL.With a fuel-efficient, TwinPower Turbo 240-hp, 4-cylinder engine, the all-new 3 Series propels you from 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds while still giving you 33 mpg highway.* Meanwhile, the Head-Up Display and the ConnectedDrive infotainment system bring the outside world within arm’s reach. A rebirth has never felt more familiar. We only make one thing. The Ultimate Driving Machine.®

ANNOUNCING THE NEW BMW 3 SERIES.

The all-newBMW 3 Series

Towne BMW8215 Main StWilliamsville, NY 14221-6027(716) 505-2100townebmw.com

townebmw.com (716) 505-2100

*Acceleration claim based on BMW AG test results. Figures based on 23 mpg city/33 mpg hwy for 328i Auto Transmission. May change as a result of EPA testing. †Whichever comes first. For full details on BMW Ultimate Service® visit bmwusa.com/ultimateservice. ©2012 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

ALL NEW. EXCEPT FOR THE THRILL.With a fuel-efficient, TwinPower Turbo 240-hp, 4-cylinder engine, the all-new 3 Series propels you from 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds while still giving you 33 mpg highway.* Meanwhile, the Head-Up Display and the ConnectedDrive infotainment system bring the outside world within arm’s reach. A rebirth has never felt more familiar. We only make one thing. The Ultimate Driving Machine.®

ANNOUNCING THE NEW BMW 3 SERIES.

The all-newBMW 3 Series

Towne BMW8215 Main StWilliamsville, NY 14221-6027(716) 505-2100townebmw.com

townebmw.com (716) 505-2100

*Acceleration claim based on BMW AG test results. Figures based on 23 mpg city/33 mpg hwy for 328i Auto Transmission. May change as a result of EPA testing. †Whichever comes first. For full details on BMW Ultimate Service® visit bmwusa.com/ultimateservice. ©2012 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.


Can’t believe I’ve been doing this column for more than eight years. A lot has happened in the automobile business since then. When I

re-read my column in the December 2007 Brief, The Hybrid Caper – it reminds me that all the hype, development dollars, and marketing pro-jections have produced insignificant results for hybrids so far. The most optimistic estimate is that hybrid/electric autos will account for 3% of the world market by 2020. The government has invested billions of our dollars to produce cars like the Chevrolet Volt (which has yet to get off the ground) and the Tesla (that company is virtually bankrupt and after blowing through millions of our tax dollars is looking for another sucker to buy them out). The bleeding of billions continues. The Wall Street Journal re-ports that battery maker Exide has filed Chapter Eleven bankruptcy for the second time (they geared up for building batteries for the thou-sands of green cars yet to be sold). Quoting from my Hybrid Caper column December 2007; I have driv-en the Toyota Camry Hybrid, and can report that it drives like a slug – numb steering – numb handling, and gobs of body roll. The Hybrid Camry draws about a 10% premium and reportedly Toyota loses mon-ey on every car. The car I refer to is owned by my neighbor, and she just invested another $15,000 to rebuild the undercarriage of her Camry (it rusted through because of battery corrosion). What do you think that will do to her owning and operating cost analysis? BMW announced that there would be a hybrid version of the X6 in 2008, but concurrent with that announcement Gerhard Richter, BMWs head of development at the time, said that existing hybrid systems were too heavy and compromised weight distribution too much to be considered for their Ultimate Driving Machines – which presumably

the X6 was not. However, that promise didn’t last too long as politi-cal pressure from their government – and ours – plus their marketing gurus eventually led to the hybridnation (I coined that word) of their sports sedans as well. BMW now builds hybrid versions of all models -- and even though they are available in America, I know of no dealer who has sold any. Not all the government subsidies, nor the hype, nor the petrol-pun-ishing bureaucratic regulations can overcome the simple fact that hy-brid cars violate every automotive design principle for efficiency and performance. Beyond this – there is a dirty little secret that is overlooked by the bureaucrats and eco-weenies. Manufacturing a hybrid car (including the batteries) produces over twice as much carbon dioxide as a con-ventional automobile and hybrids continue to create more CO2 every time they are driven and recharged. Quoting again from the Hybrid Caper article of 2007: In my opinion the answer to this dilemma is to follow Mercedes’ lead in developing the BlueTec diesel which will soon be sold in all 50 states and will form the core of revolutionary diesels that are quiet, soot-free, CO2 free, and nearly equal to their gasoline equivalents in performance. This is exactly what has happened -- although it has taken far too long for BMW to get around to importing their clean diesels to Ameri-ca. Production of the 328d and 535d for the U.S. will begin in August. Abraham Lincoln told the story of a king who employed a wise man to come up with a saying that would cover every conceivable situation. That saying was; “This too shall pass away.” I’m betting that the next time we update the Hybrid Caper, a decade or so from now, that the mass-produced hybrid automobile will have passed away to its rightful place in obsolescence.

HAL MILLERPERSPEKTIVE

Hybrid Caper: The Sequel


30YEARS

Genesee Valley Chapter

B M W C C A

15X1730X33$35.00

$15.00

weatherproof vinyl mounted on plastic

$42.00

Polar FleeceXXS thru 4XL

Long Sleeve Denim

$30.00XS thru 3XL

Garment Dyedpre-washed sweat

$29.75S thru XXL

3 button Sport ShirtS thru 3XL

$23.00

30th AnniversaryClothing and Posters

assorted caps $13.00 to $14.50

T-Shirt Express1044 University Ave

585-256-0070

available @


WNY’s only authorized Xpelpaint protection film dealer.

10% discount to all GVC BMW CCA members

Brian Kellyowner

585-409-8381www.speedshieldfilm.com

Hit the road with

...because the road hits back!

78 Bennington Drive Rochester, NY 14616585-621-8200www.ekstenautoworks.com

CLUB RACING AND TRACK EVENT PREPARATION • FULL IMPORT MAINTENANCE • MACHINE SHOP SERVICES & FABRICATIONENGINE BUILDING AND CUSTOM CYLINDER HEAD WORK • DYNOMOMOETER

10% OFF LABOR TO CLUB MEMBERS

Authorized Dealer Authorized DealerAuthorized DealerAuthorized DealerAuthorized DealerAuthorized DealerAuthorized DealerAuthorized Dealer

People often think “Track” or “Racing” when they hear the name Turner Motorsport.

Actually 80% of our business is providing customers with parts and accessories for their street cars.

We offer reasonable prices, fast shipping, extensive inventory and the most

knowledgeable staff in the business. Call us or visit our comprehensive web site today.


New

Mem

bers

April Matthew K. CainColleenMarie CaravatiDavid CurreCharlie ElveBurton FalkDavid HudakMike MammanoKeith MeyerTimothy L NyeDexter ProctorSteven SacksDouglas SchawelMarsha SchawelJeffrey ThomasMark Wilson

MayKen BallWilliam BarnhartTroy BirdsallMatthew BishopChristopher T BurnsChristian CattellKatelyn Corpus

Ben CostanzaGary DiemRyan DotterweichBrian EnglishCasey FaganAcadia FairchildJon M FergusonJames FranksFrank J FruceBenjamin GoodfriendWesley HouseworthRachel KahnChrista KaretKody Alan KelseyJoel KumroGabriel LiebIan LoomisNathaniel McNabbPatricia NeedellThomas NeedellLarry NivisonChristina PalumboJeff PotterWesley RegnierSteven Reinke

Arianna ScapturaTimothy SchliffScott SchmidtTyler SutherlandGreg TaylorRyan TelescaRyan TolpaPeter C TriggAbby Van SoestKenneth S Woitaszek

JuneStephen AycockJeff BrandtSteven M CunninghamEd DiazChuck DominickNicole E DziedzicDaniel FitzgeraldSteven GattusoJeffrey HultzappleDouglas Richard KrasuckiJohn MillerSkip Wilday

JulyBruce ColemanHarry CooverSusan Jean DeKingPhilip DepronioLarry DunlapFarrah FieldNathan HowellRobert KorosiJoseph Vito LiotinoTodd Charles MirabellaSylvia MontgomeryJulie J PoolerDoug RossMichael SinatraRosemary SkalskiMike J VislockyLynn WebbDouglas WegmanJason Yantz

Calendar of Events

www.gvc-bmwcca.org

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT

FOR LATE BREAKING NEWS AND UPDATES!

September 14 • Saturday, GVC AutoCross – Letchworth 20, 21, & 22 • Ultimate Driving School & Stan Parker Memorial Club Race– WGI 28 • Saturday, GVC AutoCross – Letchworth

October 6 • GVC AutoCross – Genesee Valley Kart track in Avon 9 • GVC General Membership Meeting - Towne BMW / MINI 19 • Saturday, Chili Cook Off – TBD

November 2 • Saturday, Street Survival School – Watkins Glen

December 21 • Saturday, Holiday Party – Locust Hill

LIKE

US

ON https://www.facebook.com/pages/Genesee-Valley-Chapter- of-the-BMW-Car-Club-of-America/149495871785439


The Little Speed Shop @littlespeedshop #littlespeedshop

500 Lee Road Building C Rochester, NY 14606 Tel: (585) 647-0339

[email protected] www.thelittlespeedshop.com

ClassifiedsPlease visit our web site at www.gvc-bmwcca.org. Click on “Classified Ad Forums.” briefder

Fall 2013 Volume 57 • Issue 2

PRSRT STDU.S.POSTAGE

PAIDROCHESTER, NYPERMIT NO. 51

Genesee Valley Chapter of BMW CCAP.O. Box 1333Fairport, New York 14450

Address Service Requested

BMW BM

W

Documents

Fall 2013 BAYERISCHE - gvc-bmwcca.org · Fall 2013 BAYERISCHE ... model names and logo are registered trademarks. BMW of Rochester 4250 W. Henrietta Road Rochester, ... [email protected]