April - May 2015

In this issue:

Feature Articles

Spaßnacht Dates 5Calendar 16

Columns

Miscellaneous Rants, Raves and

RamblingsFirst Sunday Drives 2“LIKE” us on Facebook 2QR Code to Receive Email 3Save $500 5Officers and Board 5New Members 13How to Join MBCA 13NTB Tire Discount 14Tire Rack Rebate 14Logo Shop 14Uplift 14

Coming Up April - July

President’s Message 2

Chicago Auto Show 1Helmets Needed 2Important Dates 2Tom Strongman Breakfast 3Dragon Speed Racing 7 Wisconsin DD/AX 7StarTech 2015 9KCAM Display 12Chad Dearth Breakfast 13

Chicago Auto Show – February 2015by Kevin Arburn

On Valentine’s Day three KCMBCA section members hit the road to check out the Chicago Auto Show. John Ryan drove his 2013 C Class, and Mark Moody and I rode along on one of the first great road trips of 2015. The drive up was great – eight hours of open road and good weather; albeit a little cold for our liking – it was in the teens a good part of the trip. We checked into a hotel that evening to get ready for the big show the next day.

Sunday was cloudy, and the closer we got to downtown Chicago and McCormick Place, the more snow we started to see. Lake Effect, the locals call it. Well, it was snowing full tilt when we arrived but who cared? Acres of new car displays awaited us. McCormick Place comprises four buildings having a combined total of 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, 1.2 million square feet all on one level, making it the nation’s largest convention center. It seems a LOT bigger when you’re there and on foot.

Of course we made a beeline to the Mercedes-Benz pavilion, where the just released AMG GT-S was on display – behind a Plexiglas barrier, dang it! Benz definitely has a winner with this one. There were a wide variety of other AMG and Mercedes models, including the newly-resurrected Maybach. Luxury and then some. We introduced ourselves to the Mercedes-Benz corporate representatives at the display and they kindly let us use their hospitality area in

Continued on page 3. The new AMG GT-S presents the classic lines of a sports car.

Chiccago’s is America’s oldest auto show, 114 years and counting.

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Monthly, Third Monday6:30 PM

President’s Messageby Kevin Arburn

Kevin Arburn, President Mercedes-Benz Club of America | Kansas City Section

Kevin Arburn, President

https://www.facebook.com/kcmbca

Helmets Needed For DD/AXDo you have an old motorcycle or automotive helmet you are no longer using? Consider donating it to the club for use during our Defensive Driving / Autocross event. Hel-mets of all sizes are needed. Thank you!

Important Dates for 2015Mark your calendars for these events in 2015:

Sunday July 12th - Art of the Machine Display at River Market

Saturday August 8th - DD/AX Regional Event

NEW DATE: Sunday, October 18th - Oktoberfest Concours - New location at Corbin Park!

More details to follow soon.

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•

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By the time this is published, I sincerely hope that spring has arrived for real and that the chance of any more snow or sub-freezing weather is past. I really shouldn’t com-plain; overall the Kansas City area has gotten off easy this winter. It’s mostly me - the older I get, the more intolerant of winter I become - and I know I’m not alone. SO, let’s just assume that spring has indeed sprung and get on with our pre-summertime chores of cleaning up our vehicles and doing our periodic safety checks. Just today I checked the tires on all of our cars and the SL had to have some air in all four tires. Now is the time - either do it yourself, have the dealer or shop do it, but get every-thing checked out before the driving season begins in earnest. Speaking of freezing just once more: I was lucky enough to see the Chicago Auto Show back in Febru-ary, thanks to Mark Moody and Regional Director John Ryan, who let me tag along for the drive to Chicago. The show was the biggest I had ever seen, and I would en-courage anyone who has never attended a major national car show to do so. They make great road trips - when the weather cooperates. Almost forgot - it’s time for

the Monthly Mantra: WE NEED YOU. We are planning a full slate of our usual wide variety of activities for 2015, but we cannot do it all without you. Please consider volunteering in some capacity. Thanks and see you soon!

1980 MERCEDES-BENZ 450SL FOR SALE50K TWO-OWNER MILES. TOTALLY

ORIGINAL. IMMACULATE CONDITION-NO RUST. 50/50 30-DAY WARRANTY ON

ENGINE AND DRIVE TRAIN.RAY GENTILE – 913 897-3422R-GENTILE@COMCAST.NET

FOR PICTURES

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Kansas City Section members; scan this QR code with your smart phone, and then sign up to receive email concerning news and information about KCMBCA events. You can also register for the email service by going to the Kansas City Section website at www.kcmbca.org. It’s a great new way for you to keep up with what’s going on in your Mercedes-Benz Club.

back to sit for a while and talk with other owners. To me it was interesting that there were no salespeople on the floor at all; just corporate folks to answer questions that could not be handled by the cool interactive displays that they had out by the vehicles. That was probably a good thing, as that AMG GT-S was really, really tempting.

We spent a good portion of the day taking in all the sights and sounds – there were several actual driving displays, including a massive indoor obstacle course courtesy of Jeep. The other must-see at the show was the new Ford GT – absolutely spectacular. It’s virtually impossible to see every single thing there is to see in just one day, but time was limited for us and frankly, I don’t think my feet could have taken another day!

The ride home is always less exciting that the ride up to a big event like this, but in our case we had the weather to keep us “entertained.” Mark Moody used his iPhone to keep an eye on an approaching storm, right up until the time the heavy, driving snow caught up with us in Hannibal, Missouri. Thanks to John’s very adept driving and Marks navigation skills, we got back safe & sound.

If you have not attended one of the major national auto shows such as the one in Chicago, I would highly recommend it. There is so much to see and do that it could easily make a two-day or three-day road trip. Just keep an eye on the weather.

February Breakfast Meeting – Tom StrongmanFor our Feb-ruary 2015 b r e a k f a s t meeting we were lucky enough to have Tom S t r o n g m a n join us once again. Tom is a Kansas-City based auto-motive journal-ist, photographer and author who always brings a great presentation of pictures and stories from his vast experiences and travels. This visit was no exception. Tom presented a couple of slide shows, including historical racing photos and an amusing one titled “Ode to Rust” featuring rusted cars set to a catchy country song: “Too Many Cars in My Yard.” Tom is always open to any auto-related ques-tions, and offered his opinions on the recent cars that he has tested and reviewed for his weekly feature in the Kansas City Star. Tom always pulls a crowd, but we hit a record at this meeting: 62 people joined us at the Paradise Diner in Overland Park, making this perhaps the best-attended monthly breakfast meeting in section history. It was a great time and we again thank our long-time friend of the Kansas City Section, Tom Strongman, for another entertaining get-together.

Continued from Page 1

Kevin hard at work keeping our social media fans up to date.

Tom always draws a big crowd when he visits.

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15% off service for MBCA members

SpaßnachtFind out more:

www.kcmbca.orgClick on “Club Info”

_________________

April 20, 2015

Johnny’s BBQ5959 Broadmoor St.

Mission, KS_________________

May 18, 2015

Salty Iguana8228 Mission RoadPrairie Village, KS

_________________

June 15, 2015

RC’s330 E 135th St.Kansas City, MO

_________________

July 20, 2015

Casa Agave1340 Village West Pkwy

Kansas City, KS_________________

2015 MBCA Kansas City Section Officers and Board Members

Officers PhoneE-mailKevin Arburn, President (913) 648-7675 kevin@kcmbca.orgIan Harns, Vice President (816) 812-9495 ian@kcmbca.orgMark Moody, Past President (913) 685-8573 mark@kcmbca.orgMark Moody, Secretary (913) 685-8573 mark@kcmbca.orgIan Harns, Treasurer (816) 812-9495 ian@kcmbca.org

Board of Directors Bob Del Popolo (913) 888-2617 bob.d@kcmbca.orgBob Poduch (913) 327-1632 bob.p@kcmbca.orgRich Carlson (913) 897-0260 rbmgr86@aol.comBob Smith (913) 268-8984 bob.s@kcmbca.orgJoyce Smith (913) 338-0766 Dudley Smith (913) 338-0766 Ian Harns (816) 812-9495 ian@kcmbca.orgJohn Ryan (913) 543-1252 grownup@kcmbca.org

Newsletter EditorMark Moody (913) 685-8573 newsletter@kcmbca.orgWebmeister-Administrator John Ryan (913) 268-1252 grownup@kcmbca.orgMembership Director Bob Del Popolo (913) 888-2617 membership@kcmbca.orgMidwest Regional DirectorJohn Ryan (913) 543-1252 jlryan@kc.surewest.net

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Pittsburgh

Race Complex

Hosted bythe Western Reserve Section

Fun activities for all:

Defensive Driving Class••

•••

Experience the full potential of your Mercedes-Benz! Take the MBCA defensive driving class and attend the Performance Driving School.Feel your pulse quicken as you participate in the autocross and driving experience at thePittsburgh International Race Complex

Show off your Mercedes-Benz in the Concours d’Elegance! Every class of Mercedes-Benz is welcome from Show to Display.

Sign Up For information and registration package,

call Sue or John Morrison at 330-673-7885or email gobenzing@aol.com. Or register online at www.benzclub.org.

Hotel Headquarters

Cranberry Township, PA 16066

What is Gemütlichkeit?Gemütlichkeit is the oldest Mercedes-Benz

social events, a judged car show, non-judgeddisplay show, driver education events, and thechance to experience driving on the combined

Race sports car course. Beginners welcome.Instruction and coaching will be providedfor all events.

Join us for the oldest MBCA national event!

For information and registration package, call Sue or John Morrison at 330-673-7885 or email gobenzing@aol.com. www.benzclub.org

Hosted by theWestern ReserveSection

Enjoy the friendship, camaraderie and hospitality ofthe Western Reserve Section. This is a great eventfor everyone from the novice to the expert driver.

MBCA

International

Gemütlichkeit:“The spirit of friendship and camaraderie.”

August 19-22, 2015Fun Activities for All

• Event Registration Noon to 5:00 pm

Thursday August 20th• Event Registration

• Defensive Driving

• Driving experience at Pittsburgh International Race Complex

Friday August 21st

Saturday August 22nd

Sunday August 23rd• Hotel Checkout

• Final Awards Banquet

Wednesday August 19th

• Mandatory Drivers Meeting 5:00 pm• Welcome Reception 7:00 pm

• Concours d’ Elegance

• Autocross

• Activities for non-driving registrants

• Driving experience at Pittsburgh International Race Complex

• Activities for non-driving registrants

• No Event Activities

Autocross Track driving experience at Pittsburgh

International Race Complex Concours d’Elegance Activities/Tours for non-driving registrants Awards Banquet

Welcome Reception

Pittsburgh Marriott North

(formerly BeaveRun) 3-mile sports car course.

Club of America National Event. It features

• Event Registration

• Event Registration

North and newly built South track of the Pitt

100 Cranberry Woods Drive

724-772-3700

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Wisconsin Section to Host Midwest Regional Defensive Driving and

Autocross EventOn Saturday, May 2nd, The Wisconsin section will host a regional DD/AX event in Brookfield, WI. This event is very similar to the event held here for the last several years. This event is open to all MBCA Members and their families. For more information visit their website at www.mbca-wi.org.

When: Saturday, May 2nd, 7:30amWhere: Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, WIRegistration: $50 for early registration, $25 for teens

•••

Pirelli World Endurance Series – Circuit of the Americas – March 6-8, 2015My weekend with Dragon Speed Inc. by Kevin Arburn

I missed the March breakfast meeting for an opportunity I could just not pass up: the chance to photograph the first race of the season for the Pirelli World Challenge series [PWC] sports car races at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. [COTA] During the previous two months I had corresponded with the team manager of Dragon Speed, Inc., Elton Julian, about the possibility of meeting up with him and his team AND their three AMG-SLS GT-A cars at the circuit, and a week before the event, he accepted. Elton Julian has an impressive racing pedigree: he has competed at international level over the last 20 years in both single-seaters and sports cars. He remains the youngest-ever winner of a British F3 race, signed

an F1 test driver c o n t r a c t at age 20, and claimed a podium finish in his first Daytona 24 Hours in 1995. He’s c o m p e t e d in both

the ALMS and Le Mans Series. Elton has also worked extensively as a racing instructor and driving coach, most notably in the Ferrari Challenge series, as well as preparing and managing winning entries in top-level kart racing. SO: I was really psyched to interview Elton and ask the obvious question: What would make a Ferrari guy switch to Mercedes-Benz?

Butler’s C & D Body Shop

5747 KesslerMerriam, Kansas 66203

Tel: (913) 262-9109Fax: (913 262-2828

Web: www.butlerbody.com

Continued on Page 8

Gullwings up in the starting lineup.

Heavy rain made the track even more challenging.

Butler’s C & D Body Shop

5747 KesslerMerriam, Kansas 66203

Tel: (913) 262-9109Fax: (913 262-2828

Web: www.butlerbody.com

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Friday was practice day, which meant that if I was going to get any quality time with the mercurial team manager, this was the day. I followed the team around and hung out in both their trailers and their garages at COTA and waited for Elton to slow down enough to talk with me. He was a gracious host and spread the word through the team that I was to have total access, which was more than I’d hoped for. With three AMG SLS cars in GT-A and also a Porsche GT3 cup car that the team brought to run in the Porsche Cup races that weekend, the garages were constantly active. I got to see all the pre-race prep, including alignment, corner balancing; the works. Very impressive stuff and the team members were equally impressive: they answered every question I had, dumb or not. I got to meet all three SLS drivers: Frankie Montecalvo driving #66, Eric Lux driving the #8, and veteran Heinrik

Hedman, driving the #10 with the crowd-pleasing “Evel Knievel” red-white & blue livery.

When Elton finally gave me the nod that it was time to sit down and talk, I asked some of the basic questions [how many on the traveling squad – 18; total Dragon Speed employees – 25] then got to the heart of matter: what made Dragon Speed, Inc. decide to field not one but three Mercedes-Benz SLS in the highly competitive GT ranks of the PWC? Elton was very candid in his comments both about the cars and working with corporate Daimler-Benz, but his decision basically came down to the cars: he liked the build; the overall quality of the SLS. They are well made. Sturdy. They don’t break easily like certain other makes that will remain unnamed. Then there is the power: the 6.2 liter motors actually have air restrictors installed to meet the specs for the class – so in effect they are tuned-down to comply with the power limitation requirements of the PWC series. Imagine what they could do under full power. Elton said that the AMG customer program is as good or better than those offered by F e r r a r i , Audi, etc.,

and he introduced me to David, a technical advisor sent by Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart to be on-site to consult and advise the teams that field the SLS in competition.

During all three days I managed to take over a thousand photos, but it was a grind. COTA is one HUGE track. Most of the professional photographers had rented golf carts from the track – an investment that was just not in the budget for me. I put a lot of miles on the Reebok’s

Continued from Page 7

Continued on Page 14

Paint job on the #10 was popular with fansDriver preparing to race.

Race prep in the garage.

Frankie Montecalvo drove the whole race w/o wipers!!

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Immerse yourself in the latest technical information, insightsand advice delivered by leading Mercedes-Benz experts.

Share your passion and connect with other Mercedes-Benzenthusiasts from around the world.

See more than 200 spectacular vehicles and experience theheritage of Mercedes-Benz, this year’s featured marque, atthe Ault Park Concours d’Elegance.

Explore and experience Cincinnati’s rich German history,including German-style breweries, architecture and theworld-famous Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

This year’s host hotel is the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Cincinnati Airport.For more information, including event registration, hotel reservations anda link to join the online StarTech Facebook community, visit the website: http://startech2015.mbca.org

To request StarTech registration information via postal mail, please call David Hagood at 513-404-8183. More Than a Car Club. We’re a Community.sm

MBCA’s Premier 2015 Event June 12-14, 2015

This year’s speaker line-up is excellent!Get updates and register today at http://startech2015.mbca.org

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Bosch Authorized Service

Kansas City’s independent Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Jaguar, Lexus,

Land Rover and Audi repair shop.

5400 Antioch Rd.Merriam, Kansas

66202

913-432-7800

Not just your average garage...

Refinishing Straightening

Remanufacturing

Eveland Bros. Collision Repair

• Vehicles restored to pre-accident condition• Expert color matching• Foreign and domestic

Call for an appointment

7200 W. Frontage Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66203 www.evelandbros.com

Certified Mercedes-Benz Collision Repair Center• Insurance claims assistance• Environmentally safe• Written limited lifetime warranty

• Factory trained technicians• State of-the-art equipment• Rental cars available

913-262-6050

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CoreFirst Bank & Trust was a major sponsor of the Mid-America Caravan in 2009

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Club to Display Cars at Kansas City Automotive Museum

The Kansas City Automotive Museum located in Olathe, KS has invited our club to place a display of six to eight cars in their museum during the month of November this year. The board is looking for a selection of cars that best rep-resent the Mercedes Benz brand and our club. If you have a car you would be willing to loan during November, please contact a board member and let them know. Your car does not have to be the perfect example of its class! We want to display a variety of cars, and share our enthusiasm for our cars with our community. If you haven’t been to the museum, check it out! The have a great display of cars which changes regularly and a lot of Kansas City automo-tive history.

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We look forward to meeting you soon at one of our events.

Monthly,

Third Monday6:30 PM

Willkommen New Members !

What activities would you like to do with your Benz friends in 2015? Contact a board member and let

them know.

Robert Kelm, Overland Park, KSMike Manzardo, Springfield, MO

Claude Perdue, Overland Park, KSJoe Whisler, Westwood,KS

March First Saturday Breakfast - Guest Speaker Chad Dearth

Saturday March 7th our guest speaker was Chad Dearth of KC Trends. As some of you may know, KC Trends specializes in custom wheels, along with many other customizations for cars and trucks. At KC Trends, they do sell tires, however they are also a recommnded in-staller for Tire Rack, and are happy to receive your new tires and mount and balance them for you. They can also do several different technology upgrades on older vehicles such as adding bluetooth capability to a vehicle that did not originally have it. Chad began his business as a senior in high school, in his parent’s basement. His enthusasim for custom wheels has turned into a highly successful business. This success has allowed him to share his passion for cars with others in the community by hosting “Fast Fridays” at the shop. Every other Fri-day during the summer everyone is welcome to bring their cars, of any type, age or style and display them and meet with others who share their interest. Chad ex-plained that this event has grown beyond his wildest imagination, really outgrowing the location. He hopes to take this in a new direction this year. When asked what new trends he sees coming, Chad says that white cars, with red wheels are likely to be something you will see more of soon. Also, forged wheels are now becoming less expensive, something to consider when shopping for a new set of wheels. Chad has always liked Mercedes-Benz automobiles, and plans to purchase the new S Class coupe. Hopefully we will see him again soon at one of our events.

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Uplift Organization, Inc. accepts donations of goods and funds. See the Uplift website at www.uplift.org for a list of needed items and how to donate them.

MBCA|KC Logo ShopOur section can now offer the Club Logo and special events graphics to be embroidered onto hundreds of different items ranging from T-Shirts to Polos, Jackets to Jerseys, and everything in between. Item(s) will be delivered to your mailbox or doorstep. And, every item purchased provides additional revenue to the section’s treasury to help fund the great events where you’ll be wearing your new “duds.”Head over to our website, www.kcmbca.org and click on Logo Shop.

during those three days and on Sunday I used every piece of rain gear that I had, but it was worth it. There are plenty of openings in the fences for photographers to use, but not all of them are easily accessible, especially when you have to balance time with the team vs. prime times for shooting during the practice, qualifying and race sessions. The PWC runs sprint races of 50 minutes each, which means no pit stops, just racing. The first race was on Saturday, where the #66 SLS driven by Frankie Montecalvo finished second, and one on Sunday, where the intense rain made set up difficult and while all three cars did not see a podium finish, they all scored points – a very important thing for the first race of the year.

As a photo excursion, I learned a lot on this trip. The Circuit of the Americas is a real challenge due to the vast expanse of the track itself and the considerable elevation changes. If there is a next time, I will be renting a golf cart…or a bicycle…something! While I’m happy with some of the photos I took, the real experience was being able to embed myself with an actual race team for the weekend. I got to see and feel things that the other photographers could not, and I also got to make some new friends along the way. Elton said that I would be welcome to join them again at any race, any time. THAT is something that means a lot to me – I hope to take him up on the invitation again sometime soon.

Continued from Page 7

Pitlane prep

NTB National Tire & Battery is offering a discount for KCMBCA members. Offer is only available at the 119th & Metcalf store. The new contact name at the 7333 West 119th St. 66213 store is Corey Ross - Manager 913.338.5030. Mention account number 9136608439 and your club membership to the salesman/service writ-er.

NTB Offers Discount to KC-MBCA Members

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15% off service for MBCA members

Breakfastisat9AMthefirstSaturdayof each month. Paradise Diner,

5501 W 135th St.Overland Park, Ks.

Smart phone users, scan this QR code to view our website instantly on your phone.

For the latest list of events,

visit our Web site at: www.kcmbca.org

What activities would you like to do with your Benz friends in 2015? Contact a board member and let them know.

Upcoming Breakfast SpeakersSpeakers are being lined up for upcoming breakfast meetings.

Check kcmbca.org for the latest information.

FIRST-CLASS MAILU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSHAWNEE MISSION, KS

PERMIT NO. 11319403 Hayes Dr.Overland Park, KS 66212

AprilApr 4 Breakfast Meeting 9:00am Paradise Diner, 5501 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS

Guest Speaker: Tim Gaughan - KCPDApr 5 No First Sunday Drive - Happy EasterApr 20 Spaßnacht 6:30pm Johnny’s BBQ, 5959 Broadmoor, Mission KS

Get there early and stop by KH Automitive, visit with Kevin and his crew!

MayMay 2 Breakfast Meeting 9:00am Paradise Diner, 5501 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS

Guest Speaker: No Speaker, Social HourMay 3 First Sunday DriveMay 18 Spaßnacht 6:30pm Salty Iguana, 8228 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS

JuneJune 6 Breakfast Meeting 9:00am Paradise Diner, 5501 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS

Guest Speaker: TBDJune 7 First Sunday DriveJune 15 Spaßnacht 6:30pm RC’s 330 E 135th St. Kansas City, MO

JulyJuly 4 Breakfast Meeting 9:00am Paradise Diner, 5501 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS

Guest Speaker: TBDJuly 5 First Sunday Drive