November/December 2009ALMS at Laguna Seca GGC 40th Anniversary Party November/December 2009 Die Flüsternde Bombe 1 322 N. 12th street sacrameN to, …

November/December 2009

This issue:VDC TourALMS at Laguna SecaGGC 40th Anniversary Party

November/December 2009 Die Flüsternde Bombe 1

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July 2,1969-2009 Golden Gate ChapterCelebrating 40 years of BMW enthusiasm in the Golden Gate region.

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

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

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

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

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for combined issues Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb). Article/photo submission deadline is the first day of each month prior to publication. Submissions go to the Assignments Editor at: [email protected].

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“The Whisper ing Bomb”

Volume 38, No. 10 NoVember/December, 2009

Die Flüsternde Bombe: On the cover

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

The Of f icial Magazine of the Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA

MAgAzInE Ad RAtES PER MOnth:

Club fans of the BMW Rahal-Letterman M3 team were treated to an exclusive BMW NA presentation at the team’s race tent.

Photo: Aleksey Kadukin

5 Across The Board6 Calendar Of Events8 Announcements19 Minutes21 News From National23 Rumble strip24 New Members25 CCA Discounts25 Factory Authorized BMW Dealers 26 Chapter Information

13 2010 GGC Board Candidate Statements

15 40th Anniversary PartyPhotos by Mary Sandkohl

16 Touring BMWs VDCBy Matt Visser, Photos Frank Cowan, and Trisa Visser

18 ALMS Comes To TownBy Pat de Witt, Photos Jeff Cowan, Pat de Witt, and Aleksey Kadukin


ACROSS thE BOARd

By Kyle Breton, Membership ChairBy Kyle Breton, Membership Chair

I t’s time for me to say goodbye—well, “goodbye” might be an inaccurate term. While I will always be a part of this Club, I’ve reached a point in

my life where I can no longer fulfill the duties of the membership chair position: With two little ones on the way, my weekly budget of motorsports playtime is in for a drastic reduction! But I hope that whoever takes over my position has as much fun as I’ve had working with you to improve our chapter.

I’ve been a member of the Club for about four years now, and have spent two of those years as the membership chair, attempting to help members find their way through the Club. During that time I’ve also become a huge believer in—and an instructor for—our fabulous car-control-clinic program. As I said in my first “Across the Board” column two years ago, “If you haven’t taken this program, please make the time to try it—and get your friends involved.” This program saves lives through educa-tion. And who knows? You might become addicted, like me!

Most of my time as membership chair has been spent trying to get more people in-volved with the chapter. My aim has been to show the people around me how much fun can be had with these 3,000-to-5,000-pound toys in which we spend so much of our lives.

Because you’re reading this, the odds are that you, too, have some natural passion for driving. I urge you to take that passion and turn it into a hobby. Come out for a driving tour, or sign up for one of our driving-school-program events. Our high-performance driving schools are taught by top-notch instructors—and your driving skills will benefit more than you can imagine. There are very few things in life that are more rewarding than mastering a skill like driving and taking it to a level that very few people—maybe 5% of the population—have ever experienced.

The BMW CCA has given me an opportunity to learn what my car is capable of. But our chapter would be very one-dimensional if all we did was drive; the social side of our group is strong, too. One of the most fun social events of the year is our annual Winter Party. It’s typically a gracious evening of good food and lively conversations among new and old friends. Look for the ad in this issue—and make plans to come out to this January 30 gala.

Another facet of our chapter is the opportunity for technical education. While our BMWs have safety systems that lead the industry and give you that secure feeling of confidence in real-world driving, accidents can still happen. Our November 21 tech session on insurance and collision repair at BMW Concord Collision Center may be something you want to check out to learn if you’ve got all the informa-tion you need in the event of an accident.

Other tech sessions involve tips on detailing or perfor-mance upgrades—after all, part of the fun in the automotive

world comes from trying to improve your vehicle. Finding out about these things through the chapter seminars is one way to learn; another comes from the interaction with other Club members at our various events. I’ve spent a

fair amount of time staring at parts of my car that most people don’t choose to think about—changing the brake pads, brake lines, tires, wheels, suspension, and other bits and pieces. One of the more rewarding parts of my Club membership has been the support of other members guiding me through some of these systems. I’ve made lifelong friends because I chose to get involved in the autocross, tours, CCC, and the social events—all in addition to my time on the board.

There is so much value to this Club that I can’t say it enough: Get involved! This is your Club, and I want to see you enjoy it. While my time as your membership chair is coming to an end, I’ll still be at as many events as I can, and will look forward to seeing you all out there!

Before I know it, there’ll be two little Breton girls attend-ing events in our friendly Club—learning their apexes at the CCCs, sliding through turns on the track, and hanging out with fellow gearheads to figure out how to squeak a few more horsepower out of that engine. Be sure to cheer them on. I know I’ll be there, hoping they aren’t too much faster than their old man.

Thanks for the memories, GGC!

“ I’ve made lifelong friends b e c a u s e I chose to get involved.”


CALEndAR Of EvEntS

Find the most current calendar atw w w.g g c BMwc c a .o r g

To add an event to the calendar, email your information to: [email protected]

Dates Event/Location Contactnovember

Nov 7 Top-Driver Shootout GG Chpt Marina Municipal Airport, Marina Matt Visser & Kris Linquist www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected] 10 Board Meeting GG Chpt GoKart Racer, Burlingame Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected] 13-15 Death Valley Tour LA Chpt Death Valley, CA Martin Hochman www.bmwclubla.org [email protected] 21-22 Willow Springs Driving School & Club Race LA Chpt Willow Springs Intl. Raceway Delight Lucas & Roger Scilley www.bmwclubla.org [email protected] 21 Tech Session: Insurance Collision & Repair GG Chpt BMW Concord Collision Center, Concord Aleksey Kadukin www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected] 21 SLO Pozo Tour GG Chpt Creston Dennis Harrold www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected]

decemberDec 8 Board Meeting GG Chpt GoKart Racer, Burlingame Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected]

January 2010Jan 30 GGC Winter Party GG Chpt Astaria, San Mateo Jeff Cowan www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected] 30 SLO Meet & Greet GG Chpt TBD Dennis Harrold www.ggcbmwcca.org [email protected]

August 2010Aug 23-29 BMW CCA Oktoberfest BMW CCA Elkhart Lake, WI Linda Axelson [email protected] www.bmwccaofest.orgBolded events are Regional or National CCA events


AnnOunCEMEntSBecome a GGc Fan on FaceBook

The Golden Gate Chapter has rolled out its new, of-ficial Fan page on Facebook and will be closing down the Group page. Become a fan and stay up-to-date on the latest chapter happenings—news, social events, and driving events. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/GGC-BMW-CCA-fan.

You can also subscribe to monthly email reminders for upcoming GGC events, delivered to your inbox at www.ggcbmwcca.org/?page=subscribe, or simply go to our web page and click on the “Receive Email Event Announcements” link on the upper right.

BmW cca DUeS IncReaSe

Starting November 17, 2009, the annual dues for membership in the BMW CCA goes up to $48. For all the details, read “News From National” in this issue.

Vote FoR GGc oFFIceRS

The election for 2010 Golden Gate Chapter board members is under way. Please take a minute to cast your vote at the GGC website. See the candidates’ statements in this issue.

top DRIVeR ShootoUt

The Top Driver Shootout is an invitation-only event for individuals who have attended at least three auto-crosses in our 2009 season. The event is limited to 60 participants—if we cannot fill the event with individuals who qualify, we will invite non-competitors to partici-pate. The Top Driver will be awarded the Fechner Cup.

A fabulous lunch from the famous Tarpy’s Road-house—the BBQ Round Up (buffet style)—is included in the TDS entry fee. If you have guests who wish to attend the BBQ, you may add their order when you register for the TDS. Guest BBQ is $20 per guest. Keep in mind that there will be no passengers allowed in cars at this event, but spectators are always welcome.

Check the GGC calendar page listing for full details of this event. Cost for this event is $50, which includes that BBQ lunch.

When: November 7, 8:00 a.m.Where: Marina Municipal Airport, MarinaContacts: Matt Visser & Kris Linquist,

[email protected]

Race YoU to the BoaRD meetInG

Join us for our November 10 board meeting. GoKart Racer will host us; this meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

When: November 10, 6:30 p.m.Where: GoKart Racer, 1541 Adrian Rd., BurlingameContact: Jeff Cowan, [email protected]

Death ValleY toUR

Join the LA Chapter for a weekend tour to the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. This is the ideal time of year to enjoy Death Valley, whether hiking, sightseeing, playing golf at the world’s lowest golf course, or just enjoying the warm-water outdoor pool.

Planned group activities include a tour of Scotty’s Castle on Saturday morning and brunch at the Furnace Creek Inn on Sunday morning. Visit the LA Chapter website (www.bmwclubla.org/calendar.php) for full details and registration information.

When: November 13-15Where: Death ValleyContact: Martin Hochman,

[email protected]

Santa cRUz moUntaInS toUR

We’ll have lots of fun traversing through plenty of twisty roads and majestic redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains! Member John Krautkramer has graciously volunteered to lead this tour. Meet at King’s Village in Scotts Valley at 9:30 a.m.—rain or shine. (Light rain, that is; heavy rain cancels the event.) Park next to Peet’s in front of Walgreens. We’ll have a drivers’ meeting at 9:45 and leave promptly at 10:00.

The drive will cover 115 miles and take about four hours. The tour will go along Highway 1, Highway 9, and Big Basin State Park, crossing through seven other state parks and three counties.

We’ll stop for an hour in Pescadero for lunch, where you can either bring your own picnic lunch or buy a sandwich at a good deli in town. The tour terminates near Felton Covered Bridge Park.

When: November 14, 9:30 a.m.Where: King’s Village,

230 Mt Hermon Rd., Scotts ValleyContacts: John Krautkramer & Mike Zampiceni,

[email protected]

tech SeSSIon: InSURance anD collISIon RepaIR

It’s bad enough when you’re involved in an accident on the road, but the surprises that crop up afterwards can really be a headache. This tech session is meant to prepare you so you don’t have any surprises with insur-ance and repairs.

We will have a couple of representatives from in-surance companies to handle claims questions and to explain the process of a claim. The topics on the agenda include the proper amount to be insured for, what to do in case of an accident, how to handle an insurance claim, and what to expect from your insurance company.

Kevin Miller, manager of BMW Concord Collision Center, will also discuss what they do, new BMW tech-nology, and what it takes to repair the new models.

The session is limited to a couple of hours. Refresh-ments will be provided. RSVP to Aleksey Kadukin, please.

When: November 21, 9:00 a.m.Where, BMW Concord Collision Center,

1321 Galaxy Way, ConcordContact: Aleksey Kadukin,

[email protected]

pozo toUR: San lUIS oBISpo aRea

Join us on Saturday, November 21, for a tour of the excellent driving roads in northern San Luis Obispo county. Our destination will be the town of Creston for a lunch stop, with the option to visit to some local wineries after that. Further details will be posted to the GGC site as the route is finalized.

When: Saturday, November 21Where: San Luis Obispo CountyContact: Dennis Harrold, [email protected]

la chapteR: WIlloW SpRInGS DRIVInG School

The second annual Monty Sidhu Memorial Driving Events Weekend is open to all; Club membership is not required. If you are eighteen or older, hold a valid driver’s license, and are insured, you may sign up to drive in any street-legal car.

Everyone needs continuing education. If you don’t think there’s anything left for you to learn, you’ll be surprised. It’s not about going fast; it’s about going safe.

Registration opens in September.When: November 21-22Where: Willow Springs International Motorsports Park,

Rosamond, CAContact: [email protected]

Race YoU to the BoaRD meetInG: lap II

Join us for our December 8 board meeting. GoKart Racer will host us again. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

When: December 8, 6:30 p.m.Where: GoKart Racer, 1541 Adrian Rd., BurlingameContact: Jeff Cowan, [email protected]

GGc WInteR paRtY

It’s a gala celebration with dinner, raffle prizes, guest speakers, volunteer-appreciation awards, year-end auto-cross awards, and the introduction of the 2010 GGC board.

Come warm up from the winter chill with your fellow chapter members! Join the fun as we celebrate

the events of 2009—and welcome 2010—at our popular Golden Gate Chapter Winter Party at Astaria Restaurant & Bar in San Mateo!

See the ad in this issue and watch the Web site for further details. RSVP and payment required via Motor-sportsReg.com or via mail. No onsite registration.

When: January 30, 2010, 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.Where: Astaria Restaurant & Bar,

50 E. Third Ave., San MateoContact: Jeff Cowan, [email protected]

Slo meet & GReet: 2010 plannInG

We’re getting together to discuss and plan our 2010 social events for the San Luis Obispo area.

When: January 30, 2010Where: TBDContact: Dennis Harrold, [email protected]

chapteR meRchanDISe

Looking for some holiday gifts for your favorite Bimmerhead? Our merchandise store has mugs, mouse pads, wall clocks, license-plate frames, and notebooks (whatever happened to the thongs?!). If you’re interested in jackets, polos, T-shirts, or hats with the GGC logo, visit our apparel store at http://ggcbmwcca.webstore.us.com/



Please show your support of the board by participat-ing in our election for the 2010 board members! Your vote lets us know that you support the efforts

of the chapter. You can either mail in your vote, or vote on-line at http://vote.ggcbmwcca.org. All votes must be in by December 15, 2009.

Make a clear mark next to your choice or write in a can-didate’s name and send this ballot to the address noted. Ballots without a member’s name and membership number will not be counted. Associate members are eligible to vote.

President write-in candidate

Vice President Donna Seeley

write-in candidate

Secretary Aleksey Kadukin

write-in candidate

Treasurer Tamara Hull

write-in candidate

Membership Ian DunnChair

write-in candidate

GGC BMW CCA1608 W. Campbell Ave #254Campbell, CA 95008

membership number

name

Online voting is quick and easy at: http://vote.ggcbmwcca.org

GGC 2010 Election Ballot

Dear GGC Board Members:While I have been a car nut my whole live, I only recently

made the step up to a BMW and driving nirvana. A poster of a E46 LSB M3 has been on my wall since it debuted in 2001 with the phrase, “We looked perfection in the eye and perfection blinked”, and I couldn’t agree more. Since becom-ing a GGC member, I have been more and more impressed with what the club has to offer. After helping out with some recent volunteer work and chapter meetings, I have an increased interest in taking a more involved roll within the club. The position of Membership Chair seems like the best fit on the board given its goals and responsibilities.

Working on the social media marketing strategy for the club has been both engaging and rewarding. Two weeks into the Facebook transition we have increased our fol-lowing by 50+. The ultimate goal is to reach all the GGC BMW CCA members and potential members to provide an engaging platform that attracts them to club activities. Using figures from Gartner Research that estimate 50% of the online US population is on Facebook, we still have an additional 1500 + audience base to gain. I look forward to helping manage the new Fan page and aligning a Twitter strategy with our club’s goals.

Using social media combined with existing and traditional marketing channels, there is a good case for increasing membership by increasing awareness of GGC activities within the BMW community. Given the natural social aspects of a “club”, networks like Facebook and Twit-ter provide the perfect platform for engaging member’s interest. Increasing the value of club events is even more important given the recent economic uncertainty.

Regarding promotion responsibilities, I have a working understanding of car dealerships and already regularly visit them to check out new models. In my free time, I consult with friends and family in the area on car purchas-ing decisions and will often accompany them to facilitate negotiations and provide honest assessments. During high school I worked at a VW/Suburu dealer and got a solid understanding of how they operate. Combined with my experience with professional engagements in the IT indus-try, this seems like a responsibility I can fulfill.

If elected to the Membership Chair position, I would draw from my past experiences and current ambitions to promote the interests of the GGC. My goal is to increase membership rates and awareness of club activities by using social media techniques in collaboration with other board members and area representatives. Thank you for the consideration and let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,Ian [email protected], 253-797-0273

Our chapter position of president for the 2010 GGC board is open.

If you’ve ever considered being a board member, please contact us with any questions you may have. Thank you. [email protected]

Dear Golden Gate Members,

I would like to ask for your vote as GGC Secretary in the upcoming election. I joined BMW CCA in 2003 and have been an active club member ever since. I participate in almost every kind of event available for our members: car control clinic, autocross, high performance driving school, tours, social meetings and technical sessions. For the past two years I have served as the GGC Technical Session Coordinator. I have met hundreds of great people at these chapter events and many of them have become my friends. I always enjoy the Board Meetings and want to be part of the team that is running the best BMW CCA chapter in the country! I promise to do my part as Secretary by keeping our members up-to-date on Board meetings with timely and accurate meeting minutes that keep the communica-tion between our Board, chapter members, and BMW CCA National highly interactive.

Thank you for the support!

Aleksey KadukinMember #315286

I’ve been Treasurer (really, just a glorified bookkeeper) for six years in a row now. I’m willing to keep doing it, for life even, if you want me to. Please vote for me for Treasurer once again.

Tamara Hull

My name is Donna Seeley, and I am running for the office of Vice President.

You may recognize my name from my terms as Member-ship Chair and Secretary. I’m also an instructor at Car Con-trol Clinics, Street Survival Schools, and Driving Schools, and the editor of the Cars of GGC calendars.

I’ve missed being on the GGC Board. This is an exciting chapter, and I enjoy being part of the team that makes it run smoothly.

I hope you’ll give me your vote!

President: OPen

Vice President: dOnna seeley

treasurer: tamara Hull

secretary: aleksey kadukin

membersHiP cHair: ian dunn

GGC Board of Directors 2010 Candidate Statements

Voting deadline is December 15, 2009.


We had an anniversary party in September at LeMans Karting in fremont!

happy birthday, golden gate Chapter!Photos by Mary Sandkohl


I like looking at cars—new cars in particular. When I drive by a dealership, I find myself wanting to cruise through, looking at all the

new cars on the lot. I just want to see which cars and color combinations are sitting out there waiting to be bought. Sometimes I get out of my car to look around and gaze at the interiors of the cars, too. This happens more often in autumn when the new cars arrive. I love noticing the year-to-year changes; maybe it’s a brand-new model, a major refreshening, or maybe something as subtle as the mirrors being a slightly different shape. It all seems to attract my attention.

Lately I’ve noticed that my wife, Trisa, has been making sure she keeps me talking and distracted as we drive by the dealerships. I suppose it is similar to distracting your dog so he doesn’t catch sight of the squirrel standing behind him—keep him focused on something else so he doesn’t scamper off in all directions. Very clever, that Trisa—but I’m on to her now. My desire to see new cars will not be denied!

So when I read the GGC announcement that the San Luis Obispo area group was going to have a tour of the BMW Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC) in Oxnard, you can imagine what thoughts raced through my head. All

cars destined for sale in the western region are brought into the U.S. at Port Hueneme—a small port town between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Then they travel a little over a mile to the VDC for prep before being transported to the dealerships. Sounds exactly like the kind of place I want to visit, doesn’t it? But since it was a Friday event, it meant taking a day off of work for both me and my wife. However, the promise of a weekend in the Santa Barbara wine country sealed the deal for her.

Most of the SLO-based members met in Santa Maria on the morning of August 7 and caravanned down to the VDC in Oxnard, about 100 miles away. We had arrived the night before, so we met the group in the VDC parking lot. The center’s quality manager, Christine Haws, welcomed us all and ushered us past the gate and into the VDC building.

The first vehicle we saw sitting by the door was the new X6 M. The X6 styling has proven to be very polar-izing—you either love it or hate it. To me, the M version’s more aggressive appearance makes it better-looking than the regular X6; any time a vehicle has wider tires, more aggressive bumpers, and more horsepower than all but a few Ferraris, it has my attention! An SUV—oops, I mean SAC (Sport Activity Coupe)—is not normally my thing, but 500-plus horsepower is something I think I would enjoy. Sadly, my request to test-drive any of the cars at the VDC was turned down.

Inside the building, we are introduced to our other tour leader, Sam Williams, a body-shop specialist—and a car guy who loves his job. Then I look over in the corner and spot a gaggle of brand-spanking-new Rolls-Royces! They’re in their own little parking section; apparently they’re not al-lowed to socialize with the common BMWs and Minis that

are happily commingling in the building. There are about a dozen Rolls parked together—about $5,000,000 worth of exotic machinery just sitting there. That’s stunning!

Later, in a different section of the building, we see another cordoned-off section with more Rolls-Royces in a wide variety of colors (unlike the earlier white ones). The real looker is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé—called a convertible by us commoners. It’s bathed in a gor-geous blue velvet color with a matching blue soft-top and a dazzling aluminum hood. More than one person has their pictures taken in front of that car.

Then Christine and Sam decide to split us up into two groups so we’ll have a more personalized experience. Trisa and I are in Sam’s group, and we head outside to a large two-story parking structure. New cars are everywhere I look; scattered across the lot are countless new Z4, X6 M, and 7 Series models. Sam tells us the facility can house more than 3,000 vehicles. Fantastic! I stare… and possibly drool a bit.

Cars designated Priority One (P1) are clearly marked. P1 cars are pre-sold; each has an owner waiting. These are tended to first, and are in and out of the VDC in a couple of business days. Cars destined for dealership lots are lower down on the list.

Outside in the lot, the cars are staged to enter the build-ing. They are carefully examined and tested. The interiors are scrutinized, batteries are tested, and the entire body is given an equivalent of a physical exam—without the turn-your-head-and-cough part, I imagine.

I do have one piece of bad news for those of you who—like me—have proudly proclaimed, “My car has never been through an automatic car wash!” Well, I’m sorry to disap-point you, but all these cars go through an automatic car wash prior to entry into the building for detailing. I will

have to amend my proclamation to, “I have never taken my car through an automatic car wash.”

Once cleaned and inside, the vehicles are given a hard-core visual inspection. Any defect in the paint, such as a scratch or a dent, is clearly marked with painter’s tape. Down the line, a technician—with what appears to be a collection of medieval tools—works out any dents. Appar-ently, his magical skills makes dents vanish like they never existed. Then the car is polished and buffed to remove the superficial surface scratches on the car. If there are still problems in the paint, then extra attention is given by ad-ditional detailing; if necessary, this may progress into a trip to the paint shop.

The paint shop is an environmentally-controlled area. On one wall are paint samples for every color BMW has made for the past few years. These are not just paint samples provided by the factory, but ones made by the VDC paint shop. “The same formula of paint will look different, de-pending on how it cures,” Sam explains. “If it cures on a hot day, it will look slightly different than if the same paint was cured on a cold day.”

The VDC paint crew is meticulous when it comes to matching a car’s color. They’ll take a car out into the sun and compare the swatches, looking for an exact match. If they don’t find one, then they make their own blend until it matches the color on that particular car. That paint color will then become its own swatch—with formula written on the back—to be added to the next matching process. I noticed only a few Alpine White and Jet Black samples; my 135i is Sparkling Graphite, and I counted at least a dozen custom-paint samples in addition to the standard BMW samples. Now I fear getting into an accident and having the 135i painted by a shop that doesn’t give my car the same level of attention that the VDC paint shop would.

November/December 2009 Die Flüsternde Bombe 17

By Matt visserPhotos by frank Cowan and trisa visser

BMWs... IncomIng!

Continued on page 28

November/December 2009Die Flüsternde Bombe18 November/December 2009 Die Flüsternde Bombe 19November/December 2009Die Flüsternde Bombe18

GOLDEN GATE CHAPTER, BMW CCA BOARD MEETING MINuTES

By David CrumSecretary, GGC BMW CCA

MInutES

GGC BMW CCA Board Meeting: 2009-09-08

Board members in attendance: Kyle Breton (membership chair), Mark Dadgar (member

at large), Kelly Collins (member at large), David Crum (secretary), Bob Goebel (vice president), Tammi Hull (treasurer).

Board members not in attendance:Jeff Cowan (president)

Other members in attendance:Mike Zampecini. (social-events director), Ken Glidewell

(SF area rep), Canyon Chen (CCC co-coordinator), Mary Sandkohl (East Bay rep), Derek Arnold.

Crum was stuck in traffic, Collins is calling him as he walks into the room at 6:45 p.m.—now the meeting can finally begin. Fifteen minutes seems like a long time when you’re sitting in a conference room at a go-kart track. Meeting is being held in a the conference room at Go Kart Racer in Burlingame. Big tables, plenty of seats, no piped-in pop music; we may have found our new home!... until one of the board members finds something to dislike, of course.

6:50 p.m. meeting called to order by Goebel, now that someone is here to type the minutes.

Treasurer report (Hull)

Chapter is doing okay, just at break-even. Festorics will turn a small profit, which is great. Still some outstanding bills for Thunderhill. Dadgar and Hull go over some of the minor details of the driving-school budgets to figure out why there is a mismatch between expenses and income. (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is playing in the background—are we lost in some time warp?) [No, that would be the Rocky Horror Show. kk] Dadgar thinks the difference might be the Club Racing school, Hull has records that prove otherwise. The actual numbers will be compared to the event budgets to account for the discrepancy.

Truck: Chase is now our bank (was Wells Fargo). The branch manager told Hull that no loans would be done before late October, and they may not do commercial loans at all. Jonathan Bensen is supposed to be getting loan/buyout info from the bank holding the lease. A lease bill was issued for September—the bank doesn’t know what’s going on. The truck is worth about $16,000, the chapter wants to buy the truck so the chapter actually has credit and the truck is not the responsibility of any one individual. (Now “Working Man”from Rush…”Always seem to be wonderin’, why theres nothin’ goin down here.”) Goebel will go after Benson to

see what is going on and get this sorted. Goebel is truly the working man Rush’s Geddy Lee is singing about.

Driving Events (Dadgar)

Dadgar quips, “We have them.” Next autocross is at Great America as a test. There are issues, but it is closer to where many members live. If this goes well, it might be repeated. The site contact is different than for Marina, and they expect to see copies of all the signed waivers. Collins will take care of the waivers.

Infineon has 26 registered, need 88 to break even. A Club race at Infineon needs 22 to break even, but only 18 racers have said they’d make it—reality is that only 12 would make it to the track with a running car. If the race is canceled, the school will be expanded back to four groups.

(Pizza guy walked in the door and asked if we had ordered pizzas, told us they were here, but left no pies. Goebel had to bring them in and is visibly irritated by the pizza dude’s lack of professionalism. Didn’t he go to Domino’s University?)

Next year: Infineon for Spring and Fall, Thunderhill for summer. and maybe Laguna for one or two days. But the track costs are quite high at Laguna so that is not a foregone conclusion.

Car-control clinic: next one is at Marina—not sold out, but there is time. Candlestick has changed their parking lot by adding a lot of barriers. If we return, all the exercises will have to be completely reconfigured for that lot. Chan and Goebel think it will work. If only Marina is used for CCC, the number of events may be reduced due to the distance from the chapter-member geographic center.

Membership Chair Report (Breton)

Breton is not here.

We make fun of him for exactly twelve minutes. Fifteen would be rude.

East Bay Rep Report (Sandkohl)

The September 24 “Meat & Greet” in Pleasant Hill is still on. A few people have signed up; it should be a good one.

Sandkohl says the food is all taken care of for the chapter 40th anniversary party this coming weekend: BBQ truck, fancy cake, and everything.

Secretary report (Crum)

Minutes have been recorded and submitted. Signed waivers are being collected.

A s the BMW Rahal Letterman racing team headed for Laguna Seca for the tenth and final round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series, the Sacramento and Golden Gate chapters

were intent on providing a venue for BMW CCA members to cheer those pumped-up M3s on to victory. It all started with a suggestion to me from GGC prez Jeff Cowan that BMW NA “might” be able to fund a chapter-organized corral at the October ALMS race.

We had only five weeks to put it together, but the prospect of the opportu-nity to meet and greet the drivers and see the cars of the BMW Rahal Letterman GT2 team prompted both chapters into action. GGC treasurer Tammi Hull figured out how to work it into the chapter budget, and both chapters fired off chapter-wide email notices, while the national office helped tremendously with a regional-focused emailing as well.

The result of that effort was successful beyond all expectation! By seven on race morning, the main part of the corral was already filled up; at nine, there was an unbroken line of BMWs coming down the hill, waiting to be placed—and an hour later, the dust had settled to reveal a sea of well over 100 BMWs neatly parked together thanks, to the GGC parking crew. Members had come from as far as Washington and Arizona; one car even had New Jersey plates. Even BMW NA had brought the latest M X5 for us to examine! In addition, examples of every tuner’s best work were on display for all to enjoy.

The shade of our hospitality tent provided the central point for our raffle of the donated Cool Carbon brake pads and Big O Tires goodies. Then, just after noon, we got our marching orders—and march we did! The BMW team had invited us to a special presentation in the pits.

As I led the group of 75-to-100 people, I spotted driver Boris Said, so we paused to chat with him and get some autographs. The former PTG BMW driver was driving a Ford that day, but he sent a message with us to deliver to BMW: “I’m ready at a moment’s notice to drive those lovely BMWs!”

“This season has reinforced the notion that racing is at the heart of BMW, especially the M Brand,” said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America’s mo-torsports manager. “Our team has met thousands of enthusiasts this year, and we look forward to saying hello to our old friends at Laguna Seca. Nothing would please us more than to honor the support we’ve received from the entire North American BMW family than to add one more great 2009 result.” —BMW Press

By Pat de WittPhotos by Jeff Cowan, Patt de Witt, and Aleksey Kadukin

ALMS Comes to town



nEWS fROM nAtIOnALFestorics was a greater success than many had predicted.

The BMW CCA national office is very interested in taking on a greater role with the event and helping it to grow into some sort of Oktoberfest West. The Festorics team has had a meeting to discuss the future of the event. Some of the team members are interested in getting a similar event going at the June Wine Country Classic vintage car races at Infineon. Crum will be stepping down from the event team after this year.

Tours: A number of people are stepping up to put together tours. Crum has a tour-leader’s guide which will be submitted to Dadgar to be added to the Ops Manual to aid other members who want to lead a tour or two. There are a few tours remaining on the calendar for the year.

Communications (Collins)

Bombe: suggestions for new topics include member profiles (collectors, restorers, instructors, racers, etc.). Could be done as a template of questions and a photo request. Positive responses from around the room. Also, a Years Past sort of thing (items from Bombes of 10, 15, 30 years ago).

News From National: national is asking chapters to name dealerships in our region which have been supportive of the Club. They will be given a certificate of recognition. Board suggests both Stevens Creek and BMW SF by unanimous vote.

Chapter congress will be in Dallas, March 5, 2010. Some board members will need to go… none have volunteered, force may be required.

Club logo standards from BMW AG have changed—meaning chapter logos must change, too. We might have a contest to get chapter members to submit . But the new logo would have to meet the BMW Club International standard. Deadline to change to the new standard is December 2010.

(Hey, more Rush! this time “Tom Sawyer”… “He knows changes aren’t permanent, but change is.”)

Discussion of changing the online version of the Bombe from PDF to some Flash, HTML—something more dynamic. No conclusions, the board seems divided on whether or not PDFs are easy to use—Luddites prefer paper, apparently.

Eblast: next one will be the regular chapter one and will feature the 40th-anniversary party, which is this weekend. Also need to drum up more attendees for

the October CCC. No tweets will be made. Collins does not tweet. Ever.

Five minutes of heckling “twits” ensues.

Social events (Zampecini)

Winter Party: Blackhawk Museum has made a nice offer to get us to return there for our 2010 party. Cowan, Collins, and Zampecini are working on a plan that would be a brunch rather than a dinner. The other alternative is Scott’s Seafood for a dinner event. Hull proposes we skip this year, Crum seconds, Dadgar thirds. (Sammy Hager “Feel the Noise” or some such song sets the mood for the debate). Collins suggests that we move the event to a restaurant where the per-person cost is well under $50—Dave and Buster’s in Milpitas is mentioned as a contender. We may not skip, but we really shouldn’t do a brunch. Goebel insists that we keep the momentum going and have an annual awards event. The rest of the board reluctantly agrees, except for Dadgar who is buried in his iPhone. Whatever happens, it must be decided by the end of this month. Collins will have the discussion with Cowan.

Elections: October issue of the Bombe has the call for candidates, should be in mail boxes in a few weeks. There is also a call on the Just Racing forum. We still have no candidate statements. Come on, people!

Other social events: BMW NA thinks it would be great if we have a corral at the Monterey Festival of Speed (ALMS at Laguna Seca). They are offering to sponsor the corral monetarily. Laguna requires a minimum amount of tickets and parking passes be purchased in advance to secure the corral. After a prolonged argument—er, discussion—the board proposes providing funds for the deposit, if they are paid back. The chapter will also provide advertising through an eblast and mention it on the website.

(It’s now 9:10 p.m., Sandkohl has left. The meeting is grinding on and on and on.)

Hull motions to support the event, without funding it. Goebel seconds, Crum and Dadgar vote yes. Motion passed.

Goebel proposes having all board members review the ops manual and discuss the potential changes at the next meeting. All board members reluctantly agree to bring their redlines in.

Meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

MInutES: COntInuEdFROM: Frank C. Patek II, Executive Director October 2009Oktoberfest 2010: Elkhart Lake and Road America!Mark your calendars: Oktoberfest 2010 will kick off on

Monday evening, August 23, in Wisconsin. Once again, we’re gathering at a historic track; racing began on the roads of Elkhart Lake in 1950, using local roads à la Watkins Glen, and the Road America track opened five years later. Almost unchanged in half a century, the four-mile track is among the longest tracks in North America—and nestled in the Kettle Morraine, it is certainly one of the most scenic motorsports venues in the world. (Besides, Road America’s track food is considered a gourmet delight; the German-Scandinavian heritage of the region guarantees great brats and beer!)

Our Oktoberfest closing banquet is slated for Friday, August 27, followed by BimmerMeet II on Saturday. In ad-dition, we will have bonus track days on Saturday, August 28 and Sunday, August 29.

The host hotel is the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake—and reservations are now open at 800 876-3399. See you at Road America!

A little good news: Membership decline... seems to be declining: While we’re crossing our fingers, the Club’s rate of decline seems to be holding steady—and slightly better than last month. While we’re down 5.26% over a two-year span, the good news is that our annual loss has improved to 4.4%. As I’ve said before, in these chaotic economic times, perhaps we can even derive some comfort from leveling out at a rate that could be much worse.

Of course, we would rather not lose any members, and we are constantly looking for ways to bring in new enthusiasts to “the best damn car club in the world.” But at least the loss of members seems to be a trickle instead of a stream. Unfortunately, due to declining membership as well as a decrease in advertising and sponsorship revenues, the BMW CCA has been forced to implement a dues increase for regular membership. The cost of an associate membership will remain at $10, but the cost of a primary membership will go up to $48; this way we hope we won’t have to raise dues for several years. The good news: The rate increase

won’t go into effect until November 15. You can renew before then at the old $40 rate!

Reminder to members: BMW CCA dues go up on November 17: :The following letter was e-mailed to every BMW CCA member with a valid e-mail address. We encourage chapters to send a copy of this letter by e-mail—or a similar one—to their members and encourage them to take advantage of our current rates to extend their memberships before the increase goes into effect.—FP

2009 has been an eventful year—and that may be the kindest thing we can say about it! The economy has been tough for anyone involved in the car business, and that includes BMW CCA. One thing we can be thankful for, however, is that 2009 is drawing to a close—and we can all begin to look forward to a better 2010.

However, this year will not end without having left some indelible marks on our Club.

Downward economic pressure has affected our mem-bership numbers nationwide. Membership is down more than five percent from our high just five years ago. Corpo-rate sponsorship and Roundel advertising revenues have dropped significantly this year. While Roundel did benefit from a decrease in the cost of paper, it suffered from yet another increase in postage. Individually, these items could have been ridden out with minor damage; but bound to-gether in a single year, and they became a perfect storm that regretfully requires a course correction.

With the rising cost of membership recruitment and retention increasingly being borne by the national club, the need for a major upgrade of the website and database, and the uncertainty of sponsorship and ad revenues, it is now more important than ever that we find the financial resources necessary to move into the future. In spite of pain-ful staff cuts and a reduction in the page count of Roundel, the Club continues to face a potential budget deficit of more than $300,000. A better-than-expected return on the

BMW CCA Dues Increase

Rates 06/01/04 - 04/30/08 Rates 05/01/08 - 11/16/09 New Rates Effective 11/17/09

Membership Type Dues Dues Dues

1 Year Primary 40.00 40.00 48.00

1 Year Associate 5.00 10.00 10.00

2 Year Primary 76.00 76.00 91.00

2 Year Associate 10.00 20.00 20.00

3 Year Primary 112.00 112.00 134.00

3 Year Associate 15.00 30.00 30.00

5 Year Primary (new rate ) (new rate ) 220.00

5 Year Associate (new rate ) (new rate ) 50.00

Life 760.00 760.00 1,000.00

Life Associate 105.00 155.00 155.00


RuMBLE StRIP

By Mark Dadgar

annual raffle and a last-minute increase in memberships could reduce that deficit, but we can’t count on such luck; the long-term health and viability of the Club demand ac-tion sooner, rather than later.

After lengthy discussions, the BMW CCA Board of Directors has reluctantly concluded that a dues increase is the only way to avoid drastic cuts to our member services—including Roundel Magazine, insurance for various CCA driving events, and cash rebates to our chapters. Therefore, as of November 17, 2009, the BMW CCA will institute a dues increase of $8 for a one year primary membership. The fee will hit all primary membership levels—one-year, two-year, three-year, and a newly added five-year membership. Life Membership will increase to $1000. However, associate members will not see an increase in fees.

You may recall that our last fee increase was in 2004 and at that time a one year membership went from $35 to $40. So why are your dues going up $8 five years later?

Well, in order to have kept pace with inflation, as pro-vided by the Consumer Price Index (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl), our current fee should be $45.73. After adjusting for inflation, $8 turns out to be a modest increase, to ensure financial stability, improve our operating systems, grow the Club and not come back to you with another increase a year from now.

Where do your membership dollars go? A one year membership fee is broken out the following way; $15.30 goes to your local chapter and $15.00 helps pay the cost of producing Roundel. That leaves $9.70 for the Club to fund

administrative costs, chapter congresses, regional events, Oktoberfest, promotional activities, and any other costs as-sociated with running “the best damn car club on the planet.” (Note: multiple-year membership discounts are absorbed by National and are not passed along to the local chapter.)

Between now and November 16, I encourage you to take advantage of our current rate structure by renewing your membership early—perhaps for several years. Because our current website and database will not allow you to change your membership type—that is, changing from a one-year to a multiple-year membership—I urge you to click here for a downloadable membership form that you can fax (864-250-0038) or mail in. Or you may also call the national office, and someone will be glad to assist you with any change you might like to make. Oh, by the way: rates for Premier Membership remain the same, making it a better value than ever before!

With our lineup of events, one-of-a-kind activities, local chapters, and membership benefits, the BMW CCA remains the one and only venue and value for the true BMW enthusi-ast. A one-year subscription to Bimmer magazine—that’s only eight issues—costs $19.99. BMW CCA Members get twelve issues of Roundel, plus programs like Premier Membership, Member Rewards, a personalized affinity Visa card, car insurance—using original BMW parts—and dealership dis-counts, guaranteeing a return on your investment far greater than $48. Only the BMW CCA brings those benefits to you and to potential members every day of the year.

Want to save $48.00? If you apply for the BMW CCA Rewards Card before 11/16/09 and are approved, you will have your membership extended by 1 full year*. Once you make qualifying purchases with your new BMW CCA Rewards Card totaling $100 within the first 60 days of account open date, Partners First will cover the renewal fee.** There has never been a better time than right now to renew your membership! Not approaching your renewal date? Not a problem. If you qualify for this offer, Partners First will extend your membership by one full year—at no cost to you. Apply Now before 11/16/09.

If you already have the BMW CCA Rewards Card, re-member that you can always redeem your Rewards points for a cash back statement credit to cover the cost of your membership fee, or redeem directly for a free membership renewal--and keep the cash in your pocket!

I hope you continue to recognize the Club as your gate-way to everything BMW—and that you always feel free to share with me your questions, comments, and concerns. And along with the entire national-office crew, and Satch and the Roundel gang. I remain grateful for your support.

Frank C. Patek, IIExecutive Director

*This offer is valid for new BMW CCA cardholders through the links in this email promotion only. Not valid for existing BMW CCA cardholders. This promotion is offered and administered by PartnersFirst. Expires 11/16/09.

** It is the responsibility of the member accepting this offer to prevent any potential lapse in membership while waiting to qualify.

the men anD Women BehInD the cURtaIn

A s predicted, 2009 has been a challenge for the GGC BMW CCA driving-events program. Event participation is down across the board,

program costs have continued their relentless climb up-ward, and we continue to struggle to attract volunteers.

The bright spot in all of this gloom has been the continued hard work and dedication of our long-time staff members.

The autocross crew of Matt Visser and Kris Linquist—aided by a cast that included Jason Sams and Rodger Ball—continued to uphold the high standards of the autocross program. They even added a convenient new venue to the mix: Great America in Santa Clara!

Bob Goebel, car-control-clinic czar extraordinaire, led his team of co-coordinators, Canyon Chan, Paula Williamson, and Grant Low, to continued glory. After five car-control clinics and one teen Street Survival clinic in one year, the legend of this series continues to grow. It’s become the foun-dation of the entire GGC driving-events program.

The high-performance-driving school program held four events in 2009, led by chief instructors Peter Vinsel and Billy Maher, and registrar/co-project manager Kelly Collins. The team mixed it up a little bit this year, though, by featuring a well-received Club Racing school during the Spring event at Infineon. Then they included a full-on Club Race at the Thunderhill event in August, the first combined Club-race-and-driving-school in Golden Gate Chapter history. As someone who finally raced again at that event, I can assure you that it was a raging success, and much fun was had by all—racers and students alike. Sadly, there wasn’t sufficient demand to host another Club race at the autumn Infineon school, but we are hopeful that racers will return to our program in 2010.

On the positive side, our chief instructors have com-pleted two years of discussion and planning by integrat-ing the latest in GPS-based data acquisition—courtesy of a partnership with Gorman Motorsports—to the November Infineon school’s A-group classroom cur-riculum. We look forward to expanding and refining this program in 2010.

As always, no thanks would be complete without a nod to the cast of characters who inhabit the unseen sup-port roles at our events. Track stewards Peter Guagenti and Jeff Stowe braved both 100-plus-degree heat and pouring rain to keep us safe on the track. Terra Conlon was joined by old friend Will Howe—freshly relocated from the East Coast—in his duties as Chief Trailer Wran-gler for driving schools. Terra and Will also took over as equipment managers from Michael Do Couto, who served the chapter ably for most of 2009 and has moved

on to other duties in the autocross program. Pat Madigan held onto his title of assistant registrar and chief caterer for the driving-school program, making sure students had packets—and (more importantly) the instructors had food. And dozens of other people stepped in when necessary to help us with the small, yet vital issues that crop up when putting on a program of this size. With an annual program budget comfortably over $200,000, it takes an army to keep the wheels greased and the mechanism running.

It’s safe to say that we are taking a very conservative approach to 2010, given the ongoing economic uncer-tainty and our desire to avoid bankrupting the chapter in our relentless pursuit of track time. We have decisions to make that often involve a trade-off between volunteer effort and money. If you feel the need to contribute some time for the benefit of your fellow Club members, please contact me. We would love some help.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2009 GGC driving-events program one of the premier pro-grams on the West Coast. We’ll see you in 2010!

Mark Dadgar thinks the GGC driving-events team is the best around. He currently serves on the board of the Golden Gate Chapter and as the driving-events coordinator. As punishment for that, they make him set driving school prices and write a column for the Bombe. You can reach him at [email protected]


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BMW ConCorD 1945 Market Street Concord, CA 94520 925 682-3577

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

BMW of Monterey One Geary PlazaSeaside, CA 93955 831 899-5555

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

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

BMW of Santa Maria 2150 South College DriveSanta Maria, CA 93455 805 614-0306

ClariDge’S BMW 4421 5 Auto Mall CircleFremont, CA 94538 510 360-5900

CoaSt BMW 1484 Auto Park WaySan Luis Obispo, CA 93405 805 543-4423

eaSt Bay BMW 4350 Rosewood DrivePleasanton, CA 94566 800 505-4801

Peter Pan BMW 2695 S. El Camino RealSan Mateo, CA 94403 650 349-9077

PreStige BMW 2800 Corby AvenueSanta Rosa, CA 95407 707 545-6602

Sonnen BMW 1599 E. Francisco BlvdSan Rafael, CA 94901 415 482-2000

SteVenS Creek BMW 3737 Stevens CreekSanta Clara, CA 95050 408 249-9070

WeatHerforD MotorS 735 Ashby AvenueBerkeley, CA 94710 510 654-8280

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

Please contact us with any deletions to the list due to a company being out of business. We ask that additions, changes, or deletions (no longer participating in discount program) are requested by the business owner directly. updates should be directed to: [email protected].

Independent Service & Supply discounts

2002 Haus San Luis Obispo 805 541-2002 5% PartsAuto Analysts Castro Valley 510 582-0201 10% LaborAuto Concierge Fremont 925 852-1962 10% off quoted full detailBavarian Enterprises Sunnyvale 408 737-6100 Various PartsBavarian Motorsport Milpitas 408 956-1662 10% PartsBavarian Professionals Berkeley 510 524-6000 10% LaborBavarian Tuning Santa Rosa 707 575-3757 10% Parts/LaborBerkeley Motor Works Albany 510 528-1214 10% LaborBimmers BMW Service San Carlos 650 591-2474 VariousBMW Performance Driving School Spartanburg, SC BMWusa.com 20% off driving programsCatalpa Street Garage Santa Cruz 831 464-2269 10% PartsClassic Euro-Asian Oroville 530 534-6887 10% PartsConversion Techniques Oakland 510 639-0911 VariousDiablo Motors San Ramon 925 830-4269 10% Parts/LaborDinan Engineering Mountain View 650 962-9401 10% LaborDinan Engineering Morgan Hill 408 779-8584 10% LaborDouble 02 Salvage Hayward 510 782-2002 10% Used PartsEdge Motorworks Dublin 925 479-0797 10% Laborevosport www.evosport.com 888 520-9971 10% Parts, $1000svc=free dyno

Extreme Performance San Jose 408 923-640410% Parts/LaborGerman Auto Santa Maria 805 922-1262 10% PartsGS Tuning Santa Rosa 707 284-2680 10% Sales/ServiceHeynneman European San Rafael 415 499-1234 $50 off ServiceJam Engineering Monterey 831 372-1787 Various PartsJohn Gardiner AutomotiveSan Francisco 415 777-2697 10% LaborNate Smith’s Optimal AutoSanta Cruz 831 476-1332 10% PartsM Service Walnut Creek 925 932-8744 10% Parts/LaborMilt’s Service Garage Vallejo 707 643-7548 10% Parts/LaborPatelco Credit Union www.Patelco.org 415 442-6200 Special OfferPhaedrus San Francisco 415 567-8000 10% PartsPerformance Art Gilroy 408 848-6325 10% Service/LaborPortola Valley Garage Portola Valley 650 851-7442 10% LaborRennWerks Campbell 408 370-7480 15% LaborRossi’s Tire & Auto Service Salinas 831 424-0011 VariousSAS German Auto Pleasanton 925 846-4886 10% PartsSchulba BMW Service Belmont 650 592-7352 10% Parts ordersSound Innovations Hayward 510 471-9062 10% PartsTrack Star Racing Mountain View 650 961-2350 10% Parts/LaborValley Motorwerks Rancho Cordova 916 636-9526 10% Parts/LaborVanguard Motors San Francisco 415 255-8450 10% LaborWest Bay Bavarian San Rafael 415 457-0820 10% Parts/Labor/Dinan work

dealership discountsBMW of Fremont Fremont 510 360-5900 10% Parts & LaborBMW of Humboldt Bay McKinleyville 707 839-4269 10% PartsBMW of Monterey Seaside 831 899-5555 10% PartsBMW of Mountain View Mountain View 650 943-1000 10% PartsBMW of San Francisco San Francisco 415 863-9000 10% PartsEast Bay BMW Pleasanton 800 505-4801 10% PartsPeter Pan BMW San Mateo 650 349-9077 10% PartsRoseville BMW Roseville 916 782-9434 10% PartsSonnen BMW San Rafael 415 482-2000 10% PartsStevens Creek BMW Santa Clara 408 249-9070 10% Parts & LaborWeatherford BMW Berkeley 510 654-8280 Various

Welcome!nEW MEMBERSLast First City Model Year Refered ByLast First City Model Year Refered By

Addis Richard Novato Aitken Christopher Berkeley M3 Cabrio 2002 Alexander Peter Solvang 328is 1999 Ali Yasmin Saratoga Z4 2008 Alparaque Val San Leandro M3 2006 Arnoldussen Mark San Carlos 540i 2001 Arriaza Frank Boonville 328 Aslaner Kivanc San Leandro 318is 1991 Barrie Stephen San Jose 328Ci 2000 Barton Cheryl Santa Clara 330CiC 2001 Bayot Armel Walnut Creek 330Ci 2002 Bench Jonathan Saratoga Birang Manoocher Los Gatos Blair Chuck San Jose 745Li 2002 Boeggeman Lorraine Saratoga 540i 2000 Bortolotto Mitch Santa Rosa Caglar Levent Dublin 545i 2004 Cahill Potts Benicia 528i 2000 Cain Edward Fairfield 328iC 2009 Canha Michael Santa Clara 540i 1995 Carrico Andrew Oakland Carrillo Brenda Morgan Hill 330i 2003 Carver Paul Sonoma M3 1999 William MaherCastro Manolo San Jose 530i 2001 Chambers Laurence Burlingame 328i 1995 David BaconChen Jason San Jose M3 1999 Cohn Marc Albany Curley James Los Altos Hills Dang Calvin San Jose X5 2005 Davidge Andrew Los Gatos M3 1995 Davidson Christopher San Leandro M5 1988 De Souza Evelyn San Francisco Kelly L. CollinsDirkes Katie Santa Maria Dolton Douglas Mill Valley 318iC 1991 Duncan Patrick Santa Clara 330CiC 2001 Duran Daniel Seaside 530i 2001 Gerard VogelDykes Ross Fremont Jag XJ-S 1984 Benjamin GrolErb David Sunnyvale 528i 1999 Eslambolchi Ali San Jose 530i 2001 Eversole Benjamin Castro Valley Feldman Alan San Jose 328i 1997 Fernandez Ed San Jose 750Li 2007 Ferrel Hector Santa Rosa 325i 1993 Flemming Robert Redwood City 335i (E93) 2009 Foley Michael Novato 3er (E93) 2009 Giaramita David Petaluma M3 2009 Gilmore Trevor Petaluma Z4 3.0 2003 Goldgruber Ron Concord X3 2007 Gonzalez Jericko South San Francisco Gray Chris San Rafael Greenlees Andrew Monterey 328Xi 2009 Justin HsuGriffith Jeffrey Walnut Creek 328i (E90) 2009 Hanson Ricky San Jose 325i 2006 Haroon Justin San Francisco Heintzberger John Salinas 330i 2006 Hession Samuel Redwood City Hill Robert Santa Rosa Holley Trevor San Carlos Hong Insik Saratoga 740iL 2001 Hood Robert Castro Valley 325Ci 2004 Hung Hung-jen San Jose 335i 2008 Hutchison Stephen Alameda M5 00 Hyer Janet Nipomo Iseman Ben Morgan Hill 323is 1998 Allan MyersIshida Glenn San Mateo Iverson Jon Healdsburg 3.0CS 1972 Jardine Mark San Jose 335i (E90) 2008 Jew Christopher San Francisco Johnson Dan Sonoma M3 2001 Joma Antony San Jose 840ci 1997 Joshi Shantanu San Mateo Kaldani Ryan Los Gatos 2002 1973 Kampmeier Art Dublin 323i 1999 Kao Michael San Jose Kehrli John Mountain View David CrumKhan Salman Santa Clara M3 2003 Kindberg Pieter Alameda 325is 1993

Kirkland J. Ennis Redwood City 528i 1998 Kelly Kirkland Knowlton Chris Nipomo Koep Michael San Ramon M3 2003 Kuhn Joe Watsonville Eclipse 2002 Kelly L. CollinsLan Mason Sunnyvale M coupe 1999 LaPlante Mary Mill Valley Paul E. MallettLawler Donna Cupertino 740iL 2000 Ley Douglas Santa Cruz 540iT 2001 Liao Catherine San Francisco Liao Dongwei Belmont 325is 1987 Loh Henry San Ramon Lu Kevin Albany 745i 2003 Maas Ronald Santa Maria 330i 2006 Charles RobertsonMakowiec Melissa Mountain View Malyugin Vyacheslav Los Gatos Marcone John Oakland 335i (E90) 2007 Mavor Gregory Sunnyvale Michael Jon Livermore X5 2001 Miranda Erik San Mateo M3 1995 Christopher BrillMuller Mary Lafayette 530i 2002 Michael HellerNagel Bryan Monte Sereno X535d 2009 Nguyen Dan Milpitas 530i 2002 Northup Brian Monterey M3 (E90) 2009 Oehlschlaeger Karl Aromas 335i (E92) 2007 Oh Jennie Oakland 328 1997 Palani Sendil San Francisco M3 1997 Panlilio Ryan Monterey Randy SchuylerParimi Krishna San Jose 740i 2000 Paris Maxwell San Mateo Pavone Kern Redwood City M3 1998 Pazos Fred Lafayette Michael HellerPledger Kenneth San Rafael 528e 1986 Plovnick Lee Santa Clara 528i 1997 Polanco Luis San Jose 530i 2002 Prasad Madhukar Pleasanton 535i 2010 Purta Billy Newark Reddy Ryan San Francisco 135i 2009 Reyes Michael San Mateo M3 2002 Rhein Jacob San Carlos Robichaux Paul San Jose 650i 2009 Roque Nick San Francisco Rychkov Andrey Carmel 530i 2004 Scampoli Tommy San Francisco 325i 1991 Schear Todd Concord M3 2008 Schexnayder Mark Oakland 325is 1995 Scuncio Joseph San Jose X5 2001 Sevcenco Vladimir San Francisco 330Ci 2005 Sheridan Phil San Jose 528i 1999 Skinner Doug Alameda 540i 2002 Smith Michael San Jose M3 2004 Smithers Edward San Carlos 330Ci 2002 Sun Jane Mountain View Sung Justin San Francisco M5 2001 Tarakanov Mark Foster City M3 2009 Tehrani Hamid Palo Alto 330i 2006 Trafton Beth Alamo 528i 2008 Tran Quang Daly City 2002 1970 Vaughan Bradley Cupertino M3 2005 Vigdal John San Jose Z3 1998 Vijayaraghavan, Ramasamy San Jose 740i 2001 Viotti Ray San Carlos Voorhees Irma San Ramon Wang Lan-Chih Mountain View Wardle Greg San Francisco M3 2009 Weeks Curtis Salinas Widmayer Steve Clearlake Oaks Wong Jeffrey S San Francisco 328i 1999 Wood Phil Salinas M5 2006 Gerard VogelWu Samuel Cupertino 330Ci 2005 Yang Helen San Francisco Yee Leland Antioch M5 2006 Yeung Jason Fremont 135i 2008 Yun Galen San Francisco Zarnegar Rodney San Francisco M3 2003 Zea Rick San Jose 545i 2005 Zhong Raymond San Francisco M3 2003


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

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

The BMW Car Club of America, lnc. is a not-for-profit national association of over 70,000 members, dedicated to the enjoyment of driving BMWs. Membership is not limited to BMW owners and aims to provide access to driving and social events, maintenance and technical information, parts discounts, and more. Dues are $40 per year, with an associate member added for $10 more. Members receive the monthly Roundel magazine and a newsletter from their local chapter, or from a chapter of their choice. The Golden Gate Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the BMW CCA with over 4,300 members.

For a new membership or to renew an exist-ing one, please call toll free 800 878-9292 or visit www.bmwcca.org. Visa and Mastercard accepted.

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PRIvACy StAtEMEnt

Board Members

ggC BOARd [email protected]

PRESIdEnt Jeff Cowan 650 322-4938 x2 [email protected]

vICE PRESIdEnt Bob Goebel [email protected]

SECREtARy David Crum [email protected]

tREASuRER Tamara Hull [email protected]

MEMBERShIP ChAIR Kyle Breton 510 573-4894 [email protected]

MEMBERS-At-LARgE Mark Dadgar [email protected] Kelly Collins [email protected]

Event Staff

ChIEf dRIvIng InStRuCtORS Billy Maher 707 546-5572 Peter Vinsel [email protected]

ChIEf StEWARd Peter Guagenti [email protected]

tRACK SChOOL PROJECt MAnAgER Kelly Collins/Mark Dadgar [email protected]

dRIvIng EvEntS COORdInAtOR Mark Dadgar [email protected]

ChIEf SCRutInEER Ramon Le Francois 408 956-1662

CAR-COntROL CLInIC COORdInA-tORS Bob Goebel, Canyon Chan, Grant Low, and Paula Williamson [email protected]

AutOCROSS COORdInAtOR Kris Linquist / Matt Visser [email protected]

AutOCROSS CAR CLASSIfICAtIOnS Rodger Ball 415 566-1239 [email protected]

tEChnICAL SESSIOn COORdInAtOR Aleksey Kadukin [email protected]

CLuB RACIng Mike Mills [email protected] www.bmwccaclubracing.com

BMW fEStORICS COORdInAtORS David Crum / Jeff Cowan [email protected]

SOCIAL EvEntS dIRECtOR Mike Zampiceni [email protected]

ChARItABLE EvEntS COORdInAtOR Joe Fant [email protected]

ChAPtER InfORMAtIOn

Bombe team

EdItOR-In-ChIEf Kelly Kirkland 650 400-9300 [email protected]

ASSIgnMEntS EdItOR Open

AdvERtISIng MAnAgER Percy Chow 925 323-4844 Cell 925 215-3547 Off [email protected]

Ad BILLIng MAnAgER Tamara Hull [email protected]

REguLAR COntRIButORS Jonathan Bush, Mark Dadgar, and Dennis Harrold

PRIntIng Commerce Printing

Requests for replacement or extra cop-ies of the ggC newsletter should be directed to the membership chair.

Communications team

COMMunICAtIOnS MAnAgER Kelly Collins [email protected]

WEBMAStER Mark Dadgar [email protected]

gRAPhIC dESIgn Percy Chow www.percydesign.com

Area Representatives

nORth BAy Open

SAn fRAnCISCO Ken Glidewell 415 345-3128 [email protected]

EASt BAy Mary Sandkohl 510 530-4871 [email protected]

PEnInSuLA Kyle Breton 510 573-4894 [email protected]

SOuth BAy Kris Linquist 408 392-0890 [email protected]

MOntEREy BAy AREA Michael Do Couto 831 455-0890 [email protected]

SAn LuIS OBISPO AREA Dennis Harrold 805 266-9214 [email protected]

BMW CCA Pacific Region v.P. Steve Johnson 858 451-8906 [email protected]

The site of our large group arriving certainly got the attention of the photographers atop the BMW transporter; BMW’s team rep, Bill Cobb, asked, “How many members did you bring me?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “maybe 75 to 100!”

Bill’s eyes got really big. Someone was quickly dis-patched to the Dunlop tire transporter for more bright yellow hats to give to us.

BMW NA’s Matt Russell—a BMW CCA Club racer him-self—introduced Martin Birkmann, BMW NA’s motorsports manager. He in turn introduced the drivers—along with a report from the year’s campaign. Then he announced the best news of all: They will be back next year! That news was met with thunderous applause.

At the end of BMW’s presentation, they fired up one of the M3s inside the tent. It was a dramatic moment, as they brought the car to life with the glow of its headlights first—as if to wake up—and then cranked up the beauti-ful noise of that awesome beast. After the symphony, our large throng lingered near the tent for autographs, then wandered around the pre-grid just before the race.

When it was time for the race, we were back our Turn 5 hospitality area, lining the entire 100 feet of fence, waving and cheering during the pace laps. In the second lap, un-fortunately, Bill Auberlen’s and Joey Hand’s car suffered catastrophic engine failure, ending their race. A little while later, the second BMW M3—driven by Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller—suffered the indignity of being shoved off into the gravel in Turn 2, flattening a tire. Everyone rushed into our tent to the to watch the live-feed TV—provided

ALMS Continued from page 18


November/December 2009Die Flüsternde Bombe28

If there happens to be a more heavily damaged car, the VDC does complete body-shop repairs, too. They can do ma-jor repairs like welding and even frame-straightening. Cars with this kind of damage cannot be scrapped, as they have a value in excess of the damage, so they are repaired. All repairs that require this level of attention are disclosed to the dealer. However, a car requiring repairs that exceeds three percent of its value will not be sold as a new car. It will instead be used as a company car for a few thousand miles, then sold at auction with full disclosure of the repairs; in fact, all repairs are disclosed to the dealers.

We saw one car in the shop with dents all over it; puzzled, we asked Sam about it. He explained that it’s a training car; the VDC uses it to teach employees all different kinds of repairs. The teacher hits the car in various

spots with a hammer; the students are then taught how to remove each type of dent. This is repeated until the students can remove dents so well that you can’t tell the they were even there in the first place.

Before I knew it, the tour was over, but my stomach did seem to be complaining. The group took a late lunch at

Yolanda’s Mexican restau-rant, a nice little place right by the water, with views of the boats docked at the marina. Sam and Christine were kind enough to join us. I thought they might be sick of hearing our questions, but they were just as happy to talk to us about cars at the end of the day as they were at the beginning. Sam and I discussed the merits of hard-top versus soft-top

convertibles, comfort access, and the 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine. I guess the VDC just naturally attracts car people!

Lunch ended, and those from San Luis Obispo took the long way home, opting for a spirited drive in the twisties run-ning around the top of Santa Barbara. Since Trisa and I had our plans already set for the next two days—driving in Santa Barbara wine country and a top-down run back up a sunny Pacific Coast Highway—we said our goodbyes to the group.

SLO area rep Dennis Harrold did a great job organizing the event, and the VDC hospitality was outstanding—thank you! For a guy like me who loves seeing new cars, this was one of the highlights of my year. Weekends like this are a good reminder of why I bought a BMW!

BMW vdC tour Continued from page 17

by Big O tires!—to see what had happened. The BMW was able to limp back to the pits and get the damage fixed, ultimately scoring a sixth-place finish. Many members stayed to the bitter end, long after the sun had set and the fog had rolled in, to cheer on the lone BMW to the finish.

With the Milner/ Müller team placing third for the season in the drivers’ championship, the BMW Rahal Letterman team has come a long way from two DNFs at the first race of the season at Sebring. We hope that 2010 will be their year on the podium after working out all the bugs in 2009.

Thank you to our sponsors, BMW North America, Cool Carbon brakes, and Big O Tires for helping us produce one of the highest-attended race-corral events ever. Mark your calendar for May 22, 2010, when ALMS returns to Laguna Seca for a six-hour enduro!

ALMS Continued from page 27

Golden Gate ChapterBMW Car Club of America909 Marina Village Parkway, #189Alameda, CA 94501www.ggcbmwcca.org

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Want to join the Club? Call 800 878-9292 or go to www.bmwcca.org and sign up for only $40.

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November/December 2009ALMS at Laguna Seca GGC 40th Anniversary Party November/December 2009 Die Flüsternde Bombe 1 322 N. 12th street sacrameN to, …