April 97

As many of you know, BMW’s national ad agency is Fallon McElligott right here in Minnesota, so your editor asked me to give you an update. As you can imagine, it’s getting harder and harder to break through in the automotive category. Nissan, Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes are all out there with expensive new campaigns.

BMW TV ads, of course, are not aimed at those of us in the club. They are aimed at a segment we’ll call "emerging enthusiasts"; people who love to drive, but think their own car is hot stuff and wonder what all this talk about the Ultimate Driving Machine is all about.

TV has to strike a responsive chord with this person. Often, it’s an emotional rather than rational message aimed at getting BMW on the short list of dealerships people will actually visit when they start to shop. (We desperately hope you like BMW’s advertising as well, but if you’ve already paid your club dues, you’re in contact with BMW in channels far more efficient than the tube, or even magazine ads, for that matter.) Let me tell you about spots that break this spring.

liter Z3: Don’t Let Love Pass You By. Naturally, BMW wanted to make sure this great engine upgrade didn’t get lost in the publicity about the SLK and Boxster. The success of last year’s James Bond Z3 launch suggested that a little boy-girl adventure seemed appropriate. The storyline called for some very

fancy driving and breathtaking roads. Our heroine loses her brakes on the family truck, and as it careens down a mountain road our hero rescues her in his Z3. Vic Doolan, who heads BMW in the U.S., had previously held the same post in South Africa and knew exactly where the spot could be filmed, Chapman’s Peak, just outside Capetown. The economics of film production today make it a very international business. An amazing number of our TV spots are done outside the country. Imagine, in this case, trying to get the California Highway Patrol to block a couple of scenic miles of Highway 101 for two days of stunt shooting.

AST: Escape on Ice: Two issues drove this project. First, the business issue. AST is now standard on all BMWs, and that’s big news - especially in this part of the country. Secondly, the creative issue. We wanted to do a spot that beat last year’s very popular AST story where a slipping and sliding penguin is rescued by a 325. The creative challenge this time, is that we are now talking about the

whole line, not just one model. So the story is about a freighter that suddenly finds itself trapped in the ice. A shipmate pulls out the manifest and notices that the cargo hold is full of BMWs. The crew lowers the cargo door and drives (gleefully and enthusiastically) across the ice fields to safety. Incidentally, there was some gleeful and enthusiastic ice driving at the first ever BMW club winter driving school in February. AST works.

So by the luck of the draw, we had one crew on location in the beautiful countryside of South Africa, and another crew standing on the ice at -30 degrees wind-chill off the coast of Finland. (We wanted to shoot in Duluth, but, believe it or not, it was cheaper in Eastern Europe. Colder too.)

There’s yet another spot in production. Come to think of it, that one is about a BMW coming to the rescue as well. More about that one next time. Actually, the real theme of all these spots is the joy of driving the world’s most responsive car. It all boils down to responsiveness. What other cars do well, BMW does brilliantly. That’s the message we’ll be trying to get across in all our work. Not in an arrogant way, but in a charming, inviting way. So, if you find yourself talking to an "emerging enthusiast", I hope you’ll do a little missionary work for BMW as well.

The Northstar Chapter BMW CCA Autocross school last July showed me an exhilarating way to have fun in my car, increase my understanding of the car’s capabilities and improve my driving skills. I recommend an autocross school and participation in an autocross event to everyone regardless of driving skill, age, sex, political affiliation or planet of origin.

At an autocross school and during an autocross we practice skills that improve our everyday driving. As I drove home from last year’s event and observed drivers sharing the freeway with me, I realized that the school and event gave me new confidence in my abilities to deal with "situations" on the road and made me more at ease. The school preceding the event coupled with the autocross itself gives lots of "seat time" and the opportunity to experiment in a safe environment. Driving is a learned skill like most all other skills in life and there is no substitute for practice and coaching.

An autocross is usually set up in a large parking lot without light poles, curbs, etc. The course is defined by plastic/rubber cones (similar to traffic cones) with sweeping curves, "S" curves, short straights and switchbacks. It is open ended, meaning there is a pre-stage area, start line, the course and the finish area including run-out space. The course is designed with safety in mind as well as to provide a challenge to driving skills. As a participant at an autocross you will be assigned to a "run group" and during the event your group will be scheduled to drive, work the course and rest. There are various classifications for cars at an autocross which will be explained at the school.

Car clubs have several types of driving events in addition to autocrossing. Touring is a drive on back roads ending with a meal or destination, Gymkhana is a fun special event involving gimmicks and passenger participation, high speed driving schools at race tracks or safety schools and Club Racing round out the typical driving events organized by car clubs. The Northstar chapter participates in most of these except for Club Racing. (More on that later). Autocross schools cost about $25-30 with performance driving schools in the $125-250 range. An autocross costs about $20 to enter. I plan to autocross a lot this year because of the low cost and the access to Canterbury Downs where many of the autocross events are held.

The Porsche Club is having an autocross school and event on May 17-18 (registration in this issue of the Bavarian, or call me at (612) 823-3482). The Northstar Chapter’s autocross school and event will be August 9-10. The BMW school is $30 and the autocross event is $20. See you on the course!!

1] 530, 54, 740 & 840 cars produced before 10/93. Poor idle quality on the V8 motors has been addressed in a TSB #11 01 94 (3951) from BMW advising a change in the exhaust cam timing to reduce valve overlap. This new setting is to be used any time that the cam’s timing is adjusted. This new setting should improve idle but I wonder if there will be a tradeoff in engine performance. If anyone has had this modification done on their car, I would like to hear from them.

2] E-proms. One of the most asked questions has been on the benefit of after market computer chips. To answer this, it may be best to explain the Motronic DME used by BMW for it’s engine management system.

The DME (Digital Motor Electronic) computer takes a large quantity of information on operating conditions including engine load, Rpm’s and temperature. It then converts this to the signals for ignition timing and fuel injection based on preprogrammed characteristic maps modified according to the inputs from all of it’s sensors.

These maps must also take into account that any grade of gas may be used and the lowest level of maintenance must still provide safe conditions at these settings. The after market tuners assume that performance minded owners will use premium fuel and maintain their cars properly. This allows for subtle changes in these maps to make dramatic improvements in drive-ability with increases in horsepower and torque. I have found the improvements in performance from a well designed chip to be the biggest gain for the buck that you can do.

3] So you jump started your BMW, and now your ABS light stays on. Yes it could be the wallet depletion light (you should have read my article on jump starting in the last newsletter!) or it may not be so bad. On cars built before 1988 the ABS had a voltage protection relay designed to fail before damage is done to the control unit. On later cars the relay is eliminated and an internal fuse in the control unit has blown. This is bad news since it is not a separate part. I have read of a "fix" for these but have not had the chance to try it yet.

4] On the subject of brakes: When doing brake work you don’t want to send the old brake fluid back through the ABS or master cylinder where the dirty fluid can cause grief. The best way I have found to prevent this is to wedge the brake pedal down a couple of inches to close the ports in the master cylinder, then open the bleeder screws on the calipers and push the pistons back into their bores. This will expel the old, dirty fluid instead of pushing it back up the system where it can cause damage. This is also a good way to change hydraulic components in the brake system without having the master cylinder drain out, saving time and effort when bleeding the brakes.

I you have questions, comments or advise you would like to send my way, contact me at Orr AutoService, 6621 Cambridge St., St. Louis Park, MN. 55416; phone 612-922-1797, fax 922-8067, e-mail orr.auto@juno.com

Hello, let me introduce myself, my name is Chris Orr and I’m the vice president of Orr Autoservice, independent BMW specialists. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many of you through our association with the Club’s performance driving events, most recently as an instructor at the Ice Driving School. I’ve been asked to write a little something about my family’s involvement in motorsports, so here it goes…

At Orr Autoservice we have a rich history of sports car racing dating back to the late 1960’s. My father, Jerry Orr, campaigned a series of Austin Mini Coopers successfully from 1968 into the early 70’s, later switching to Datsuns and Formula Fords. My brother Terry and I grew up as racing brats, endlessly traveling from track to track. One of the highlights was the summer of 1972, when Jerry acted as team manager for the Twin Cities based "Collins Electric" Trans Am Racing Team. If you’re a racing buff you may recall that 1972 was still the "golden era" of Trans Am Racing. The series was populated with factory teams from Ford, Chevy and American Motors. But interest from the Big Three was waning and some of the "name" drivers were moving up to Can-Am, F5000 and USAC Indy cars. Our team had purchased the series championship winning car from the previous season. It was the Roger Penske owned ’71 AMC Javelin driven by Mark Donahue, quite an impressive pedigree at the time, monumental at present. Terry and I traveled to all of the races that year and hung out with the big guys. Our driver, Bill Collins, went on to win the rookie of the year honors that season. An amazing experience for a ten year old kid and a summer I’ll never forget.

It’s not hard to believe that my brother and I started racing in our teens. Terry won his first championship while still in high school. In the 80’s our racing team, Orr Autosport, was sponsored by Volkswagen of America. We concentrated on the Canadian/American Ice Racing Series, winning back-to-back championships in ’88 and ’89, beating factory teams from Honda and John Menard’s Shelby powered Dodge Omnis along the way.

In 1990 we returned our attention to Road Racing. Terry focused on sedans. He currently races a Mazda Miata R in the Sports Car Club of America National Series. At present I have a VanDiemen Formula Ford that I race at the National level. Also, I’ve taken on a new challenge this year. I’ll be racing a "Legends" car every Wednesday at Raceway Park in Shakopee. I’d encourage all of you to come out and sample a little circle track racing. It’s great entertainment for the whole family.

If you’ve been to Orr Autoservice you have probably noticed that it’s a little different. It has evolved into a bit of a motorized clubhouse. We generally have an eclectic mix of equipment hanging about. Of course we love our BMW’s, my family owns two M3’s, an E36 318is and a beautiful 2002tii. You are just as likely to see a Ferrari Testarossa, a couple of race cars as well as Vespa Scooters. If you haven’t visited us yet, please stop by anytime to walk through and see the place.

Orr Autoservice prides itself on our tradition of excellence. With the same location for 13 years, we’ve established ourselves as the real deal. It’s in our blood. RPM=BMW=ORR.

There are a lot of words about driving schools in this edition of our paper. My words are going to be short and sweet well, short. Let’s get the male/female balance a little more balanced!

I’ve participated in a "man’s world" from the summer I graduated from high school by picking a career that was largely populated by men. Then, as the technical computer arena began to be as much a place for women as men, I decided to join a company in the construction materials industry. Again, I am in a "man’s world."

Now, understand that I like men as much as many women do, but there’s a lot that we of the fairer sex (sorry, ladies) can learn by giving ourselves permission to experiment with fun!

I’ve attended three performance driving schools (one at Road Atlanta, one at Second Creek near Denver, and one at B.I.R.) and have learned a great deal at each one. I’ve learned lessons that have made me a safer, more confident driver. I’m better prepared for the unexpected and better able to respond to the unexpected. And, quite frankly, it’s a great feeling of freedom and power to be in control of a marvelously engineered car doing exactly what it was engineered to do!

I’d like to see more women join us in this "man’s world" of driving schools. Last fall at B.I.R., we had, I think, two women Debbie Norrbohm and me. Last spring there were three Debbie, Ms. DOT, and a woman in a very fast Porsche. (I worked that school I didn’t drive.) The Winter Driving school saw three of us, too Ms. DOT, Paula Thompson, and me. I think we can do a lot better than that can’t we? If I missed any women who were at the events, I apologize.

I heard, third hand, that one spouse said she would have come to our last event if she could be assured that at least 30% of the students were women. PLEASE we won’t get to 30% until we’re willing to raise the bar from 10%!

If anyone out there has the slightest little inkling that maybe they would sort of possibly like to try this, but need some encouragement some questions answered someone to understand their fear and hesitancy CALL ME. I will do all I can to open for you a world of fun and excitement and safety.

I personally believe that driving is a privilege, not a right. Education and training are our only assets when we license a driver and place them behind the wheel of a vehicle. A driver develops skill and technique through practice. Classroom training is beneficial in many aspects, but I found driver training is most effective when accomplished through hands-on instruction.

As an instructor, primarily with law enforcement personnel, I stress technique. Smooth steering, smooth braking, and smooth acceleration give you a safer vehicle. Does this expertise happen overnight? No.

Professional driving takes time, practice and self discipline. My lectures always begin with, "How do you define defensive driving?" There are a variety of definitions but my students were made aware of the following concepts: always expect the unexpected, never assume the other driver will always do the right thing and stay alert - driving is a full time job. The most important thing is ATTITUDE! Another personal belief is that "attitude" is often lost somewhere between the classroom and when the vehicle is placed into gear.

Today vehicles are built with anti-lock brake systems, traction reduction systems, airbags and collision avoidance systems to reduce the personal injury level. There is a false sense of security among drivers that vehicles equipped with these devices allow them to drive faster, tailgate and take risks that may take their lives. There it is again, ATTITUDE!

Once a good attitude has been developed, technique may be learned. First, Newton’s Laws of Physics need to be applied. Drivers need to know their vehicle can work for them and visa versa. Physics plays an instrumental role in how a vehicle responds. For example, when cornering, if the input (acceleration) is greater than the output (braking) the result will be a skid. An individual needs to brake in a straight line, before the turn, reduce the power, and use the accelerator to "power out" at the apex of the turn.

Steering is important because you cannot "jerk" the steering wheel. The vehicle will become very unstable due to the weight transfer. A good 9 and 3 or even a 4 and 8 hand position will reduce the risk of jerking the steering wheel and never let your hands pass the 12 and 6 o’clock mark. Besides hand position, I teach "shuffling" the steering wheel, not hand over hand or arm over arm. I also teach drivers to anchor the heel of their right foot to the floor of their vehicle. This makes for a much smoother transition from the accelerator to brakes which lessens the abrupt stabbing of the brake pedal and too quick acceleration.

One final comment, a driver needs to see the big picture. This means seeing everything around them: pedestrians, vehicles, weather and road conditions and animals. Pay attention to the differences between day vs. night driving also. Driving is a full time job. If you don’t think so, your technique and your ability is lost.

Mary Lou Cludy is a training development specialist for the Minneapolis Police Department. She develops courses and teaches them, including behind the wheel defensive and high speed driving. She previously taught Sheriff’s deputies in Dakota County. Next issue she will raise the speed limit and talk about the high speed side of her work.

I joined the BMWCCA initially for the mysterious "Driver’s Schools" mentioned prominently in the literature. I thought perhaps it would lead to my discovery as a late blooming Jacques Villenuve. Alas, I haven’t had to change my phone number to fend off all the agents and Indy, oops, I mean CART, teams calling for my services. Even though I have found many other activities and benefits of belonging to our club, I still get most excited thinking about the upcoming Spring and Fall sessions at Donnybrooke, sorry I mean BIR. Having put in many laps now over the last few years I can safely say the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how much there is to be learned about our car’s capabilities and how little we get to realize those qualities in our daily driving, but even more importantly how much the idiot behind the wheel needs continual improvement. Enough said about education. What does it take to run at a Northstar Driver’s School?

First and foremost SAFETY is paramount. You must have an approved helmet, you are allowed to share with anyone but not simultaneously. Before any track event your car will be inspected at a session well in advance of the driving school to allow you time for any unexpected repairs to make your car fit for the rigors of the track. Make sure your car is in top physical condition!

I highly recommend oil and brake fluid changes at a minimum. Pads are not necessary, but you’d be amazed how much pad you’ll use coming down from velocities upwards of 120-130 mph to make the hard right-hander at turn three that some of our cars are capable of. Not required, but something to consider are a set of the new DOT approved kevlar/teflon stainless brakes lines to increase pedal feel and minimize flexing as your brake fluid temps rise.

I really should have mentioned tires as the ultimate first item of safety. BMW’s come stock with better than average rubber. Still there is always room for improvement. I’m not sure if the club rules stipulate it or not, but, I would strongly urge an upgrade to Z, V or the new W rated tires. H compound would be a minimum in my mind. Even though your car may never reach the speeds these ratings provide, the control and temperature capabilities afforded by these designs provide an extra margin of safety. If you really become hooked, like I have, it won’t be long before on track days R compounds on a spare set of wheels is in order. Suffice it to say your tires are the most important link.

Besides the mandatory helmet and maintenance items on your car there are some things that can make your time at the track easier. I use driving gloves to minimize the adrenaline sweaty palms that I’m prone to. Also, if your interest grows in doing more track sessions or if you just want the added safety and comfort, a set of Schroth Harnessbelts are the ultimate. They hold you in place much better than the stock belts and boy do they look trick. You’ll find you are a lot less tired and sore at the end of the day (your left arm and leg take a beating fighting the G forces of cornering). Extra oil and pads are a good bet also. Tools are not required, however a torque wrench and jack (for that spare set of wheels) will be helpful.

You may have noticed or thought I forgot to mention Dinan chips or trick suspensions, turbo’s or superchargers, special aerodynamics or other performance do-dads for making our cars go faster than the next. With the exception of perhaps a Brembo brake upgrade, none of these are essential to the task at hand: safe, high performance driving!

BMWCCA driving schools are for the ear to ear grin and enjoyment of our cars, be they 2002’s, 525I’s or M3’s. Hell, we even let "furriner’s" run like Porsche’s and Boss 302’s. Our next track session is coming up in May. Sign up, I can virtually guarantee it won’t be the last time you do.

PS, give our new president, Mylo, and VP, Pete a big round of applause, and to John Biesecker, our out going pres., a huge danke shon for the tremendous enthusiasm and leadership provided during his tenure. (Maybe now John will buy a BMW).

Want to join the excitement and experience a thrilling professional auto race firsthand? Over 800 volunteers are needed to assist with the SPRINT PCS GRAND PRIX OF MINNESOTA featuring the SCCA Trans-Am series on July 4-6, 1997. The event will benefit the Cancer Kids Fund of the Children’s Health Care Foundation. All net proceeds from the event will again be donated to help families whose children are afflicted with cancer and other blood-related diseases. In 1996 the Children’s Grand Prix was able to donate $215,000 to the Cancer Kids Fund, in part because of the dedication and hard work of almost 600 volunteers!

As a volunteer you will have the unique opportunity to be "up close and personal" to this event in a way that the general public will not experience. Over 800 volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of activities surrounding the Grand Prix on July 4-6. Volunteers will receive admission to three full days of practicing, qualifying and racing and will be outfitted in a specially designed uniform. We will provide you with breakfast and lunch on the days that you work, and will host a Volunteer Party mid-July to celebrate your contribution to the success of the SPRINT PCS GRAND PRIX. We are asking for a $45. Fee from each volunteer to help cover some of the costs involved. The magnitude of this event requires flexibility and very strong commitment from each volunteer.

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I would like to start this by saying that when I read the list of club events in the newsletter, I did not run to the phone to register for Ice Driving School! My husband, Duane, registered us. He said it would be fun.

Also, at that time the event was to be held on a flooded, frozen parking lot. Which was good! Due to nice weather the event was moved to a frozen lake. Which wasn’t so good! I have always wondered about the people you see on lakes with cars and trucks. It just doesn’t seem real smart! Anyway the day of the event arrived. On the drive up from New Ulm, I was still saying "I may just watch, OK?"

Like most things, once we were there it wasn’t so bad. We had a driver’s and instructor’s meeting about safety and the rules that helped calm most of my nerves. We then all drove over to the stiff water and got up the courage to drive onto it!

After everybody was there we divided up into groups to do the braking and slalom sessions. My first session was braking. This exercise is where you get the car up to about 40 mph and then slam on the brakes. You can really feel the ABS kick in. It was good to see and feel what the car would do and there wasn’t anybody or anything in front or beside you. All that was out there was ice and snow. I started to relax. I realized I couldn’t hurt the car or anybody else. Next we tried braking hard and turning the wheel hard in either direction, to see how the car would react. I felt good about the way the car and I handled the session. And it was fun!

The next session was the slalom. The instructions were to go as fast as you felt comfortable, in and out of snow filled garbage bags. The more we did this the smoother the turning, braking and acceleration became. After awhile we were able to pick up more speed. I’m not a speed freak, but it was exciting to see snow fly up off the back of the car when you hit the brakes and turned the wheel hard at the end of the course. This was not part of the instructions, but sure was fun!

OK, time for a little review. We had the braking and turning. What to do and not do. We had the slalom for smooth braking, turns and acceleration. We must be ready for the track!

The track consisted of curves, turns and straights. These were made by a snow plow to get the snow off the ice and then outlined at points by more snow filled garbage bags. Once again it was just you, your instructor, the car and ice. (No walls or other traffic).

The first time around the track is slow and unsure. Where is the track? The second and third times are better. The more times you go out you realize how much fun it is. How all the instruction before falls into place and works.

Our car, which is a 1994 325i, has traction control. I like the term traction control. To me it means some kind of grip between the surface and the tires. Control means the car is helping stay in control. The first few times out we had the traction control on, which I liked. We usually have it on when we drive. Later on as we were waiting to go on the track, my instructor, Wayne Lee, said "Let’s take the traction control off!". I wasn’t sure about this but decided to try it. The car does handle differently. It made me be more in control of the car.

I guess Duane was right. It was fun! I feel more confident about driving on ice and snow and I’m sure this will help in all weather driving.

I hope to see more women at next year’s Ice Driving School. I think there were 3 or 4 of us this year. It was a great day with great people and a good time!

Many thanks to John Biesecker, Greg Youngdahl, Paul Bergquist and all of our friends in the Northstar chapter of BMW CCA for the excellent event on the ice. In a world awash in SUVs and front-drive cars, extolling the virtues of BMW in the winter is a formidable challenge. With the development of traction control and improved radial snow tires a BMW is a pleasure to drive all winter long. We’re planning on an expanded program next year to include the average driver interested in improved basic skills. Any suggestions for enhancing the event would be most welcome.

At this writing we can actually see dry pavement and are looking forward to the spring driving season. The supply of cars we often think of as seasonal, even though they’re not, is tightening up already.

This year’s auto show was the best ever! It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and renew old acquaintances. The classic showdown among the Boxster, SLK and Z3 was really fun to watch. The majority of people like the Z3. This tells me that BMW got the design right because it has broad appeal while satisfying the BMW enthusiast. The 2.8 version is fast and capable for a well balanced package that is competitive in price. As I walked around the show it was apparent that the BMW area was the busiest place there.

Last fall I stumbled upon a car that I had heard a lot about as a child. It was a curious little car that my mother had when she was a social worker in St. Paul. The little red car that she often found on the sidewalk, the car she had to have repaired at a motorcycle shop, the car she used to pack with friends to see how many they could fit (like phone-booth packing); a '57 BMW Isetta 300.

It wasn't until I joined the BMW club that I found out that her little red Isetta was made by BMW. It seemed strange to me that the company that produced such masterpieces as the 328, 507, and 3.0 CSL made these little contraptions. With its 13 bhp one cylinder engine (top speed rated at 52 MPH) it is not exactly a grand touring car. The car was located by our illustrious president, Mylo Gustafson.

Apparently I had told him about my mother’s long lost friend; the Isetta she was forced to sell when the shop told her they could not fix her engine problems. The car had been sitting outside for a number of years but Mylo had seen the car run a few years back so I went to take a look. The license plates were a '74 vintage, the tires all flat and cracked, floor rusted out - it had been sitting a long time and was in need of some serious TLC.

We agreed on a fair price and loaded it onto a trailer behind my trusty '85 5er. The drive home was fun, people would pull up next to the trailer and gawk at this unusual microcar. Some people pointed and gestured to their passengers, maybe they had seen one of these before. But even if they had seen one, I bet they never saw one going 60+ MPH before! When we got home the neighborhood kids all wanted to sit in it, it was just their size! A neighbor helped me push the car into my garage. The little car tucked neatly into the 10'x10' workshop extension; I never thought it was a three car garage . There is still room to work around it, I just push it to one side or the other. Restoration will begin this spring, but I doubt it will be ready for the car show this summer.

Parts are proving to be accessible, a few people are even making reproduction parts. She has been named Penelope and will be painted deep red to match photos of my mother’s original Isetta. I'll keep you posted on the progress, I can't wait take Penelope out for her first drive since '74 !

I drove a Cadillac with the Northstar V8 for the first time in January and loved it! I wouldn’t want to throw the Sedan deVille into turn 3 at BIR; but for high speed cruising through the desert with four mature (great euphemism, huh?) adults and tons of luggage it was ideal. We picked it up in Phoenix and drove to Las Vegas avoiding all the snow and stalled trucks in Northern Arizona. It was calm and serene except for one hour of madness on a 4 lane divided highway. I was driving around 68-70 and was passed by a Merc E series. It had all the markings of a salesman: the single driver, tie but no jacket, suit carrier hanging in the back, so I jumped on. He was doing 85 when I joined him and he turned it up to 90 immediately. We stayed at 90-100 for just under an hour, slowing for crossroads or traffic. It was great; no one else in the car knew we were anywhere near those speeds and it felt very solid.

The acceleration is adequate (fantastic if you consider the weight) but the surprising thing to me was the sound at full throttle. There has to be some intake manifold runners opening or something like that; at least it sounds like it when you floor it. (I know you’re not supposed to be doing that to a Cadillac). I owned a Taurus SHO and at 4000 rpm it changed from the short intake runners to the long (or vice versa) and the decibels ran up the scale accordingly. My adolescence was spent listening to and lusting after duals on V8s; no catalytic converters - just "pipes". Sound is important.

I also drove a 318ti with an automatic for a couple of days while my ti was being lovingly detailed by John (I’ve Led At Least Three Lives) Biesecker & Co. I didn’t expect to like the automatic but I really did. I don’t think I would buy one but it would be a totally acceptable alternative if for some reason I became even more shiftless than at present. My oldest daughter has a bad back which sometimes makes it difficult to shift but loves to drive and I could see her happy in one of these. Maybe not as happy as in her Shelby Mustang (past) or her Mazda Mx6 (present), but happy.

I started to give her a hard time once for buying yet another car and my brother stepped in and asked how many cars I had bought in the last 5 years; in the last 2 years; H___, in the last year. And the daughter weighed in with a few details like growing up with the restored ’68 Firebird convertible covered up in the garage and fighting with her little sister over rear seat space in the ’51 Cadillac Fleetwood. I shut up; I know when I’m licked.

We had a great day and a great turnout for the Winter Driving School. Thanks to John Biesecker for setting that up, finding the site, arranging the arrangements, leading the classroom instruction and making the sun shine. And special thanks to Bob "Black Flag" Fleming for serving as Chief Instructor. Both he and John B. have the ability to teach in an interesting and entertaining way. Quote of the day to Duane Thompson: "This would be a great event if we didn’t hold it on a lake". We’re going to try to do two next year and I would bet they’ll both be on lakes.

Check out the Events page! We have experienced the Winter Driving School and now have scheduled: 2 Performance Driving Schools at BIR, 2 Autocross schools and Autocrosses, the Spring Social (a poker run and dinner) and the Fall Charity Tour. The number of activities we are successfully running is directly attributable to the great volunteers and the members who participate. There is something for every taste this year; I hope to see you at several events.

We have some people seriously talking about going to the BMW Driving School at Nurburgring in Germany in 1998! Like, for example, Barb and I, Brian Gruis (for his fourth time), Bob Carlson (yet again), Scott Peterson and John Biesecker. There may be more by now; maybe you! This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend with fellow Northstar members; talk it up. There may be spouses going who would not be attending the school and there will be at least one woman from here driving (Barb Avise; you can read her comments about women participating in driving events in this issue). I would love to be over there with people from the Northstar Chapter. Barb and I are going to Europe in September of this year and will try to get to Das Ring to drive it then. The Frankfurt Auto Show will be on while we’re over there, but I don’t know if we will get there. Although, it’s the biggest in the world and very tempting.

Late breaking news: Dave Rodziewicz, Chief Driving Instructor of the Peachtree Chapter and Dan Tacket, past VP of the Pacific Region are thinking about going to the Nurburgring school in ’98 also. (Dave is responsible for introducing Barb and me to driving schools at Road Atlanta and Dan was my first instructor.) Tacket is thinking about taking over the US coordination of the school. Also mentioned were Scott Hughes or Lance White from Mid-Ohio and club racing fame. (This is beginning to sound like a serious road trip!)

This year the club is doing something different for the Spring social event. We are going to have a poker run which is a great deal of fun. You will have a course to follow and certain things you must do along the way. This event is not timed, you will be able to drive at your own pace. We will meet at the Chart House in Lakeville. Last year the spring event had 10-15 cars and some new people. I hope to see you again. I would like to be notified by April 12 if you plan to attend the poker run and dinner. Check your calenders as you are reading this and mark it down! Then call me!! My number is 823-3428.

I would also like to mention that I organize the Annual Charity Tour and Dinner which will be hopefully August 30. Please mark that date down too.

YEEE HA! Taken from my favorite BMW ad, describes our February Winter Driving School. Thanks to John Drewitz at Motorwerks BMW and John Biesecker for putting together an excellent driver’s school.

Special thanks to Paul Bergquist (Mercedes Club) and Greg Youngdahl (Saab club) and the many club members who helped in track preparation and instruction.

The club’s calendar has been put together for the year. Two Brainerd and two Canterbury driver’s schools (one with the Porsche Club in May) are planned. For those of you who have never attended BMW Driver’s Education, please read Melinda Calabrese’s article.

You do not need to own a BMW M3 to attend and enjoy these driver’s schools. My son did the winter driver’s school in my Mazda pickup! The Canterbury events are the perfect platform to learn car control and improve driving skills. We recommend the Canterbury school if you plan to go to Brainerd as you learn at slower speeds.

Don’t miss the annual Spring dinner tour. Great roads, Great food, Great conversation.

Under steer, over steer, early apex, late apex, threshold braking, throttle steering. Sound like Greek to you? Then you haven’t been to a driver school. If you own any model of the Ultimate Driving Machine, you owe it to yourself to learn to drive it to it’s and your fullest capabilities.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with driver schools, below is a portion of an article that appeared before our first school sharing the answers to frequently asked questions.

Students participate in classroom sessions where proper handling of the steering wheel, braking and proper apexing of corners (among other things) will be explained. Then it’s out on the track with an instructor on board to learn how to apply the classroom theories to real life driving. Everything learned at this school can be put to use in everyday street driving to make you a better, safer driver.

Anyone with a valid drivers license. Newly licensed as well as experienced drivers will benefit from knowledge learned at this event. Complete the application in this issue and send it in with your check. DO IT NOW!! Space is limited and the school fills up fast. If the school reaches capacity, your name will be put on a waiting list.

A helmet with a Snell rating of 85 or higher, as identified by a sticker inside the helmet, is required. If the helmet has no sticker, you can’t use it. To quote a profound advertising slogan, "If you have a ten dollar head, buy a ten dollar helmet." If you are going to purchase a helmet, you should purchase one with the current Snell rating which is 95. If you have an extra helmet, put your name on it and bring it along. Extras are always welcomed. For safety reasons, while on the track, sunroofs must be closed, T-tops must be in place and convertibles must have a roll bar.

No modifications are required to participate in a driver school. The only requirement is that your car be technically sound. If you register to participate, a confirmation packet will be sent containing a technical inspection form… [Northstar Schools will offer you the opportunity to have the tech inspection done free before the event. Ed.]

Sounds like fun, but I’m not sure I’m ready for this yet. Can I come out to see first hand what it’s all about?

Of course! You’ll be required to sign an insurance waiver… Come on out, talk to the instructors and participants, check out the cars and see how much fun can be had in a car.

Thank you, Motorwerks, for sponsoring the school and making it possible to have all of the niceties.

Thank you, instructors, for donating and sharing your expertise and words of wisdom.

Thank you, Scott Mayer, for you patience with our 16 year old grandson on his first venture in a driving school.

The Northstar Chapter’s First Annual Winter Driving School was a resounding success. I drove. I learned. I spun out a couple of times. I know my car better now than ever, and it feels great!

Thank you to everyone who participated in any way and helped to make this a wonderful day.

Please try to patronize the advertisers in the Northstar Bavarian. Tell them you saw their ad here!

This issue continues a column of technical advice and information by Paul Dzimian, a BMW Master Technician. Look for Bavarian Technic.

Check the Events calendar. It’s full of fun things to do! We are running 7 driving events this year!

The Silver State Chapter in Las Vegas has gone back to their original name of choice. They will once again be known as the Sin City Chapter!

Mary Lou Cludy writes about her job in this issue. She used to train Dakota County Sheriff’s deputies in driving tactics; now she trains Minneapolis Police. Don’t mess with this lady!

By way of brief history, I'll tell you that I grew up in northwestern Montana, the land of unlimited speed and almost as many logging trucks. We had rodeos and we had scenery and we had cars that would never rust out.But if we wanted to see an auto race, we had to hope that the one television channel that we could receive would sometimes give us a major event. The only link we had with organized racing was through magazines and an occasional newspaper article. Of course, there were the impromptu drag races late at night, and there was always the thrill of trying to survive a high-speed pass of a loaded logging truck on a reverse radius two-lane curve. But beyond that, we could only imagine.

I tell you this because I waited until I was 48 years old before I actually went to a real car race. But what a race that was. Last year, the NorthStar Bavarian ran a short article about a new race that would be held through the streets of Minneapolis, The Children's Grand Prix of Minnesota. Along with the article was a plea for volunteers to help make the event successful. I filled out the volunteer application, went to the training sessions, and on race day, excitedly drove my 2002 into the city to work at the event.

Forty-eight years is a long time to put off something that is so interesting to a person, but I must admit that it was worth it. This year I am returning as a volunteer with more enthusiasm than ever. The race has a new name (the Sprint PCS Grand Prix of Minnesota - A Race for Cancer Kids), a new primary sponsor, an added day of racing, and a highly competitive open-wheel series race added to its schedule.

As we volunteers begin attending our training sessions for the race this year, it is obvious that there is a need for even more volunteers. There are many different types of committees that will require more help - all sorts of skills go into making the race a success. If you are interested in volunteering for the race, give Jane a call at race headquarters (612-333-7749) - a volunteer application form will be sent to you.

For a race fan, there could hardly be a more enjoyable way to spend the Fourth of July weekend. And for this aging volunteer, I can hardly wait to climb into my '02 and cruise downtown to start my second year of "racing". I hope you can join me.

Send mail to webmaster@northstarbmw.org with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 1996-2003 North Star BMW Car Club of America

Send mail to webmaster@northstarbmw.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1996-2003 North Star BMW Car Club of America