News, Views and BMW Stuff to Do

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2

Whereinour reportersgo...

pits prowling...

oldster ogling...

and Hobbs-nobbing!

Nick & Bob’s

adventure

Inside:

BUCKEYE CHAPTERDRIVING LIGHTS P R I N G 2 0 1 2

I guess winter has finally arrived, but by the time you read this spring should be just around the corner. I trust you are all having a great start to 2012, and just so you know, our Chapter is off and running as well. We kicked the year off with our annual Holiday party, hosted by Nicky & Steve Schardt. Regretfully, I couldn’t attend, but I heard that everyone in attendance had a great time. I would expect nothing less from Nicky and Steve. Thanks to you both for hosting, on behalf of Buckeye we appreciate all you do for our chapter.

During the month of February we have our annual go-kart battle against the Bluegrass Chapter, at Competition Racing in Lawrence-burg, Indiana. The racing is always tight and the competition is fierce, but everyone has a great time, and the bench racing is sometimes more entertaining than the action on the track. A big “thanks” goes out to the BMW Store of Cincinnati for stepping up for another year of sponsoring this event. Their support allows us to keep the entry fee down and gives us enough track time for a long endurance race at the end of the event. If you are in the Cincinnati

area, shopping for a new / used BMW or just need some parts for your current car, please pay them a visit at www.bmwstore.com. The race is the weekend of February 18th, so while the result did not make this issue, I can promise you the Buckeyes are going to give it everything they have to reclaim the first place honors. Also this February, National is hosting the annual Chapter Congress in Dallas, Texas. Evan Keller (Cincinnati), John Lochner (Dayton), Scott Scharadin (Columbus) and Tim Beechuk (Cincinnati, and our O’Fest coordinator) and I will be in attendance. During this congress we get updates from National and other chapters around the country about issues affecting chapter business for the coming year, and most importantly get some great ideas for events to host with our chapter. Hopefully the five of us will come back with some fresh ideas to keep our membership engaged and active for 2012. Have I mentioned Oktoberfest is in Columbus in September? Also, guess what?… the new website is finally up and running. We are still working on some updates, which is typical with this type of conversion, but please go check it out and let me know what you think. During the month of March our club is involved with another great event, “Cars & Cabernet,” a wine tasting and silent auction at the Taj Ma Garaj. Proceeds from the evening events go to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio. Prior to the evenings event we will also be having our spring board meeting, which is open to all members. Feel free to come out and see how we drive this chapter for you. As you can see, we are off to a great start this year, and plans are to keep the fun rolling all the way to 2013. Keep your eyes on the new website for details and events, and if you have never joined us for a local meeting or special event, or it’s just been a while, put us on your 2012 to-do list. This promises to be a special year for the Buckeye Chapter. See you soon!!! Have a safe drive. ■

PRESIDENT‘S UPDATEby Erik Shifflett

The Buckeye Chapter Driving Events Committee (DEC) would like to invite you to our upcoming 2012 events. As you know Buckeye Chapter is hosting O’fest this year, September 17-23. Driving School will be held on five days, September 19-23, and you can sign up for as many days as you want. You need to register on the O’fest registration site, NOT motorsport.reg. We plan to run our school in our usual format, with a combination of track and classroom time. We are also planning a dinner for Saturday night. If you are planning to instruct, you will need to register at motorsport.reg and let us know what day or days you can instruct. A Club Racing School will be held on Wednesday and Thursday of O’fest week, and Club Races will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Registration for both events will be on the Club Racing site. Other driving events that week, such as Autocross, Rally, and Gymkhana will be listed on the O’fest registration site. The O’fest host hotel is the Hilton at Polaris, in Columbus. For the track junkies there are hotels closer to the track, off I-71. Buckeye’s other Mid-Ohio event is four weeks later, October 19-21. This will be a HPDE-only without a club race, so there will be room for all interested. Registration will be through motorsport.reg. Details will be on the website soon. 2012 will be an exciting year, so come out and join us.

DECON

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experience. This being an endurance race, the driving style is fairly conservative, with the ultimate goal being to FINISH THE RACE. If you go be sure you get tickets that include garage access, as that is where the action is. Before the race crews are going through their prepared checklists, getting the car ready. But also go back to the garages during the race. Most of the garages are empty, because the crews are in the hot pits to service the cars when they come in for refueling, tire and driver changes. But find a garage where a car is temporarily out of the race, and you will see the crews at their best. It is amazing to see them change an entire suspension, including spindle, rotor, calipers, spring, and shock, with quick disconnect fittings on brake lines, to repair a complete corner of the car in about five minutes. As the race nears the last hour, teams know their best lap times, and their competitor’s best times. They then must decide whether to race their competition or hold their place to the finish. If you are in third place, three laps down from second and four laps up from fourth, there is no point in risking damage to the car and risk not finishing. It is interesting to study the strategies used by teams; I like this “smart racing”. In order to win a 24-hour race you have to be lucky, smart and well prepared. The team that makes the fewest mistakes and is best prepared will do well, the others will be “thrashing”. You should go to this race The best thing is the date. The end of January, when it is cold and nasty up here, you get a chance to go to SUNNY FLORIDA. Get some car buddies together and DO IT. Four years ago Bud Dornette, Roger Winters, Safet Hatic, and I rented a van and drove. All the way to Florida we listened to a book recording about Smokey Yunick’s “Best Damn Garage in Town.” (Yes, we are “car nuts.”) Roger had rented a condo near the track, which worked out well. This was our first time to the Rolex 24, so everything was new. The racing was good but it was too COLD to stay at the track all night, so went to the condo and watched it on TV. Then we went back to the track in the morning and enjoyed

by Bob HabelRolex 24. What does that mean? Well it is a must on the “bucket list” for any warm-blooded “car nut.” I think we have several of them who may read this publication.About the Race The ROLEX 24-hour race began 50 years ago, at the then-new Daytona International Speedway. Big Bill France envisioned an “international” race for sport cars on his new track. The first races were not 24 hours, but they did feature “furrin” cars, such as Lotus, Ferrari, Jaguar, Austin Healey, etc. Rolex has been sponsoring the race for the last 35 years. And yes, the winners do receive a Rolex watch. The Rolex 24 is the highest level of sports car road racing in the U.S. The Daytona Prototypes (DP class) are purpose-built race cars from several chassis manufacturers, such as Riley & Scott and Dallara, with even more competition among the engine suppliers. Jack Roush supplies Ford engines, Corvette is supplied by Pratt and Miller, and of course BMW is supplied by Dinan. There is also a Grand Touring (GT) class for production-based cars. Turner Motorsports ran two cars based on the BMW M3 in GT. There were Ferraris, lots of Porsches, Mustangs, Camaros and Mazdas. There were about 15 DP cars, and I guess 30 to 40 GT cars. They also had a display of about 35 of the past winning cars in a huge tent. It was interesting to see the progression of technology. The race attracts the world’s best drivers, from all forms of racing. Most of them are road racers, but many NASCAR, Indy car and European road racers come to drive. Many famous drivers have won this race. Dan Gurney won the first one; others include AJ Foyt, Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Al Unser Jr., and Hurley Haywood. For a 24-hour race it takes three to four drivers sharing a car, often with a great disparity in driver skills and car speed. Most of the drivers are professional (paid to do this,) but there are also “rent-a-ride” drivers who pay big bucks to be able to drive in this race, regardless of

Nick & Bob’s

adventure

BUCKEYE CHAPTERDRIVING LIGHTS P R I N G 2 0 1 2

Kramer, and a few O’Fest attendees from other parts of the country. Our own Jay Chamberlin was in the Chip Ganassi/Scott Pruett Garage. There were also several local race teams competing: Kevin Doran with his DP car, John Wright with a Porsche GT3, and Mike Shank Racing from Columbus, Rolex 24 overall winner! Our friends from Insight Racing were there with two cars entered in the Friday Continental Tire race. Of special interest to me was Turner Motorsport, who had two cars in the Friday race and two cars in the Rolex24. My favorite viewing spot was in the grand-stand at turn 1. I found a place where I could look toward pit lane to see who came in; I was also between where the cars came off the banked oval and onto the infield road course. There is a lot of action where cars come into turn 1 too hot and take the escape road. The thing that is most memorable is THE NOISE. For the full 24 hours the noise level had to be upward of 90 decibels. You could not talk to the person next to you. Cell phones cannot be heard, you are absorbed into the race. If you are a “car nut,” (come on, admit it) you have to experience these four days of total racing immersion. And I strongly recommend renting a motor home, so you don’t have to leave the track. ■

the rest of the race. We had a good time, but it was a learning experience. This year Nick Bagnoli and I decided to fly to Jacksonville, rent a motor home and enjoy the race. We left on Wednesday, January 25, picked up the motor home, and drove to Daytona. We couldn’t get into the track until Thursday, so we bought supplies and were ready when the track opened. Nick bought an “Ultimate Endurance Package” ticket package that that included the full weekend, with access to all parts of the track except the “hot pit,” and a reserved site for the motor home. We had all “hook-ups” including cable TV. It was like home, and we were in the middle of all the action for the whole weekend. NASCAR is more “fan friendly” than most road racing events, with autograph sessions where all drivers are expected to participate. We were in the area when this session finished, and found ourselves in the middle of all the drivers. It was fun to see how many we knew. Nick and I were watching practice on Thursday in a VIP box inside turn 1, and were joined by Bob Varsha and David Hobbs. They waved and were pleasant. We also met many Buckeyes we knew, including Nicky and Steve Schardt, Tim and Jaynee Beechuk, Tammy Wright and Russ

The Cincinnati Area is proud to report that we collected $950 in 2011 for our local charity, Stepping Stones! I want to thank everyone for their continued support, and I know Stepping Stones appreciates our generosity.

– Marcia McClure

CINCINNATI AREA NEWSMarcia McClure, Cincinnati Area Governor

It’s not about the cars!Love is in the air! Happy February everyone. What I really meant to say is O’Fest is in the air! The buzz is beginning to grow around the main event, coming up in September at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. We are so excited to be hosting this event, and I’m sure we can count on all of you to help us out. In the upcoming months you will be hearing more about O’Fest, and the need for your help. We thank you in advance for your support of your Buckeye Chapter! Thank you to the Cincinnati Area members for re-electing me and Nicky to another year as Governor and Vice Governor, respectfully. This will be my final year as Governor, and I hope to make it a great one! Also, thanks to everyone

in Cincinnati who donated each month to Stepping Stones. This is a very worthy organization, and we are proud to have this as our charity of choice for the past years. We have had good attendance the first couple months of 2012 at our monthly meetings at Dewey’s Pizza. We will be there for a few more months, then it’s off to different places. Please feel free to suggest meeting spots or activities for the rest of the year. We are always open to new ventures. Upcoming events for the near future include the annual wine tasting at The Taj Ma Garaj, on Saturday March 10. Please register on-line, and soon, as this event is sure to sell out: www.carsandcabernet.kintera.org March 14th and April 11th meetings will be at Dewey’s Pizza at Harper’s Point on Montgomery Road. See you soon! ■

Nick & Bob’s

adventure

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Disclaimer: Neither the Buckeye Chapter nor BMW CCA, Inc. is affiliated with BMW AG or BMW NA or any other commercial enterprise. The statements contained herein are solely the words of the authors, and no endorsement or guarantee of fitness is implied by their publication. Some modifications described herein may void your warranty, or violate State or Federal laws for street applications. If in doubt about any repair or modification, consult your dealer or other expert before undertaking it. All articles are the opinion of the authors, and modifications outlined herein might void warranties, anger the neighbors or invoke plagues of locusts. Some exclusions may apply, your mileage may vary.

GO TO IT!

“Cars and Cabernet”Sunday, March 10Taj Ma Garaj300 S. Perrry St.Dayton 454026:00-10:00 pm

WATCH FOR IT!

“3rd annual Spring Kickoff Party,” details to be announced...

PLAN FOR IT!

Wednesday, May 9 6:30-8:30 pm

Motorsport Country Club, located near Owensville, Ohio.

Fun with shifter carts!

Details to follow...

COLUMBUS AREA NEWSGeorge Saylor, Designated Writer

What have we done for the past 3 months:• MeetingsattheWinkingLizard• BeerattheWinkingLizard• CheeseburgersattheWinkingLizard• Electedthesameguysbutropedina new one Well, Jim Heckman is Governor (again) and Scott Scharadin is Vice-Governor (again, even though he trades with Bill Woods every other year). But HEY! We got a NEW guy! Charlie Grafton is now the Columbus Area Alternate. Charlie is about to learn what the word “LIFER” really means. So we start off the New Year on a high note with the Buckeye Chapter hosting the 2012 edition of the BMW CCA Oktoberfest. Good time, good friends, and good luck to all the locals we “recruit” to help out! Have you seen the Chapter web site? Pretty awesome. I do want to thank Dan Krage for providing several more years (again) as the Chapter Webmeister. However, Dan wants to move on (with his life – a popular term for people who have served the Chapter in perpetuity) so the Board elected to hire a professional firm to develop a brand new web site. If you ever want to know how old the Buckeye Chapter is, just ask a Board member. Chances are they were there. And, my fellow Buckeye BMWers, my gift to you is an abbreviated column this time. ■

DAYTON AREA NEWSChuck Craves, Dayton Area GovernorIn January the Holiday Party was in Dayton, at the home of Nicky and Steve Schardt, and much to the disapointment of the throng gathered there to see Santa, he did not show, but everyone had a good time in spite of it. Good show, Nicky and Steve. At the January Dayton Area meeting we held our annual elections for the office of Governor and Vice-Governor. After the multitude of ballots were counted and tabulated I eked out a narrow victory and was returned to the position of Governor. As a coincidence, the same scenario was played out

in the race for Vice-Governor, which Mark Morris won by a whisker (on his chinny-chin-chin). February 28th at 7:00 pm we’ll be at Brixx Ice Co. on Fifth Street, where we will be celebrating... uhhh... oh yeah... February! On the 27th of March, at 6:00 pm, we will be at Voss Village BMW, driving the new 3-Series. Hope to see a great turn-out to celebrate ...uhhh...February, and to drive the new 3-Series in March. ■

TOLEDO AREA NEWSPhil Ross, Toledo Area GovernorToledoans and Friends, elections were swept by Phil Ross (Area Governor) and Jim Troknya (Area Vice-Governor). We’re looking for fun things to do in the Area this year and welcome your input. Several ideas are being considered to increase member value, including a change of monthly meeting day/location, and tours of local auto industry facilities. As you now know, the Buckeye Chapter is hosting O’Fest 2012 this year. The last time we hosted the club’s pre-eminent event was in 1990, before the 3-Series was offered with four doors! That was my first O’Fest. What an experience! I couldn’t understand how one could devote a whole week to a car club event. I was interested in one, maybe two activities – Autocross and Driving School. I took my trusty ‘85 BMW 535i to Columbus and stayed at a friend’s house to save $$, while my wife and daughters kept the home fires burning. I had so much fun on the first two days I committed the whole week, including the Gymkana, TSD Rally and Concours. I made many new friends from within the Chapter and across the country. The week was filled with activities and a new social theme every evening. It was and still is a three-ring circus of a family reunion-type gathering. Why not block out the week early this year and attend, especially since it is right here in our backyard! Upcoming Chapter events include a Go-Kart Challenge with the Bluegrass Chapter and the Street Survival School. Check our new website for details. See you soon, at the activity of your choice. ■

BUCKEYE CHAPTERDRIVING LIGHTS P R I N G 2 0 1 2

Bringing the Party home … Where else can you fuel your passion for cars, car people and car events with 750 of your closest friends, except at the BMW CCA Oktoberfest, and this year it’s going to be in your own backyard. Yes, my friends, we will party like rock stars, and when it’s all over, be home before nightfall, or at least by daybreak. The Hilton at Polaris, on the north side of Columbus, will be our home away from home for the duration, and they are waiting to show us a good time. Put aside the week of September 17th to the 21st for the 2012 event that keeps people coming back year after year. If you have never been to an O’Fest, or it’s been so long since the last one you’ve forgotten, let me tell you what we have in store for your pleasure. The week kicks off with the welcome reception on Monday evening, and it’s a whirlwind from there on. Tuesday is the Concours d’Elegance. What a magnificent group of cars to feast your eyes on, and this year we will be joined by the BMW CCA Vintage & Classic group, because of their

national event in Cincinnati the same week.

Wednesday will be the TSD rally, the car control clinic, the gymkhana and the start of 5 days of track events at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, just a few miles up I-71. Another fine reception and special event that evening caps the day. Thursday and Friday are autocross days and the Motorsports reception is Thursday night. Friday night brings the Awards Banquet and the end of the Main Event, but wait, there’s still two more days of track stuff up at Mid-Ohio. Along with the scheduled events, there are a number of other opportunities to amuse you through the week, such as the Fun Rally, Photo Contest, Michelin Drive and Compare, and just hanging out with some really great Club people. And, don’t forget, because Spaten is one of our sponsors, the Spaten hospitality tent will be open every night with free, that’s right, free, beer. As you can see from all of the events, it’s going to take a lot of Buckeye spirit to make this happen, and this is where you can be a part of the action. From registration on the first day, to the Club Race on the last, we’ll need an army of volunteers doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes and in-front-of-the-curtain work. From a number of days as an HPDE instructor to a hour or so of directing cars at the Concours, being a volunteer will make us all look good, and it will get you a nifty O’Fest 2012 volunteer shirt. Sign up and help us show the rest of the country why they’re here this year. It’s been 22 years since we last hosted an Oktoberfest. I think we must have done a good job then to be asked again, and I know we can make it look just as good this time. So, come out for a day, or for the week, and see how much fun it can be. Remember, just like driving a BMW, this can become habit-forming,

and you may find yourself in strange parts of the country every fall, wondering where you can find the out marker for the start of the rally. ■

O’FEST UPDATE

Scenes from the 2012 Holiday Party. Many thanks to our hosts, Nicky and Steve Schardt.

General bench-racing and merriment

The presentation of the Glenn Lucas Sportsmanship Award to the very deserving Allen Pugh, who unfortunately could not attend

After the presentation, the award has a few beers in Allen’s honor

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Buckeye Chapter OfficersPresidentEric Shiffletteshifflett@cinci.rr.com

Vice PresidentTim Beechuktbeechuk@zoomtown.com

TreasurerScott OntjesScott@ontjes.net

Driving Events Chief Instructor John Lochner L8apexer@woh.rr.com

Coordinator Lance White lwhite@dcs.ms

NewsletterDohn Roushdm3roush@earthlink.net

Cincinnati Area Governor Marcia McClure mccmar@msn.com

Vice Governor Nicky Schardt hardy_nicky1@hotmail.com

Columbus Area Governor Jim Heckman jimheckmanlisw@sbcglobal.net

Vice Governor Scott Scharadin sscharadin@yahoo.com

Dayton Area Governor Chuck Craves ccraves@earthlink.net

Vice Governor Mark Morris Dayton_vicegov@ buckeyebmwcca.org

Toledo Area Governor Phil Ross rossviiiv@aol.com Vice Governor Jim Troknya jctroknya@hotmail.com

It may be wishful thinking, but soon enough Spring will come, the days will get longer, and it will be time to take off the snows for the season. In anticipation I thought now would be a good time to start thinking about how to prepare for days at the track, whether you drive or volunteer. Over my many years as a student, instructor, and racer I’ve learned a few things from the experts that I’d like to share… #1 Always be prepared for the weather to change – especially at Mid-Ohio! Believe it or not, there is a weather phenomenon surrounding the track that seems to change far more often than the rest of the world. Bob Habel (our esteemed classroom instructor) suggested I bring an emergency bag, with boots, rain gear, extra socks, gloves, hat, and a layer or two, just in case the need arose. I can guarantee that the need has arisen many times, and there’s always room to stash the bag in a corner. Believe it or not, we’ve seen near tornado-like winds and gone from thunderstorms to hail to snow and back again, all within an hour. The longer you hang around Mid-Ohio, the more you’ll understand what I mean about wacky weather. #2 What kind of tools/stuff should I bring? As first timers, assuming you drive a BMW, I would suggest a few basics: a sanctioned helmet, decent air pressure gauge, torque wrench with 17mm deep socket, Windex and paper towels, a few screwdrivers (slotted and Phillips head), and a quart of oil (check your owner’s manual). Since you’ll be cleaning your car out completely, (best to do most of this before you get to the track), bring a tarp or large heavy garbage bags to put things in if the weather gets bad. For comfort, a chair, cooler with snacks and drinks, hat (you’ll definitely have helmet head), comfy but thin-soled shoes, and clothing suitable for dressing in layers couldn’t hurt, either. These days I bring tools to change my brakes, extra brake pads, track tires/wheels, a low profile jack, spacers for my wheels, electric drill with a socket attachment, extra batteries,

a box of fluids (oil, brake fluid, etc.), zip ties, rubber mallet, breaker bar, and I’m sure much more if I really took a better inventory. That said, don’t worry, if you don’t have it, I guarantee someone does. In fact we could probably build a car out of the extra parts that the collective group brings to the track – there’s an idea for a reality show… #3 What if I’m just there to hang out/watch/volunteer? Non-drivers may have a bit more time on their hands throughout the day. Of course you can always sit in on the classroom sessions, but if you need options, don’t forget to drive into the infield or outside the track to get a different view of the action. At Mid-Ohio I highly recommend the top of the hill at the Key Hole, turn 8 from the infield, and the entrance to the Carousel from the outside of the track. #4 What is there to eat? Luckily Mid-Ohio has a great food vendor for lunch, however not all tracks do. While on a trip to Mid-American Motorsports with Bill Wade for our first Instructor Training School, the only thing to eat at the track was a “meat” sandwich. No lie, this was the only option. The nice lady at the lunch shack offered to take the “meat” off, but a single cheese slice and iceberg lettuce sandwich wasn’t going to get me through the four days of training. Unfortunately it got worse, as the local dealer had free “meat” sandwiches for dinner at night, too. It got so bad that I dragged Bill to a Chinese food buffet one night, risking certain stomach issues, as there were definitely limited options in the middle of nowhere/Omaha. I think I survived on nuts and berries the rest of the time. We now bring our own lunches, snacks, and fine beverages for happy hour. Of course, our chapter takes pride in offering a fabulous and affordable Saturday night dinner at the main hotel, as do many other chapters, so ask around to find out how to sign up. Otherwise, I highly recommend talking with a locally-based instructor who can steer you away from less desirable options. With these basic recommendations in hand, you’ll be well-prepared for all the fun to come in September, when the Buckeye Chapter hosts O’Fest! ■

GIRLS GONE DRIVING

by Nicky Schardt

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMASON, OHIO

PERMIT NO. 492

Buckeye Chapter BMW Car Club of AmericaP.O. Box 21880Columbus, OH 43221

Go to www.buckeyebmwcca.org for the latest event information, maps and updates.