March-April - Kansas City BMW Club

March/April 2008
the
Milepost
the Kansas City BMW Club newsletter
Mark Your Calendars!
Inside:
* Racer’s Corner
* Winter Track Fix
* Spring Events
* HPDE Instructor
Information
* Revving Up for
Autocross Season
The Kansas City BMW Club has scheduled its Fourth Annual “Drive Till
You Drop” Autocross School!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 7, 2008. Yes, you read it right,
June. It should be a lot cooler than previous years. Our Fourth Annual
“Drive Till You Drop” Autocross School is open to drivers of all experience
types, especially beginners. This year we are bringing in talented instructors from Topeka, Omaha, St. Louis, and Wichita to teach club members the
fast, fun and safe way to Autocross.
Pricing and planning is still underway but it is guaranteed to be a great and
inexpensive school. Watch for details on the KC BMW Club website,
www.kcbmwclub.com, under Events on our Forum and keep an eye out for
cones…
Chris Conant, Autocross Director
the
March / April 2008
Content Page
Milepost
4
Serving Kansas and Western Missouri
Upcoming Events
5
the Kansas City BMW Club Board
YMMV
President
Alan Staples
913. 219.3146
[email protected]
Chris Conant
AutoX Director
[email protected]
Vice President
Mike Staub
913.269.4843
[email protected]
Tim Gerrity
913.681.7918
[email protected]
Vice President, Springfield
Adam McBurnie
417.631.7775
[email protected]
Vice President, Wichita
James Sanders
316.773.1140
[email protected]
Secretary
Randy Mickelson
816.838.8745
[email protected]
Treasurer
Ray Spitzer
816.678.3434
[email protected]
Driving Event Coordinator
Kirk Kiloh
913.642.9796
[email protected]
Chief Driving School Instructor
Joe Ennett
[email protected]
Webmaster
Greg Lippert
[email protected]
Milepost Editor
Meg Vanderliest
[email protected]
Contact our chapter at:
Kansas City BMW Club
P.O. Box 4832
Overland Park, KS 66204
6
Scott Goodwin
[email protected]
Winter Track Fix
7
Dan Hagrman
[email protected]
Racer’s Corner
Blake Henrich
Charity Coordinator
913.205.3050
[email protected]
8
HPDE Instructor
Brady Kessler
[email protected]
Brian Paddock
913.963.1015
[email protected]
9
Revving Up for Autocross
Brad Rein
Milepost Advertising Manager
913.327.2324
[email protected]
David Stadtmueller
Activities Director
[email protected]
10
Welcome Mid America
Window Tint Specialists
Jeff Taggart
[email protected]
Ben Tseng
[email protected]
Chuck Vossler
Membership Chairman
913.620.8838
[email protected]
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Check out our chapter website at:
http://www.kcbmwclub.org
and sign up for the email list to get the
latest club announcements!!!
the Milepost is a publication of the Kansas City BMW Club, BMW Car Club of America, Inc. and is mailed to all members in good standing. Additional copies may
be purchased for $1.00 each plus postage. All contents remain the property of the Kansas City BMW Club. Information supplied is provided by members and for members
only. The Club is in no way associated with BMW of North America, or any other agents of Bayerische Motoren Werke, AG. The Club assumes no liability for any
information herein. Please note that, unless clearly stated, no information in this publication bears the status of “factory approved.” Ideas, opinions, and suggestions
expressed herein are those of the authors. No authentication is implied by the Club, officers, editor, or publisher. Modifications to vehicles within the warranty period may
void the warranty, in full or in part. Permission is granted to BMW CCA and BMW ACA chapters to reproduce articles originating in the Milepost, provided full credit goes
to the author and the Milepost. “BMW”, the “M” logo, “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” and the BMW roundel logo are registered trademarks of BMW AG.
© 2008 Kansas City BMW Club
Upcoming Events
CLUB MEETING!
Thursday, March 20, 2008, 6:00PM
Kansas City BMW Club Meeting at Dub’s Dread Golf
Club
12601 Hollingsworth Road, Kansas City, KS
Tel. (913) 721-1333
Come out early for a quick round of golf or cruise in around
6pm for the German cuisine. We will have a brief discussion regarding club news and then start the video game
competition.
Contact Scott Goodwin at
[email protected] to RSVP and check out page 6 of
the Milepost to get the scoop on the gaming competition.
BMW – AUDI Get Together
Saturday, April 5, 2008, 8:30AM
Panera at Shawnee Mission Parkway near Goddard Street,
west side of I-35
Come out and meet your local chapter members!
BMW – AUDI Get Together
Saturday, May 3, 2008, 8:30AM
Panera at Shawnee Mission Parkway near Goddard Street,
west side of I-35
Join fellow club members for breakfast and a coffee fix.
It’s a great way to get to know the local chapter.
Mark Your Calendars!
KC BMW Street Survival
Saturday, May 10, 2008, All Day Event
Kansas Speedway
KC BMW Autocross School
Saturday, June 7, 2008, All Day Event
Location TBA
DEADLINE for the Milepost
April 15, 2008
CLUB MEETING!
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 6:00PM
Kansas City BMW Club Meeting at LoneStar
Steakhouse
1501 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, KS
Tel. (913) 334-9995
Catch up on club news and socialize with friends.
!!! A Green Notice !!!
We are excited to announce the Kansas City BMW Club “Green” Initiative
for our newsletter. Our chapter is going to be one of the first to create such a
program and we hope the idea will grow.
If you are interested in receiving the club newsletter, the Milepost in electronic form ONLY, please email the Milepost Editor, Meg Vanderliest at
[email protected]. She will remove your name from the mailing list
and send you a PDF version of the Milepost to your specified email address.
In addition to this “Green Initiative,” we would also like to improve our communication process with our chapter members. With all the various activities
scheduled during the course of the year, we often have a need to communicate new information, last minute schedule changes, etc. If you would like to
be added to our email communication list, please email our Webmaster, Greg
Lippert at [email protected] and he will add you to our Announcement Group.
Both of these are optional for club members and this list will not be made
public or used for any non-club related communication.
the Milepost
YMMV
by Alan Staples
“Traction”. You (and the cars around you) can never have
enough of it when you’re driving. Whether it’s unfavorable weather or your favorite on ramp, things go best when
the energy of your Ultimate Driving Machine and your
driving skills are combined with the maximum available
traction.
“Traction” is also found in the lexicon of business and most
any kind organization: An idea or proposal is said to have
traction when it is actively supported by them that control
the financial and human resources needed to fully realize
its potential.
Either way you think of it, the absence of traction can make
everything a challenge. So it is with our 2008 Club calendar. A variety of Club activities have been scheduled and
more events are in the works. But as we continue our
planning efforts, we are mindful of several important opportunities and concerns:
Communication: We need a way to reliably reach you.
Do you prefer to receive email or this paper newslet-
ter? Perhaps you prefer to check our Club web site
(www.kcbmwclub.com)? We will be experimenting
with a variety of these communication tools during
2008. We also hope to gradually validate the accuracy
of our membership database.
Conservation: We want to reduce paper consumption
and postal costs by making the Milepost a quarterly
newsletter. We’re already taking steps to reduce the
number of pages but we think we will have a bigger
impact by going quarterly. Although we believe we
will offset reduced newsletter mailings with a variety
of push (email) and pull (web site) communication, we
expect some will prefer their news be delivered by post.
So, before we get too far down this path, we need to
understand the best way to communicate with you.
Expanded Variety. Our Club exists to promote and facilitate enjoyment of every kind of BMW car, including Mini. For some members, that translates into driver
education events such as Street Survival, autocross and
the car control classes at Heartland Park Topeka. Others are more interested in social gatherings, including
our summer picnic, a scenic drive, car shows or a weekend getaway. Your Board is committed to improving
the quality of existing events, but we want to know if
you prefer some more than others. Better yet, we wonder if there are things we could be doing that you would
find even more interesting.
Whatever we do, our goal is to provide and facilitate Club
events that are meaningful and memorable for you, your
friends and your family. That means expanding the kind of
events on offer. It also means trying new things while we
tweak other things we’ve done the same way every year as
long as anyone can remember. We’ll probably have a misfire or two, so we’ll ask your indulgence now and again
later if the worst should come to pass. We know we can’t
make everybody happy but we do believe we can improve
the relevance and frequency of our events.
So, more fun more often for more of our Club members –
that’s the goal. It’ll take energy and creativity, but none of
it counts without your involvement.
I hope we have traction.
March / April 2008
A Winter Track Fix
by Randy Mickelson
Our club gathered in December for some winter track time.
We were all given a 2003 320i Racecar to take turns driving at Laguna Seca. After that we were handed the
keys to a 2005 M5 to drive on the streets of Seattle
closed-off to form a racing circuit. Next we had a
beautiful 1973 2002-turbo to see who was the fastest around the narrow streets and corridors of the
Italian Citta di Aria. Finally we were allowed to
use a Euro-spec 1997 e36 M3 adorned with our
own club’s logo on an empty Sebring International
Raceway. And we did it all on a Thursday night
inside the private room at the Lonestar steakhouse!
This was the first Racing Simulator night for the
Kansas City BMW Club. A diverse group of members turned up to test their skills in simulations using
Logitech Force-Feedback wheels, high-definition TVs,
Sony Playstation
2s, and Xbox
360s. Racing
simulators such
as Gran Turismo
4 and Forza
Motorsport 2
have come a very
long way in dynamically reproducing the realworld physics,
sounds, and feel
of motorsport.
Some of our members (like myself) are native video-gamers
whose track experiences began while sitting on their parents’ couches in front of a TV. Others started with rubber
on pavement, doing their best to keep it shiny-side-up. But
based upon the evening’s outcome and my own personal
experience, each type of knowledge prepares you surpris-
ingly well for the other. The winner ended up not being a
seasoned gamer, but a (real-life) track veteran. Kirk Kiloh
took home
the gold,
stealing it
away from
sofa-warriors such as
Ben Tseng,
Steve Klein,
Jon Debrick,
and myself
who have all
had comparatively
little road-course time. At my first AutoXs and DEs, having trained ahead of time with Gran Turismo put me ahead
of other first-timers who hadn’t used simulators before. As crazy as it may sound, after
the real-life driving events, I would come home
and my driving-simulator video-game skills
had improved considerably.
With the success of this event our club is going to host another evening of simulator competition as part of the meeting scheduled for
Thursday, March 20th at 7:00pm at Dub’s
Dread Golf Club, 12601 Hollingsworth Road,
Kansas City, KS, 66109. The format will be
similar to that of the December meet and will
include several stations, each with a particular car and course already selected. The specific cars and
tracks will be announced approximately two weeks ahead
of time on our local club’s forums (www.kcbmwclub.org/
forum). Each person will get several opportunities to put
down a fast lap. At the end of the night all of your fast laps
will be summed together and the person with the lowest
total wins!
the Milepost
Racer’s Corner
by Scott Goodwin
This edition of Racer’s Corner isn’t about racing but rather
is it is all about my last two BMW purchases. If you haven’t
purchased a new or late model pre-owned BMW lately
you are in for quite a shock regarding not only the price
but the complexity of these new vehicles. Because of my
recent experience, I wouldn’t even think of buying a preowned BMW that wasn’t certified pre-owned (CPO) as
BMW affectionately calls it.
I ran across a really nice
2003 325Ci that I thought
would be perfect for my
son, David. His 1998 M3
was getting real long in the
tooth with over 200K miles
on it and lots of things were
starting to go wrong. The
325Ci had 60K miles on it
but it also had a CPO warranty and extended maintenance which is transferable at no cost on a BMW.
Ka-Ching! What a deal! Before I purchased the vehicle, I
took it to Baron BMW because the lights weren’t working
properly. Turns out that it needed a new lamp module
which one would think would be an easy fix. When the
module was installed, the car’s computer wouldn’t talk to
it and the current versions of download at the dealer
wouldn’t talk to it either. I left it in the capable hands of
Mark Shore knowing that he could solve the problem. He
contacted the BMW computer gods and downloaded a new
program for the car and all was well. The thought occurred to me that this fix would have been impossible without using a BMW dealer. That is how complicated these
cars have become compared to all of the pre-OBD II cars
that I have been racing for the last 7 years.
As you know from my last article I have decided not to
build another race car. Well, I have given that a lot of
thought and decided not to build an all out track car either
because it would just turn into another race car. My solution, I bought a 2006 330Ci with a ZHP package from Baron
BMW. It will make a good DE car and provide great comfort all the while. I can’t wait to drive it at Watkins Glen
this summer while attending O’fest. Oh, by the way, this
car is a CPO car. The only way you can get a CPO car is
by buying it from an authorized BMW dealer or lucking
out and finding a previously owned
CPO car that is still in warranty. Rest
assured that car was also purchased
used from a BMW dealer first.
So what is my point? If you are not
in the market for a new BMW, I
highly recommend that you consider
a previously owned BMW with a
CPO warranty and Baron BMW is a
great place to shop for one. They
may seem pricey but I can tell you
that the CPO warranty isn’t cheap as
it costs Baron over $1200 which is
obviously included in the price. If you know anything
about BMWs you know that certain items seem to have a
shelf life that is just outside the normal warranty and then
BAMM, hello that will be over $1200 to repair or replace.
Mary’s 2003 325Xi is now in CPO and it has already started
to repay us with a recent repair for a heater motor resister
which is apparently designed to go out just out of warranty. Guess what? David’s car had exactly the same problem a week later. They are both 2003 models within 5K
miles of each other. Eerie!
Have a great day. If there is anything you would like to
see in the Milepost or any event that you would like to get
involved in, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the board
members listed in the front of the Milepost. We are here to
serve you and make your driving experience with a BMW
pleasurable and memorable.
March / April 2008
So, You Want to be a HPDE Instructor?
by Ryan Staub
After my first few experiences as an HPDE (High-Performance Driver’s Education) student, I thought that instructing at an HPDE would be a lot of fun. Instructors typically
drive all three days, they get to ride in different types of
cars, and they get to drive “solo” on the track…it all looked
so appealing!
Although my desire to instruct persisted as I attended more
HPDEs, the reasons I wanted to instruct evolved as I gained
experience and insight to the responsibilities and hectic
schedule of a HPDE instructor.
First of all, a student
needs to become a very
competent driver on the
track to start instructing.
To be a good instructor
candidate, the driver
doesn’t need to be one of
the quickest drivers on
the track. A person that
is smooth, consistent,
adapts to track conditions, and has a great understanding of the concepts/physics behind
high-performance driving has a great foundation for becoming an instructor.
An instructor candidate needs a lot of laps at many different tracks to develop the experience and “seat of the pants”
feel necessary to instruct. As a driver, the instructor candidate needs to develop “the feel” of various car control characteristics (i.e. oversteer, understeer, etc.) and develop a
split-second reaction to these handling behaviors. It takes
time to develop these skills in the driver’s seat, and it is
even more difficult to feel and react in the passenger’s seat.
You have to mentally be a turn or two ahead, and be ready
to quickly and precisely communicate problems before they
happen!
Once a student has developed their skills and the Chief
Instructor or Eventmaster deems them an instructor candidate, the candidate will need to go to a BMW Instructor
Training School. In this grueling four-day DE event, the
first two days the candidate will be paired with a “mentor”
that will help them develop their instructing skills. In classroom sessions, the candidate will learn about different personalities and their correlating learning styles, high-level
discussion on high-performance vehicle dynamics, how to teach the friction/traction circle to students, bestpractices for an instructor, etc.
Instructor candidates and mentors also
participate in on-track role plays. In
these sessions, the mentor portrays a
type of student that an instructor might
encounter at a HPDE; meanwhile, the
instructor candidate must adapt their
instruction to meet the needs of this
student. The mentor will play the student that is scared of the track, the aggressive student that wants to go fast,
the student who has very un-smooth inputs (throttle, brake,
steering), the student that always turns in too early, etc.
As you might expect, the mentors do have some fun with
the instructor candidates and make the role plays very challenging. I have mentored at an Instructor Training School.
It was a very rewarding (and fun!) experience.
The first two days offer little free time other than a quick
lunch; a preparation for what instructing will be like!
Continued on page 13.....
!!! Announcing Chapter Website Updates !!!
The chapter is currently undertaking a number of initiatives to improve member communication. One of
the key components of this is to enhance and promote
increased visibility and use of the web site. You will
notice that the New Members and Classifieds sections
of the Milepost have been moved to the web site
and will no longer be included in the printed version.
Look for new features to be added as we continue our
efforts to further utilize the capabilities of the web
site, including the “Green” initiative and “Opt Out”
for those wishing to receive their newsletter in electronic form only (either through e-mail or from the
web site).
Please visit the chapter web site – http://
kcbmwclub.com for more information.
the Milepost
Revving Up for Autocross Season
by Doug Hitchcock
The signs are all around. Robins on the wing. Flowers
shoving new buds up through the soil. A hint of green in
the lawn.
It all means only one thing to the Bimmer Brothers.
It’s time to air up the race rubber, dust off the helmets, and
get ready to autocross!
The 2008 autocross season will feature lots of new developments locally, including a full slate of approximately 16
local events, an Evolution Performance Driving School in
April and a new venue for Crown Autocross Club.
Probably the biggest news locally is that the SCCA is bringing its Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour “Road to Topeka” series to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time ever,
Aug. 30-31, 2008. The event will feature the fastest
autocrossers in the country, warming up for the 2008 Nationals in Topeka.
The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour Road to Topeka
takes the nationals-style autocross on the road. These events
average over 275 drivers, with most coming from nearby
states. National Tour events are formatted and run much
like Solo Nationals, with each class of cars competing in
groups.
Meanwhile, Crown Autocross Club secured a new home
for its 2008 competitions. Crown, which was somewhat
unceremoniously booted from the Woodlands last year fol-
lowing the vote approving slot machines at that venue, will
host its events on lots at the Kansas Speedway.
There are high hopes that the Crown partnership with
Speedway officials will be fruitful — certainly it would
seem logical.
Either way, autocrossers are glad to be leaving the rutted,
pock-marked Woodlands lots behind for good.
Crown has not announced its schedule yet, but the group
typically hosts about eight autocrosses per season.
Along with the National Tour, SCCA is offering a full slate
of local autocrosses, to be held at Lot L. The schedule is:
- March 15, Test & Tune (non-competition).
- March 16, Autocross No. 1.
- April 4-5, Evolution Performance Driving School.
- April 6, Autocross No. 2.
- April 19-20, Midwest Divisional Autocross.
- May 4, Autocross No. 3.
- June 7, BMW Club Drive Till You Drop Autocross School.
- June 8, Autocross No. 4.
- July 20, Autocross No. 5.
- Aug. 6, Autocross No. 6.
- Sept. 28, Autocross No. 7.
- Oct. 4-5, Kansas City Championships.
- Oct. 19, Autocross No. 8, the “Halloweenie” event.
Classified Ads
WHEELS AND TIRES
WHEELS AND TIRES
CAR PARTS AND OTHER
Summer Wheels/Tires 4 OEM E46
Winter Wheels/Tires 4 16 inch Blizzak
Coleman 1.8KW generator, new,
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LM-25 tires (11/32nd of tread) on
$300. Sears Craftsman air compressor,
Bridgstone Potenza RE040 tires, 18x8
BMW type 88 wheels. The steal price
new, $75. Perfect for track days or
wheels with 225-40-18 tires front,
is $500. Contact Adam at 913.
emergency use around the home. Con18x8.5 wheels with 255-35-18
400.3953 or [email protected]
tact Scott at 913.727.1998 or
tires rear, used 5000 miles with 7/32"
[email protected].
tread left, right rear has a repaired one
inch scuff at the tire bead, $2600. Contact Kevin at 913.345.1534 or
[email protected].
.
Effective February 21, 2008 the Milepost will no longer run new classified ads. If you would like to advertise For Sale
or Wanted merchandise, please post it on the Kansas City BMW Club website, www.kcbmwclub.com, under the For Sale
or Want to Buy section of the Forum or post a classified ad in the Roundel. Both are free to BMW CCA members.
March / April 2008
the Milepost welcomes Mid America Window Tint
Mid America Window Tint Specialists strive to provide
the highest level of quality in both customer service and
installation. Our experienced, friendly staff works hard to
ensure you receive the best all around service. We are
Kansas City’s exclusive automotive provider of Huper
Optik’s Nano-Ceramic Window Films. We also provide
Madico Charcool and IR Films for use in aiding solar heat,
glair, and fading issues. In addition to window films, Mid
America also provides Clear Bra Paint Protection Films
that will reduce damage to your cars front bumper and paint
caused by bugs, gravel, and bits of road debris.
as long as you own your vehicle, against fading, color
change, cracking, crazing, delaminating, or adhesive failure. No other products warrants against fading and color
change.
Our business is located at 9158 West 135th Street in Overland Park, Kansas (one block west of 135th and Antioch
behind Cornerstone Bank) and we offer a 10% discount on
all Ceramic and IR Products for all BMW Car Club of
America members.
Mid America Window Tint Specialists provide the best
warranties in the industry. We warrantee our products, for
Are you interested in advertising in
the Milepost?
If you would like to join our family of business advertisers, contact Advertising Manager, Brad Rein at
[email protected] for a 2008 Media Kit.
the Milepost
Mid America Window
Tint Specialist
www.midamericatint.com
Tel: (913) 381-3533
Hours of Operation
Monday -Saturday 8am-5:30pm
....Continued from page 8
At the end of the first two days, instructor candidates will
be evaluated and rated as follows: 3. Candidate needs more
development before becoming an instructor. 2. Candidate
will be allowed to instruct with moderate supervision. 1.
Candidate will be allowed to instruct with minimal supervision. The number 1 and 2 Candidates will be given students for Saturday and Sunday!
For those that move on to instructing, they need to drastically change their priorities for a HPDE weekend. As an
instructor, your number one responsibility is keeping your
student safe. You will probably be wearing a helmet for
five+ hours each day, you will miss some of your driving
sessions, and you won’t have much (or any) time to work
on your car. Keeping up with the progress of three students, what turns they are having difficulty with, input techniques they are struggling with, and areas they are doing
well is very difficult to do. You also need to make sure
they are taking care of their car (fluids, tire pressure, lug
torques..), taking care of themselves (fluids), and having
fun.
At times it would be nice to just go to a HPDE and drive,
but I truly enjoy instructing students. It is very rewarding
to see them improve their skills throughout the weekend
and become more competent drivers on the track. With
the additional skills learned at an HPDE, our students become more capable drivers on public roads. HPDE students are more aware of their surroundings and they understand what they and their car are capable of; these skills
will help students avoid accidents on public roads, so in a
way I feel like I’m helping save lives. Although instructing isn’t as glamorous as it might initially seem, it is a very
challenging and rewarding task. The pay is terrible (none),
but the driver improvement, smiles, and friends made make
it well worth it.
There is always a need to increase our instructor base. If
you are interested in instructing, and are a DE student who
has much experience driving at the advanced level, at multiple tracks, and you consider your skills and feel up to the
task, I would encourage contacting Chief Instructor Joe
Ennett or Event Master Kirk Kiloh.
the Milepost
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 4693
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City BMW Club
P.O. Box 4832
Overland Park, KS 66204
(913) 219-3146
cut here
cut here
cut here
KC BMW CCA Calendar
March / April 2008
03.20.2008 Thursday: 6PM
Club Meeting
Dub Dread Golf Club; Kansas City, KS
04.05.2008 Saturday: 8:30AM
Panera Get Together
Shawnee Mission Parkway and I-35
04.17.2008 Thursday: 6PM
Club Meeting
LoneStar Steakhouse; Kansas City, KS
05.03.2008 Saturday: 8:30AM
Panera Get Together
Shawnee Mission Parkway and I-35
To catch the latest in club events, sign up for the announcment emails on our
website at: www.kcbmwclub.org. If you have any questions please feel free to
contact me at [email protected] or 816.753.6429.