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WHAT’S INSIDE From the President NCM ChampCar Race Cold Weather Tire & Driving Tips Before & After: Falling in Love with BMW 2019 In Pictures BMW CCA Chapter Leadership Conference Upcoming Events New & Renewing Member Recognition
BMW Car Club of America Bluegrass Bimmers
VOLUME 15, WINTER 2019
Thank you for being a member of the Bluegrass Bimmers BMW CCA! To join or renew your membership, visit the official home of the BMW CCA at https://www.bmwcca.org/ Be sure to check our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/213004217599/ This has almost all the upcoming events and some social networking. View our website at www.bluegrassbimmers.org
:25'6 )520 7+( 35(6,'(17 Fausto Sarmiento, Bluegrass Bimmers President
BLUEGRASS BIMMERS CHAPTER BMW CAR CLUB OF AMERICA
www.bluegrassbimmers.org Officers
Hello bimmer enthusiasts! 2019 marks the 50th year the BMW Car Club of America has served as an outlet to help BMW enthusiasts share their passion for horsepower with thousands of poeple. Whether you want to learn how to be a better driver on the street or on the track, whether you are looking for a place to socialize and network, whether you are trying a DIY project, or whether you just want to get out there and enjoy a fun drive with friends to interesting locations, you'll find BMW CCA members to help you achieve your goals. What will the next 50 years hold? Check out my write up of the Chapter Leadership Conference for updates. The Bluegrass Bimmers, the BMW CCA Chapter serving the Kentucky area, is striving to make membership more fun and more beneficial for members! Tech events, drives, shows, socials - you asked for them, and you got them! Thank you all so much for participating in BGB BMW CCA events! In April, the Spring Drive took members on a fun, albeit wet, back roads drive for a private tour of a musuem quality private collection of BMW cars and paraphernalia. In October, the Fall Drive gave members the chance to get out on another fun, albeit wet (again!) back roads drive for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Castle & Key. Plenty of informal drives happened in between - and we encourage BGB friends to go drive often! The Bluegrass Bimmers partnered with the local SCCA chapter to give BGB members the chance to autocross their cars and learn how a BMW moves when pushed in a safe, yet exciting, closed course environment. Members showed off their cars at the Concours and Hor d'oeuvres event run in the BMW Club Paddock during the Keeneland Concours, rallied for a fun afternoon at the Crave Car Show, and represented the marque well at the Exotic Cars & Coffee in Louisville. We are ending 2019 with a couple of BGB karting events and starting 2020 in BMW of Louisville's $20 million new facility. We will repeat some of our events in 2020 (like the Concours & Hor d'oeuvres), we will tweak and update popular events (a new distillery), and we'll debut some new activities in 2020...some people have been asking about a weekend long, family friendly, multi-state trip with BGB friends...so stay tuned! Be sure to read the Leadership Conference write up for BMW CCA updates! The future of the BMW CCA will literally be in your hands! New and renewing members are featured in every issue of the newsletter, so be sure to update your information now in order to get recognized in the next edition of Pferdestärke! Sincerely,
Our newsletter title, the German word Pferdestärke, translates to Horsepower.
President: Fausto Sarmiento fausto@performancedrivenky.com Vice President Open Secretary Open Treasurer Open Lexington Area Membership Coordinator John Rice realtorjohnrice@yahoo.com Louisville Area Membership Coordinator: Greg Nehring gregnehring@twc.com Bowling Green Area Membership Coordinator Open Pferdestärke Editor Chris Eddie chris@smileypete.com Pferdestärke welcomes submissions. Send your story, photographs, or comments to: fausto@performancedrivenky.com To Join, Renew, or Change Address, contact:
BMW CCA National Office 640 South Main ST, Suite 201 Greenville, South Carolina 29601 864.250.0022 www.bmwcca.org questions@bmwcca.org BMW Car Club of America Bluegrass Bimmers
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Sponsors Fuel Race cars Zakspeed.us thanks: C&C Wraps Bimmerworld Redline Apex 9 Wurth BMW Of Louisville Odometer Gears
BMW CCA Membership The Key to Getting the Most Out of the Ultimate Driving Machine
bmwcca.org
Tire Maintenance Tips
By: Mike Plowman Tire Specialist Motorsports of Lexington
Get the most tire out of your money not the most miles out of your tire! Tires are designed and built to provide many thousands of miles of excellent service. To get your money's worth, tires must be maintained properly to avoid tire damage and abuse that may result in tire dismobilization. The service life of a tire is determined by several factors from storage, rotation and service conditions, which a tire is subjected to throughout its life (load, speed, inflation pressure, road hazard injury, etc.). Since driving conditions vary widely from person to person and vehicle to vehicle, accurately predicting the service life (or better stated with the infamous question...HOW MANY MILES WILL I GET FROM THESE TIRES or HOW MANY MILES REMAINING) of any specific tire is NOT possible. But possibly with some pre planning, you can extended or get your moneys worth when it comes to tires. Inspect, Inspect, Inspect...then Inspect Again! It's always mind blowing to consumers to receive photos like the ones shown on this page. To the everyday driver looking at the tire from the outside, these tires look fine. As soon as it hits the rack, its noticed right away that your are playing a classic game of "Russian Roulette" with your tires! For most BMW drivers getting the most out of their cards, the inside of the tire will wear faster than the rest of the tire. In a "square" setup, when all four tires are the same size, regular tire rotation at every five thousand miles will eliminate the "suprise" of asymmetrical wear. Of course, with more and more of BMW vehicles enjoying the benefits of a "staggard" (smaller in the front than the rear) set up, rotation is not an option. At every oil change (those are regular, right!?), ask to have the Technician or Service Writer inspect and measure the tread depth of each tire. Specifically, ask for three tread depth readings per tire, outside, middle, and inside. This will help you keep track how your tires are wearing and hopefully eliminate the "Suprise" factor from your BMW related maintenance costs!
Remember: 1. Inflate - Check your pressures often! 2. Rotate - Rotate as per OEM recommendations or every 3,000 - 5,000 miles 3. Evaluate - Look for signs of damage or excessive or uneven treadware. 4. Operate - Poor vehicle handling could be a sign of necessary alignment.
What Happens to Tires in the Winter? Whatever happens to tires over the winter, make sure it's not happening to summer tires! Mother Nature extends her cold reach quickly! Drivers with vehicles equipped with summer performance tires need to know those tires are not designed for near or below freezing temperatures on clear roads, slush, snow, rain, or ice. Summer performance tires feature tread compounds engineered to provide traction in warm to hot ambient temperatures. They were never intended to experience near and below freezing temperatures, nor wintry driving conditions. As temperatures get colder, typically in the 40-45°, summer performance tires lose a noticeable percentage of traction as their tread compound rubber properties change from a pliable elastic to inflexible plastic. In short, your braking distances become longer and your risk of getting into an accident goes up with every turn of the wheel. If temperatures drop close to freezing or below-freezing, driving or rolling a vehicle equipped with summer performance tires risks the possibility of tread compound cracking. Tread compound cracking is a permanent condition that requires the tires to be replaced. The other condition that can be caused by running summer performance tires in cold temperatures is the possibility of chipping away the edges of the tread blocks. Just FYI, since both of these conditions only occur as the result of what's considered improper use or storage, they are not typically covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Its higly recommended that you change out your summer performance tires for all season or winter tires, at the first sign of cold weather. Keep in mind that in Kentucky, the temperature may be in the low 40s one weekend and low 80s the next weekend. Don't fall into the trap of waiting the next warm weekend to change out your tires - once the tread compound is damaged, the ability of your tire to give you the response, the traction, and the peace of mind you need is gone. It's been my pleasure to share some insight on the most important piece of rubber thats between you and the roads you travel!
Fausto's Winter Driving Tips 1..Focus on preparation. Preparation keeps you safe(r). Keep your car clean/washed. Check your tire pressures, tire conditions, fuel level, fluid levels, window conditions, etc. A clean car is a safe car - plus, in the winter, it'll stand out even more! 2..Don't get stuck. Turn on DTC by turning off DSC. DTC will give you more wheel spin. In low traction conditions (such as when trying to take off in snow, ice, or slush, the extra wheel spin will allow your car to build enough momentum to get you going on the road. If you're in an open, clear parking lot, take the long way out of the parking lot before turning off DTC and reengaging DSC. Trust me. Just don't have too much fun - remember, safety first! 3. Take even more time to get heat into your car.. Get your mind and your body ready for being focused while driving in winter conditions. Give your car plenty of time to get up to operating temperature - and remember, your tires may never warm up enough to reach optimal operating temperature. Cold tires are horrible tires! 4..Pay attention to current conditions..Drive in tire tracks to find more traction on busy roads but avoid tire tracks if they have been laying exposed in the snow on an empty road. 5..Don't use cruise control in the winter.. Road conditions change, especially over bridges and when crossing paint and tire tracks (i.e., passing). Be ready to act. DRIVE your car! Winter driving is not for cruising. You, the driver, need to be in control!
BBefore & After: Falling in Love with my First BMW
By: Ben Hibben
I've only had my 2009 535xi wagon for a couple of weeks -just in time for the Fall Drive & Distillery Tour. BMW ownership didn't start gracefully; two days after buying it from a dealership, it stalled on me while trying to charge up a short freeway on ramp and wouldn't start until, predictably, the tow truck arrived. The car drove onto the back and right back off at home without any problem. I did some research and took out and cleaned the VANOS solenoids (which I will be replacing soon just to be safe). I took my research to the BMW Dealership for more solutions. They replaced the EKPS for me (this module requires programming and is not recommended to be done by yourself). The problem disappeared and I began to really believe the claimed 300 HP. It's a whole new car now with more power and better fuel economy, but due to the fact it had stalled on me twice when trying to accelerate quickly I hadn't really tried any spirited driving as of yet. That all changed at the 2019 Fall Drive & Distillery Tour. The morning of the drive was a wet one due to some steady, light rain that had fallen overnight. With this and the real potential for wet leaves, realized several times throughout the route, the group agreed to drive responsibly. This suited me great; I'm still pretty new to this vehicle and I'm not yet comfortable seeking out the edges of the performance envelope. That said the brisk pace certainly put my car, and my skills, through their paces. I chose poor lines through some corners but the xDrive system helped me correct confidently. As the drive progressed I became more and more confident in just how much control and traction is available even in adverse conditions. When I chose the correct line through a corner the thrill was palpable. I'm deeply impressed with the engineering and capabilities of this machine and already deeply in love; I want to keep this car in my life for awhile now. It's smooth in power, cornering, and comfort. It was also exciting to see some of the other club members modifications; there were some gorgeous vehicles and I'm already thinking about what I'd like to do to personalize mine.
2019 in Pictures
2019 in Pictures
Club Updates News from the November 2019 BMW CCA Chapter Leadership Conference
Fausto Sarmiento, President Bluegrass Bimmers BMW CCA
There are some notable changes coming to the BMW CCA. I'll be at the dinner socials in both Lexington and Louisville to discuss these upcoming changes in further detail. Feel free to reach out to me on Facebook as well so we can engage through the Facebook group. Club Dues In 2020, BMW CCA dues will go up. This is the first increase in membership cost in more than 20 years. One Year Membership, $58/year Three Year Membership: $174/3 Years 5 Year & Lifetime Membership rates are also available and will also see price increases. While Chapters across the country are well-capitalized, including the Bluegrass Bimmers, membership enrollment has fallen over the last decade. Funding events like a weekend at the track can cost upwards of $30,000, so even wellcapitalized Chapters can experience fast reductions in their cash reserves. Member recruitment & retention is a priority. Roundel The Roundel will only be published 10 times per year instead of the traditional 12 times per year. To make up for the reduction in the two issues, BMW CCA will publish a new magazine called BimmerLife. The focus of the Roundel will be on member retention and will showcase themes important to BMW enthusiasts. BimmerLife BimmerLife is a new publication designed to inspire current members and recruit new members. The best of the BMW CCA and the BMW enthusiast lifestyle will be showcased in a bi-annual, premium format magazine that is physically larger than the Roundel. BimmerLife will be an art style, high-quality look book that will feature attractive photography printed on glossy paper. BimmerLife will be region specific and each regional issue will showcase national initiatives, regional news & events, and chapter spotlights. Each chapter in a region will get space in its regional BimmerLife edition to highlight news, events, people, and other items of note. Chapter Funding Each chapter will receive less funding from the BMW CCA national office. However, the national office is removing various requirements from chapter duties. It is also taking on some of the administrative costs and responsibilities of running a chapter, such as funding D&O insurance. Chapters will see a loss of funding of about $5/member. Chapters can explore consolidating or regionalizing in order to better meet the goals and needs of its members. Bluegrass Bimmers Specific Information Note there are many open positions on the board of the Bluegrass Bimmers. There is quite a bit of work to do and volunteers are definitely needed! If you are intersted in serving on the board, please email me at <fausto@performancedrivenky.com> and I'll be happy to discuss the open positions with you and see which position may be a "best fit" for you.
2019 Events to End the Year Louisville
Lexington November 12, 2019
Bluegrass Bimmers Kart Night Lexington Area - In lieu of November Dinner Social Time: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM, MB2 Raceway 2040 Creative Dr. Suite 300 Lexington, KY 40505 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Bimmer Banter 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Dinner and Karting BGB is providing the space and the food - you can come out to drive, hang out with friends, meet new people, enjoy a pleasant evening or dive into fun competition!
November 13, 2019
Bluegrass Bimmers Kart Night Louisville Area - In lieu of November Dinner Social Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Bluegrass Karting & Events 2520 Ampere Dr Louisville, KY 40299 Bluegrass Bimmers is providing the space and the food you can come out to drive, hang out with friends, meet new people, throw axes, have a couple drinks, enjoy a pleasant evening or dive into fun competition!
2020 Alert We'll be starting 2020 in style! Look for information on a Bluegrass Bimmers New Years Party in mid - to late January, 2020. The event is expected to be held at the new BMW of Louisville location, a $20 million facility dedicated to all things BMW - vehicle sales, sales, aftermarket upgrades, gifts, apparel, and more!
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Tim Adair Jesse Yowell Aaron Wheeler Beau Portman Katie Irwin Thomas Keating Grayson Eldridge Steve List Tom Broster Timothy Lees Sherry Taylor
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