Great Weather for Autocross 2

Sunday, May 16 was another beautiful day for the second event of the 1999 Massachusetts BMW Retailers Autocross Series. The weather was just perfect, sunny and blue, with nary a breeze. The lucky folks left with a nice tan at the end of the day, while some less lucky souls were a bit red!

Fred Beck conducts the drivers meeting. (photo by Ron Sisco)

Despite efforts to limit the event to 75 participants due to the overwhelming turnout at Autocross 1, we ended up with nine extra registrants, plus the three Autocross Chairs, for a total of 87 entries. Most people were aware of the new rules and arrived early, but a few people came late with such heart wrenching stories that we just couldn't turn them away. There were 45 BMWs, representing 52% of all entries, an almost identical proportion to the 53% of Autocross 1.

The computer gremlins had a bit of fun with our timing system, delaying the first car until 10:15 am, but we still managed to provide four runs per person. About a dozen people stayed to the bitter end, and did two fun runs apiece.

Autocross Chair Fred Beck finally left at 8 pm, with every single item required to support the autocross either packed in or strapped on his 1973 BMW 2002tii. Talk about a mobile autocross - it's practically plug-n-play!

Fast Times at Rockingham

With cars running almost continuously, there was plenty to watch. (photo by Dan Mull)

Francis O'Connor was back with his 1995 M3 Lightweight, and was also back in the BMW FTD slot he held so frequently last year. With a hot lap of 1:12.987, he was over two full seconds faster than the next fastest car! That was the non-BMW FTD of Rich Johnson, who did a 1:15.135 in his 1995 Chevy Camaro.

Surprised that a pony car beat all but one BMW? Our spies in the paddock area report having spotted a tech inspection sticker from another event on the Camaro's windshield. Rich has obviously had some practice and knows what he's doing, as his times can prove!

Luka Serdar is the Boston Chapter's Driving School Chair. (photo by Dan Mull)

One element of excitement for Autocross Chairs Fred Beck and John Mansfield was getting the chance to drive a purpose-built autocross racer, brought by John Genereux. The vehicle had a very short wheelbase, making it very twitchy, and 105 HP Honda motorcycle engine with a sequential shift transmission. The car weighed about 500 lbs. It was light, fast, and hard to handle.

Fred spun once and still managed a time of 1:24.356 - not bad for a car he'd never driven! John and John also spun during their runs, and were still faster than many of the more traditional cars. Driving this vehicle was a real adrenaline rush, and made Fred want to get one of his own! (Won't his '02 be jealous?) His heart rate was reportedly still elevated about 15 minutes after his run! We hope to see this vehicle entered again.

New Registration Procedures

By the time you read this, the new rules for autocross registration will be firmly in place. From this point onward, members may participate in the autocross by preregistration only. The benefits of this new system are:

1. No registration is allowed during the morning of the event. While there will still be a check-in to make sure everyone is there and has paid, this should take much less time than the hour or more registration typically takes.
2. All run groups and work assignments will be pre-assigned, so we can start running cars much earlier. We are shooting for first car off at 9:15 am.
3. You are now able to sign up and pay for the whole season at one time, thereby securing a spot in multiple events if you're an avid autocrosser.
4. There will be a strict limit of 75 entrants plus the autocross chairs. This should provide more runs and less hassle for everyone concerned.

There were several white E30 M3s at Autocross 1. (photo by Dan Mull)

The Autocross Preregistration policy and registration form are available on the chapter web site.

You may also contact the Autocross Chair, Fred Beck, either by email (fbeck@boston-bmwcca.org), fax (617-566-9820 between 9am and 10pm), or postal mail (c/o Autocross Chair, 17-A Atherton Road, Brookline, MA 02446). Please note that there will be no on-site registration.

Looking to the Future

As of this writing, chances are good that we will run two events at Rockingham Park in October. They will likely be on the 3rd and the 24th. We should have confirmation of this by early July. In any case we plan to hold 8 events this year, and will run the last two events at a different venue if necessary.

You don't have to wear driving shoes to compete. (photo by Ron Sisco)

Finally, an additional autocross is in the works. This event will be separate from the 1999 Massachusetts BMW Retailer Autocross Series. It will be sponsored by Inskip Auto Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, and is likely be held in September. This will give our Rhode Island members to a chance to participate in a great autocross event without having to drive all the way to New Hampshire.

Stay tuned for details!

July/August 1999 BIMMER

Favorite Road:: Framingham/Sudbury Loop by Jack Palczynski

Behind the Wheel: Into The Driver's Seat by Fred Beck

Under the Hood: Do you have a Favorite Road? by Greg Scott

Crushing The Cones: Great Weather for Autocross 2 by Fred Beck and Justin Hughes

July/August 1999 New Members by Barry Tarr

What Next?: Greetings by Fred Beck

1999 Second Quarter General Meeting: Model of Excellence by Justin Hughes

1999 Second Quarter General Meeting: Photo Gallery by Dan Mull

May 1999 Boston Chapter Driving School: Back To School by Ron Sisco

May 1999 Boston Chapter Driving School: Back To School Photo Gallery by Ron Sisco

May Event Report by Fred Beck

Police Chase 2002tii by Martin Middelmann

2000 National Elections by Wynne Smith

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President's Page: Calling All Members October 2000 Bimmer

President's Page: Bonjour, Chapitre de Boston! September 2000 Bimmer

President's Page July/August 2000 Bimmer

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Autocross 2002 April 2002 Boston Bimmer

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