It was best of times on the date of wine tour October 13-14, 2019. We had a great group including Carol and Mario who traveled from Florida to attend. It was great to see them and their enthusiasm for the event even though they drove a Chevy Impala. The route we followed was same as last year. Through Carson to Jack’s Valley Road to HI way 88 for a rest stop at Carson Pass (beautiful drive- fall colors were great).  Above a group picture at Carson Pass with mountains in background.

This year before we left Carson Pass everyone was alerted to watch for and take the Mormon Immigrant trail exit. Last year five cars blew past the exit. This year President Ron Nicasio and his navigator Art Ono charged ahead of the lead car without knowing how to get to first stop at Amador Cellars. The rest of us proceeded in an orderly manner to Amador Cellars where we were greeted by Linda Long one of the owners. Ron and Art did fine us.  Amador Cellars is a family winery.  Linda supervises the tasting room with help from her daughter and son. Mr. Long retired as winemaker but is around to help wine testing. They are welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable.  In October they were still harvesting and crushing. We inspected grapes in fermenting vats in the outdoor tasting area set up just for us.

We next went to MaBeRa Winery for lunch catered by Beth Sogaard Catering from the Amador Vintage Market. Many of us sat outside and MaBeRa staff brought out wine to taste while we enjoyed lunch.  We the only guests at MaBeRa that Saturday—it was closed to the public.  The BMW Flag was displayed in the tasting room area of the warehouse where others had lunch (See group picture on Web Page). Unfortunately that is the last time we will enjoy MaBeRa hospitality. We learned later that It has closed. Wine sold off at discounts (We enjoyed MaBeRa wine at the Holiday Party dinner).  MaBeRa gifted it the BMW flag to the Club and it was displayed at Holiday Party. So next year we will need to find a new lunch venue. Those who attended will tell you that it will be hard to beat MaBeRa.

The last stop was Paul J. Wines.  It is new open in April 2018. Paul J. Sobon is the owner and wine maker. He lives next door to the tasting room. His daughter Camille run the tasting room and there is a red wine named after her that many of us purchased. The Sobon family owns Sobon Winery and Shenandoah Vineyards both in Amador County. The tasting room is new. The grounds include a bocce court and putting green. Mario, Fred, Ron Rachow and I played bocce. Others enjoyed wine and lounging in comfortable chairs outside the tasting room.

After Paul J it was on to Shenandoah Inn for a nap and preparing for the pool party. Everyone brought their favorite wine of the day and we consumed the left over lunch snacks and finished off with Pokerville market pizza. Can’t beat that.

Sunday breakfast was at Marlene and Glenn’s Dead Fly Dinner—as good as ever. After breakfast members headed off to Amador Flower Farm or to visit a winery or head home. We look forward to next year. Who knows what new great winery we will find to visit? For sure it will include some old favorites.

~ De Sharp

To watch the video and trip details click here and here to view the photo gallery.

The post 2018 Wine Tour appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

After cocktails, we went to the Club which was only minutes away.  The McGoff’s are members of the Club so there was no rental charge for the room.  The Sierra Chapter also provided the wine for dinner.  This year we had a sit down dinner with Chicken Supreme, Maple Chipotle Salmon and Dijon Honey & Rosemary Pork Tenderloin for the main entrees. The room was beautifully decorated and had a cozy fireplace that enhanced a lovely venue for the party.

The highlight of the evening was the annual raffle. Again, Bill Pearce BMW contributed several raffle items and De Sharp donated a gift as well as wine from the McGoff’s. Almost everyone won a prize.  The party is booked for 2019 at Brick’s Restaurant again. We look forward to some new members to show up this year to take in all the fun.

Happy New Year!

Pat McGoff
Vice President

Click here to watch the video or or visit our photo gallery

The post 2018 Holiday Party appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

*Details forthcoming

The post 2019 Planned Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

850CSi

BMW made only 1,311 E31 850CSi cars.  Made by the BMW Motorsports Division there were two different models.  There was a worldwide model and a different one for USA.  Both were hand assembled by the M Division.
The worldwide European CSi was specifically built for extended high speed touring.  The USA model had a more limited design.  This specific “Cars With History” Euro model was originally sold to a Doctor in Munchen.  Prior to initial delivery the BMW Custom Shop shipped the finished car to the Alpina factory for additional chassis customization for fun driving at the Nuburgring.  Despite maintaining mods to meet USA regulations this car is still meeting all USA and BMW European regulations.

Technical Highlights

• ENGINE: S73 V12 rated at 396 hp DIN.  This engine is a non-racing version of the BMW V12 engine used in the  McLaren F1 Supercar.  BMW made only 1,311 CSi engines.
• TRANSMISSION: 6 speed manual only.  No options.
• ACTIVE REAR WHEEL STEERING: Standard only on Worldwide cars.  First use of modern rear wheel steering.  Not available on USA models.
• CHASSIS: Modified by Alpina for improved track perfomance at Nuburgring.
• MAINTENANCE: All maintenance meets European standards and is added to USA BMW requirements.
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: First production vehicle to use modern electronic design.

~James Goodfellow

The post Cars With History – 850CSi appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The post Sierra Scene Newsletter Jul-Sep 2018 appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

BMW will continue to provide as many models in each segment as possible over the next few years.

In electric vehicles alone, BMW plans to roll out a dozen full-electric vehicles by the middle of the next decade.

BMW will introduce the iNEXT battery-electric crossover and the i4 four-door electric coupe in 2021. A battery-electric variant of the X3 crossover will go into production in 2020.

BMW also will add to the half-dozen crossovers it offers. Early next year, BMW’s long-awaited large crossover — the X7 — will go on sale in the U.S.

Here’s a summary of what’s expected model by model:

2 series: BMW will turn to front- and all-wheel drive for a new four-door variant of the 2-series Gran Coupe coming in the first half of 2020. It will be built on the same platform that underpins the Mini lineup and the smaller non-U.S. 1-series sedan.

The Gran Coupe — a four-door with coupe-like styling — will be sold globally and is expected to be offered with three- and four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. In the U.S., a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission is likely to be the only powertrain offered.

3 series: The redesigned 3-series sedan will go on sale in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2019. An M performance version likely will appear in the second half of 2019. The 3-series Gran Turismo is expected to be discontinued.

i3: The compact battery-electric car was freshened in late 2017 and received a larger battery and greater driving range. A new generation of the i3 could arrive in the first half of 2024.

4 series: The coupe and convertible will be redesigned — the coupe in the second half of 2020 and the convertible in the first half of 2021. A redesign of the four-door Gran Coupe is expected in the second half of 2021. A mild-hybrid (48-volt) version of the 4 series will follow the redesign. Plug-in hybrid and full-electric versions of the Gran Coupe also are possible.

Z4: A redesigned Z4 could go on sale in the first quarter of 2019. It is to debut in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Two versions will be offered initially: Z4 30i and Z4 M40i. With a new lightweight platform, the Z4 is expected to grow and get updated engines. A fabric roof will replace the car’s retractable hardtop.

i4: The EV will launch in the first half of 2021 with an EPA range of about 300 miles on a full charge. The four-door coupe is based on the i Vision Dynamics concept unveiled in September at the Frankfurt auto show. The i4 will be based on BMW’s CLAR cluster architecture, a lightweight modular system.

5 series: The 5 series is due for a freshening in the first half of 2020 and a redesign in the second half of 2023. The sixth-generation 2018 M5 sport sedan went on sale this spring. It features a new M xDrive awd system that can be turned off to allow rwd operation. In July, BMW began production of a faster variant — the 2019 M5 Competition — which boosts the horses to 617 from 591.

6 series: The 2018 BMW 6-series GT is offered in one trim: the 640i xDrive, powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter, inline-six gasoline engine producing 335 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque. The 6-series Gran Coupe will be discontinued in mid-2019.

7 series: The 7 series is getting a freshening, including powertrain improvements, next year. The 7-series sedan will be redesigned in the second half of 2022.

8 series: BMW will reintroduce the 8-series coupe, the first new 8 series in 20 years, with the 2019 M850i xDrive awd variant. The latest 8 series is powered by a new version of BMW’s TwinPower Turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engine that generates 523 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque. It features an oversized version of BMW’s dual kidney grille with adjustable slats and large air intakes at the corners. The LED headlights are the slimmest in BMW’s lineup.

The coupe will go on sale in the U.S. in the fourth quarter and a convertible will go on sale in the second quarter of 2019. An M8 performance version has been confirmed for the first half of 2020. An 8-series Gran Coupe variant also is expected in late 2019, and a plug-in hybrid version could arrive in 2021.

2019 BMW M850i xDrive starts at 112895 CAR NEWS 2019 BMW M850i xDrive starts at $112,895BMW’s big coupe is back. The new 8-series will make its return to the U.S. on Dec. 8 this year. The awkwardly named M850i xDrive will be the first variant of the new 8-series offered, and it …

i8: BMW freshened the i8 coupe for the 2019 model year and it will be joined by the new i8 roadster. Total output increased to 369 hp, up 12 hp from the previous model year. The coupe and roadster are expected to be redesigned in 2022, when they could move to full electric.

iNEXT: A planned extension of the i sub-brand previously called the i5 has morphed into the iNEXT. BMW says it will introduce the iNEXT battery-electric crossover in the second half of 2021. It will have semiautonomous driving capabilities and a range of more than 310 miles on a full charge, according to Autoweek.

X1: The small crossover will be freshened in early 2019. It’s slated for a redesign for a U.S. launch in the second half of 2022.

X2: BMW is positioning the new X2 as a sportier alternative to the X1. The X2 is shorter and lower than the X1, with a different face. The X2 xDrive28i, the awd debut model, arrived in U.S. dealerships this spring, powered by a 228-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A redesign is expected in 2024.

X3: Now in its third generation, the X3 crossover generally maintains its overall exterior dimensions, although the wheelbase has grown 2.2 inches. The X3 gets lighter, more powerful and more efficient with better handling and driving dynamics.

iX3: The battery-electric variant of the X3 is expected to have a 270-hp electric motor and a 70 kilowatt-hour battery delivering a range of 250 miles. The iX3 could go into production in the second quarter of 2020.

X4: In addition to receiving new engines, the second-generation X4 becomes lighter, more efficient and roomier. The 2019 X4 xDrive30i is powered by a new turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine producing 248 hp, up from 240 hp for the engine in the outgoing 28i. The 2019 X4 M40i is powered by a new turbocharged 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine producing 355 hp.

X5: The crossover receives a redesign in the second half of 2018. It will be larger than its predecessor with extra passenger and cargo room, and offer an off-road package for the first time in a BMW light truck.

X6: The midsize crossover with coupe-like styling will be redesigned and go on sale in the U.S. in the second half of 2019.

X7: BMW’s long-awaited large crossover will go on sale in the U.S. at the end of the first quarter of 2019. The X7 will come in six- and eight-cylinder models. A $100,000-plus four-seater, possibly with a 12-cylinder engine, has been discussed.

BMW: Whats’s new and what’s coming

BMW will continue to provide as many models in each segment as possible over the next few years. In electric vehicles alone, BMW plans to roll out a dozen full-electric vehicles by the middle of the next decade. BMW will introduce the iNEXT battery-electric crossover and the i4 four-door electric coupe in 2021.

The post BMW – What’s New and What’s Coming appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Everyone who showed up in a BMW “had to participate” so as they parked Mart and John made sure they opened their hoods to expose the beautiful BMW engine. In all, 11 BMWs competed for four “trophies” – Cleanest, Dirtiest, Most Custom and People’s Choice.   Participants included two X3s, two X5s, two 325s, 135, Z4, M5, M3 and 850 – from classic and turbocharged six-cylinders to a honking X5M twin-turbo V-8 to a V-12.   So how did they fair?

The Cleanest award went to Alice Strom for her 2012 X3 (…guess who really cleaned this engine up?); Dirtiest was awarded to Ron Rachow for his ’05 X3 (…he said he didn’t know he would be judged);  Most Customized to John English and his ’09 135i (…John said it was that way when he bought it); and the people cast the most votes for Burcak Erenoglu’s 2013 X5M (…you can never have too much power, right?).   Thanks to Mart Jaama (’93 850i), John Strom (’03 M3), De Sharp (’15 X5d), Paul Hollenbeck (’01 325), Fred Watson (’99 325i), Jim Johns (’12 Z4) and Jim Goodfellow (’95 M5) for also displaying their engines.

Now, what do you suppose Mart and John will come up with next year?

~John Strom

The post 2018 Engine Concours at Annual Picnic appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

I grew up on a farm outside a small town in Michigan. I was always interested in cars and worked on the Pontiac Motors assembly line for a couple of years during the time the GTO was first introduced. I graduated from Michigan State in the mid-sixties and joined the Marines.

My first new car was a Chevy Corvair Corsa convertible with 4 single barrel carburetor and all of 140 horsepower that I sold when I left for Vietnam. After serving 12 1/2 months overseas I bought a muscle car, a Dodge Cornet with a 440 magnum engine. Really fast acceleration but not much on stopping or cornering.

I stayed in the Marines, attended law school, and retired after 20

years. Sharon and I then moved to Reno where we have lived since 1986. Sharon is a native Nevadan and her family has lived in Reno for generations. I worked for the Nevada Attorney General for a short time, the Washoe County District Attorney for 5 years, and then spent 22 years as an Assistant United States Attorney. Prior to retirement Most of my career was spent as a criminal prosecutor.

I have owned numerous cars over the years including a Rambler American, a Chevy Chevelle 2 door hardtop, a Mustang and an Olds Cutlass. I bought my first BMW, a 320i in 1981and kept it for about 15 years It was a great fun car to drive and I don’t think that model ever got the respect it deserved. My next Bimmer was a 1988 535i with a manual transmission which I owned for about 12 years. I have also had a 2001 Z3 roadster, a 2011 Z4 roadster, and currently have a 2005 and a 2013 X3. My other cars are a 2005 MB CLK 500 and a 2013 MB SL550.

I joined our club around 10 years ago and Sharon and I have greatly enjoyed the experience and comradeship of fellow members. We particularly enjoy the road trips like the annual wine tour, the Virginia City drive, and the Strom “Cabot Cove” trips. We also look forward to more fun times and fun rallies.

Since retiring I have played a lot of golf, spent a lot of time hiking, and we have been on several cruises and made several trips to Europe. We are looking forward too many more years of travel.

Additionally, I have been a SAVE volunteer for the last 3 years working 1 or 2 days a week with the Reno Police Department.

~ Ron Rachow

The post My Name is Ron Rachow appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

I was raised in a copper mining camp in Kimberly, Nevada. I know you never heard of it and if you happened to go there today (even if you can get close) you will find a big open pit mine.  Kimberly was a mining company town. We had our own hospital, K-12 School, post office, small store and company housing. When WW II ended copper price tanked and mining in Kimberly was cut back and parts of the town including the school were shut down. Kimberly kids were bused to Ruth to finish 12th grade.

High school was in Ely, White Pine County HS. Kids from Kimberly, Ruth, McGill and area ranches all went to WP HS.

My first car was not a BMW. In 1955 I acquired 1940 Ford coupe. Ran ok but no brakes. My Dad and I finally got brakes fixed. I went off to college fall 1956 at the University of Nevada.  Note I did not say UNR, Reno because the only UNR in 1956 was in Reno. There was a two year JC in Las Vegas. My Ford did not go to college with me.  In1958 my parents moved to Las Vegas and my Ford disappeared.

Fast forward. College followed by Law School at Stanford, married to Joyce (we met at UNR) and moved to Reno in 1963.  I had a 1954 Ford Fairlane six with column shift. Joyce had 1955 Chev. Coupe.  Both sold, and we got 1960 or so Ford Galaxy. I was admitted to Bar in Nevada in 1963 (55 years ago). We were both working so we splurged and bought a 1964 Pontiac Tempest convertible. When daughter Stefanie was born in 1966 the Tempest was traded in on another Ford sedan. Son Kyle was born in 1969 and a series of cars followed:  SAAB turbo sedan; BMW Bavaria, BMW 2002, Mercedes Benz 450SEL; BMW E36 M3; BMW E46 M3; current 2015 M4; three X5s latest a 2015 diesel- great car.  Also mixed in was a Mitsubishi SUV, a 1964 or 65 Ford pickup and 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

In 2000 we attended a charity function that had a silent auction. A GGCBMWCCA two day driving school at Sears Point was one of the auction items. I bought it!  My first track school at Sears was November 2000. I found my application for another GGC school at Sears in November of 2002 that listed schools at Laguna Seca (1) a Thunder Hill (1) and Sears (3). Many other schools and track days at Reno Fernley followed including the BMW M school in Greenville in 2012. I took my M4 purchased in April 2016 to Laguna Seca during Octoberfest 2016.  Probably my last track day. Although on my bucket list is a track day at Mid-Ohio track with my son in the Blue E36 M3 that he bought from me.

The Sierra Chapter was organized October 17, 2006. The Club Charter was issued on January 27, 2007 as the 94^th chapter of BMWCCA. I was a charter member. I was elected as the Treasurer’s when Mart Jaama the original treasurer moved to California and I have not been able to get shed of the position. After 12 years many of the charter members are still active in the Club.  Many new members have joined. Among the great things about the Club is the opportunity to make new friends. Joyce and I look forward to enjoying Club events with old friends and meeting new friends for many years to come.

The post My Name is DeArmond Sharp appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

What makes a club great is for the members to participate. Elections will take place in few weeks, a great place to participate. New members on the board or attending board meetings could give a fresh look at some new events and activities.  Also, your input on activities would help pave the road to the future. Not only in going to the events, but also by submitting your life experienced on the road and, especially, about your BMW experiences. This is your newsletter and you are invited to submit things of interest. If they are family friendly they could be published for all club members to enjoy. I know that you have great things to share. Send your contributions to newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org. I promise that it doesn’t hurt one little bit to share.

~ Fred Watson, Editor

The post Message from your Editor appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

On Sunday, August 12^th, the Sierra Chapter of BMWCCA held its annual picnic at ArrowCreek Residence Center from noon to 3pm. The Club had 36 members and family members show up for this annual event. This was the highest attendance since the annual picnics began 5 years ago. This is the first time the picnic has been held on Sunday which may be the reason we got so many members to attend.

Along with the picnic, Mart Jaama, with the help of John Strom, held a Motor Show & Shine. You might remember last year we had a Car Show and Shine, so Mart changed it up this year and gave out several fun awards for several categories of motor cleanliness.

The weather was perfect this year with no wind. Fred Watson provided the sausage for the event and the club provided hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas and water. Members provided the potluck sides so there was plenty of food to go around. The pool was available to the members so a few of the children got to take a dip. We again would like to thank the ArrowCreek HOA for allowing us to have the venue at the Recreation Center at no cost. Thanks to John and Mart for making the Show and Shine a fun time.

If any members have any suggestions for a new venue next year, we are always looking for new sites to have the picnic. We also can use some help cooking and clean-up. So if you are a home chef, let us know and we’ll put you to work. Until next year.

~ Pat McGoff

The post 2018 5th Annual Family Picnic appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Election of new Board Members will be in November and we are looking for people to fill some of those positions.  Mart Jaama will become the new president for 2019-2020.  The current and continuing members were listed at the October meeting.  This is an excellent way to help grow our chapter and influence the events offered to our members. For more information about any board position, please contact any of the officers listed in this newsletter.

– Ron Nicasio, President

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The post Sierra Scene Newsletter Apr-Jun 2018 appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

This is the last week to register before fees go up this Sunday, August 5!

Avoid will call and save money by registering now!

The early online registration deadline for Legends of the Autobahn and BMW CCA Festorics is this Sunday, August 5. If you register before then you’ll save $5, plus your tickets will be mailed to you in advance, so there’s no need to chase down our will-call booth.

Registration Options!
We Got ‘Em! Meals! Shirts! Race Tickets!

Everything you need for the BMW CCA Monterey Weekend is available via our registration! You can register your car for Legends, buy lunch tickets, order race tickets, pre-purchase event t-shirts, and a whole lot more! Ready to plan out your visit to the BMW CCA Monterey Weekend? You can view the full weekend schedule here.

REGISTER NOW

The post Monterey Weekend appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The early years.

I became BMW Car Club of America member #54 in October 1969.  The club started and was based in Boston at that time. How did I become a member? I was pumping gas midweek at 1am. I was working on a new BMW 2002 and another 2002 that was driving by makes a screeching U-turn and pulls up to next me at the gas station. Both drivers exchanged their salutations and carried on about their cars for a long time. At that time BMWs were extremely rare If were an owner, and if you saw another one, you didn’t just flash lights as a high sign to the other driver.  You both would probably would get out of the cars, jumping up and down with excitement, to meet another deranged BMW owner. In the 60’s this was big event when BMW’s were rare to see on the street. That night decided, then and there, that a BMW was the car of my dreams.

My dad said he would help me buy my first car, not counting a Triumph TR3 I bought with a friend for the summer, which is another long story. I had to work hard to convince him to let me buy a new 1969 BMW 2002. He thought it would be too slow. He believed a car should be able to have power and go fast. You see, this was the Detroit “Muscle Car” era! The big V8 power-house motors were the craze. After months working to convince him, showing him articles and talking my head off, he finally decided to help me buy my first BMW. I must have done a great job convincing him because he bought one of the first 6 cylinder BMWs. It was a 2800 sedan and was a package deal with my 2002. He got a great deal on the 2800 because Hoffman Motors had a deal with the other BMW dealers at that time. Sell a 2500 or 2800 and your quota of the hot selling 2002’s would be increased. At that time, BMWs were only imported by Hoffman Motors, they had a deal with BMW in Germany. There was no BMW, NA in the United States to import cars from Germany. The result was now I was the proud owner of my first, of many, BMW’s. That’s why and when I became a member of BMWCCA.

My first BMW love was white with blue interior. The only option was a dealer installed AM radio. No power anything. No air-conditioning.  It came equipped with tiny 165 x 13 tires.  This was the first year of smog controls, which kept the car from performing as designed. With help from members of the fledging BMWCCA that was taken care of quickly by removal of the smog pump and drilling out the main jet in the carburetor. The car ran much better with that small modification. There was no smog checking at that time with total reliance on the car manufacture. Smog controls were a band-aid and were designed by companies to comply with the new government regulations.

Rallying was popular on the east coast and I got very involved. Eventually I found out that my car needed some improvements in the suspension and brakes. I did some investigation and I then found Alpina in Germany that had aftermarket parts for the BMW. I wrote them to request their catalog which contained very limited items. After looking over the catalog, I decided to purchase Bilstein rally competition shocks, larger ventilated rotor brakes and a quick ratio steering box. It took over six months to get my order from Germany.  When I went to put on the rotors, not hard, the wheels wouldn’t fit over the new parts. Now I had an added problem, find wheels that did fit. Not an easy task in those days. I finally found some that fit if I filed the calipers a little. Next, I needed bigger tires, gigantic 185 x 13. Now a new problem, they rubbed the inside of the wheel well. So, with some carefully placed 2x4s I was able the flair the fenders just enough and have it look good. The improvements helped with my rallying as the stock brakes would fade with my driving style.

I drove in some heavy semi-professional rallies for a year. There was a Northeast all night rally series that started at around eight in the evening and finished the next morning at nine. Usually we went through several states and about 30 to 40 percent of the time we would be driving on dirt roads. That also proved to be the death of my first love. On a rainy night on a dirt road going a little too fast I found a very big and stout oak tree. With the abrupt stop, the headlights looked at each other, the hood was on the roof and the engine below the firewall. The good strong car crumpled as designed. My navigator and I were very lucky and escaped with only a few bruises.

The next week I bought another BMW 2002. And for the rest of the story…

Stay tuned, to be continued next month!!

~ Mart Jaama

Editor’s note: Mart will be the next president of the Sierra Chapter and is a charter member of the BMWCCA.

The post My Name is Mart Jaama appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

For many of us, summer means road trips and countless hours behind the wheel of our trusty BMWs.  Now that Memorial Day Weekend has passed, and we are officially in the summer season, you may be thinking about what kind of adventures are on the horizon for Summer 2018.  It’s June, then it’s time to hit the open road and explore your own backyard. Nevada is comprised primarily of desert terrain, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to see.  From extraordinary geological formations to incredibly blue waters, Nevada proves that desert doesn’t mean devoid of beauty or things to see.  You will be surprised at how many excellent driving adventures that can be had in the place we call home.  Whether you’re going on a quick weekend road trip or a longer, epic cross-country trip, always be safe, have fun and take that summer road trip of a lifetime.

Observed annually in June, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road and in our homes and communities.  Let’s all do our part in keeping our roadways safe for everyone.  Remember that no call, text or email is that important when you are driving.  It can wait!

I am always open to suggestions regarding club functions, so if you have ideas for other events, please do not hesitate to email me at president@sierrabmwcarclub.org

Remember… The Ultimate Driving Machine will always provide the Ultimate Driving Experience!

Until next time.

– Ron Nicasio, President

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

This will be the first outing for my E24 M6 after it’s restoration to classic European semi-race specification.  As you might recall in classic days there were many kinds of the same model BMWs – European models, sold only in Europe and Canada; US models; Japanese models; and grey market cars sold everywhere.

My M6 started as a US model, was restored by the original owner, and now has been converted completely to a European model through a total restoration with the help of our chapter member Mike Dietel.

When I get back from this outing, you will be given news about the trip at a Chapter meeting and as a follow-up in the next newsletter. Stay tuned.

The Sierra Chapter could become even better recognized in BMW CCA by sponsoring members attending BMW CCA events like this.  Our Chapter members have an interesting variety of BMWs. They could show off their cars beyond Oktoberfest at other “car fests” events. They are a lot of fun!

Happy Motoring to All,

~ Jim Goodfellow

The post SHARKFEST 2018 appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Click here to view media and here for the photo gallery.

About 9:15 am, members of the Sierra Chapter, BMWCCA, started to show up for the Virginia City Cruise and Tour. The location for assembling was the Starbucks on Mt Rose Hwy and Wedge Pkwy. John English, the Wagon master, assembled everyone for a briefing at about 9: 35 on the trip details. The nine BMWs soon departed west on Mt Rose Highway on time at 9:45 am. We proceeded up the twisty and windy highway and in about a half hour we were at the parking area where the fog and mist were so heavy that the lake could not be viewed. Besides the beauty of these surroundings, this was a time to meet and talk to the other participants. Some were old friends, and a few were new to the BMWCCA activities.

After about a 15 minute stop, we then proceed to Incline Village where turned left on Hwy 28.  We proceeded a few miles down the road to Starbucks. We arrived there at about 10:30 am. This was a 15-20 minute stop for picking up more members and some refreshments. We departed Starbucks and stayed on Hwy 28 around Lake Tahoe; luckily the heavy traffic was in the other direction. At the intersection of US Hwy 50 we made a left turn toward Carson City. This was an uncontrolled intersection and it was a challenge to get all the cars onto highway. After a mile or so, John pulled over to regroup and make sure that all the cars made the turn. It was downhill from there to Carson City. Then it was to Hwy 395 north to the cut off to I-580 north. Then it was right onto Hwy 50 again to Virginia City. After several miles, we turned left on the old truck route to Virginia City. This route goes up the very curvy road up 6 mile canyon. By the way, if you missed the trip, this is a very pretty drive that you might want to take someday. Once in Virginia City, everyone drove around until they found a parking place.

With a chili cook-off being held this weekend, parking was a challenge. Some had to park on the lower and side streets while others were able to park in the public parking lot. We ended up at the Palace Hotel and Restaurant for lunch at about 12:30 pm. We were able to all set at the same table, unlike last year. After lunch everyone went their own way.

Some returned to Reno and some stayed in V.C to shop until they dropped. In all, if you missed this trip, prepare for the next event. Join the experience and some HAVE FUN.

~ John English

(Click here for the mapped Route)

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You enter to the World Cars gallery, which features a center display of three super-cars – a Porsche 918 Spyder, an Acura NSX and a BMW i8.  Surrounding it are nine other fantastic cars – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Lamborghini and Porsche.  And there’s a beautiful Isetta there too!

The Corvette gallery displays 12 amazing examples, from the 1954 on a turntable in the middle to a brand new ZR1.  Each example is of the top performing model from the year – big block C3s, Z06s and ZR1s.  Inspiring!

Next was the Ford Shelby gallery with examples of each of the most desirable models – from early GT350s and GT500s to racing Cobra SCs.  Two 1970 Boss’s were there too – a Boss 302 and a Boss 429.

The Fin Cars gallery focused on iconic 1950s and 60s rear finned cars.  Two 1954s showed the early beginning of fins – a Buick Skylark and a Kaiser Darrin.  The height of the finned cars was in 1957, represented in the collection by a Chevy Bel Air, a Desoto Adventurer and a Chrysler 300C – all convertibles.  Beautiful finned Cadillacs included a ’58 and two ‘59s.  It’s interesting that every car is a convertible!

The next gallery I visited was dedicated to Mopars.  Just inside the entrance was a great mural of Richard Petty in a racing setting – so appropriate for the collection of cars.   Great Mopar performance cars included a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, Hemi Cudas, early and final edition Vipers and, of course, a new Challenger Hellcat and Demon.

The museum opened just a year ago and final gallery is still in development.  Called American Muscle Then & Now, more examples are being added to the representatives already there – Camaros and Mustangs, an early GTO and some other early muscle cars, such as a ’58 and ’61 Chevy Impala (348 and 409 respectively).

A couple of other notes about the museum:  It’s located in a 17,000 square foot former missile manufacturing plant on the Raytheon Campus in Portsmouth, RI.  There are 50,000 square feet of display space and 5,000 more for events.  The furnishings, art and murals really add to the displays.   They include pieces by iconic designers such as Americans Charles and Ray Eames and Florence Knoll Bassett and Denmark’s Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner.  The museum’s cult classics include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, the Bocca Sofa (representing Marilyn Monroe’s trademark pouty red lips) by Gufram Italy’s Studio 65 and the Joe Chair (inspired by New York Yankees centerfielder Joe DiMaggio’s baseball glove) by Italian designers de Pas, D’Urbino, Lomazzi.

I had a chance to talk with the owner of these great cars, Gunther Buerman, whose philosophy is to share his collection with the public rather than keep it locked away.  While he’s always owned classic cars, he began collecting seriously 13 years ago.  He says he considers classic cars “works of art” so the museum is as much an art museum as a car museum.  It’s a beautiful and continuously growing collection, superbly presented – well worth a visit!

BTW…there’s another car museum in Newport, the Audrain Automobile Museum, which opened three years ago.  I wasn’t able to get there this trip, so maybe the next time we’re in New England I’m make a visit.  I just love car museums!

~ John Strom

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I went to work with Blount Construction right out of college. I worked with Blount for 20 years until the company was sold. Some of my most memorable projects I was on were King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the San Jose Convention Center. I went to work for Rudolph and Sletten in San Mateo, CA building biotech projects for Genentech and Chiron. I finished my career with Webcor Construction building commercial buildings. I was the Director for the Letterman Campus at the Presidio(SF) which was George Lucas’ Star War Campus. My last project was a 27-story condominium in downtown San Jose.

I moved to Reno, NV in 2007. Technically, my last project was building our house in ArrowCreek in 2006. It was great fun and probably my favorite project.

OK, so much for background history, so how did I fall in love with BMW’s you ask. Well, I was at a race in Limerock, Connecticut back in the late 60’s with a friend of mine. We were watching the SCCA races and I spotted this strange looking car cornering with the inside front tire off the ground. I asked my friend’s father what that car was. He said it was a BMW 2002. That car was beating every other car around the track. From that day on I told myself I would own one someday. Fast forward to 1974. I bought my first BMW, a brand new maroon BMW 2002. The rest was history. I now have my 22^nd and 23^rd BMW’s, a 2017 X5 and a 2018 440i convertible.

I have been a member of BMWCCA for 36 years and for the Sierra Chapter of BMWCCA since 2007. I served as Membership Chairman for 2 years and President for 4 years. I think we have one of the most active chapters in the country even being one of the smallest. We are more social that racing due to our location, but we have a lot of fun going to dinners after the meetings with the membership and going on terrific tours.

As you can see, cars are a passion of mine. I love to drive which is a good thing since we love to travel. I also love to ski. I was a ski instructor and served on the National Ski Patrol when I was younger. I also love to play tennis and golf. I walk about 20 miles a week to counter the calories from another passion – WINE.  We love to go wine tasting all over the world. We have been tasting in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, New Zealand as well as in  New York, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. We have belonged to many wine clubs and have an extensive wine cellar to hold all our wine.

I guess that covers the major things about me. I hope I didn’t bore you. LOL

~ Pat McGoff

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Twenty-seven exceptional BMW 2002s opened the show, gathered from collections across the country, and assembled into four groupings:  Stock, Variants, Modified and Race.  Despite the fact that every car is a BMW 2002, the variety for the eye is stunning.  Beyond the many colors and variations of stock examples, the Variants (cars never sold in the United States) include the world’s best 2002 Vollcabriolet, Baur Cabriolet, Turbo, Touring, and an ultra-rare Lux.

The Modified Grouping, sponsored by Yokohama Tire,features several amazing cars that are not to be missed, including Ali Javidan’s incredible creation, and Robert Chandler’s Estoril-blue tribute to the Turbo…but with a pristine E30 M3 engine tucked under the bonnet.

The 02’s racing heritage is also celebrated.  The very first BMW ever to win points in a sanctioned race in North America was the Hyde Park Motors 2002, and the car proudly leads a contingent of four significant 02 racers.  Included also is the Miller-Norburn #64, the first BMW to ever win a championship at a North American track.

Opening Day also featured talks from three BMW cult celebrities:  BMW author and researcher Jackie Jouret gave a talk about her research for the ICONexhibition book, already being hailed as perhaps the best all-around book on the 2002 ever produced.  Her research in Munich uncovered rare treasures, such as design drawings never before published…until now.  She also found evidence that the “Max Hoffman” creation myth regarding the 2002’s development is just that…a myth.  (Buy the book and get some schoolin’)

Hack Mechanic Rob Siegel also gave this unique perspective on the 2002, and regaled the crowd with the story of Louie…his sturdy but previously neglected 2002 featured in the book Ran When Parked.  Siegel is immensely popular with the 02 crowd, and folks were hanging on every word.

Finally, BMW-commissioned artist Adrian Valentin Mitu talked about his astonishing BMW art featured at the Museum, including the 100-piece Blue Coffee collection, and the new Jochen Neerpasch tribute painting, Blue Hero.  Adrian and his wife Monica traveled all the way from Romania to attend the opening and debut the painting, owned by Foundation Trustee Mike Ura.

THE ICON: 50 Years of the 2002 is the best birthday party in the world for the little car that built a brand, ignited a cult, and launched the largest car club in the world.  In addition to the cars, the museum is also packed to the rafters with hundreds of pieces of 2002-related art and other rarities.

THE ICON runs through January 2019, and is presented by The Werk Shop, along with Modified Grouping Sponsor Yokohama Tire, Car Care Sponsor Griot’s Garage, and partners Bavarian Autosport, Classic BMW, CocoMats, and Odometer Gears.  We’re grateful for all of them!

Plan your road trip and come see the show.  Even the most jaded 2002 fanatic will learn something new.

~ John Strom

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What makes a club great is participation. Not only in going to the events, but also by submitting your life experienced on the road and, especially, about your BMW experiences. This is your newsletter and you are invited to submit things of interest. If they are family friendly they could be published for all club members to enjoy. I know that you have great things to share. Send your contributions to newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org. I promise that it doesn’t hurt one little bit to share.

Our club is growing with membership getting close to 180. I hope to see them participate in the many activities that the club has scheduled. Speaking of participation, it would be great if many of you would also participate in another way. Remember our goal is to HAVE FUN. Not only is there are a lot of activities for the fun aspect, but there is a chance to share stories about our favorite car or cars –   the BMW, MINI, & Rolls Royce – That’s the “BMW Group” of fine automobiles.

~ Fred Watson

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We had a tour of the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection) on Feb 10th. Pat McGoff arranged the tour and we had 25 members show up for the event.  With 200 plus cars spread around 4 galleries the group immediately immersed itself with the collection and the stories that came with every car.  We took a break and headed to Bertha Miranda for lunch and to relax for a bit before going back to look at some more cars.

The first of many driving events of the year will be on May 19^th.  John English will take the group to Virginia City thru Incline Village and Carson City.  The tour will end up at the Palace for a well-deserved lunch.

Have you registered for O’fest 2018 yet?  The BMWCCA have received a record number of early registrations for Oktoberfest and the host hotel is filling up fast!  Host Hotel: Sheraton Pittsburgh at Station Square. Oktoberfest will kick off on Monday, July 9, and will encompass all the great social and driving events that members are accustomed to.  It is also the 50^th Anniversary of the iconic BMW 2002.  So, you might be in for a treat as this might be the largest gathering of ‘02s ever assembled.  The event concludes on Sunday July 15^th.

Besides the obvious camaraderie and good cheer, we do like to talk about and drive our BMWs.  We still meet on the second Thursday of the month, so I encourage everyone especially the “non-attendees” to check us out.

– Ron Nicasio, President

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The museum is made up of 4 galleries that are broken down by era. Connecting all the galleries are mock roads and buildings with some very beautiful vintage cars parked along the road. The oldest gallery has cars dating back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The 1907 Thomas Flyer was the most impressive car for me. It managed to go around the world back in early 1900. Back then that was close to an impossible feat. The 1913 yellow Mercer was another example for early transportation in an open cockpit.

John and Norma English brought their children and they appeared to have a blast. Mateusz Sasiada, one of our new members came with a friend. It was great to see our members taking advantage of a free day at the museum.

Around noon, we all headed down the block to Bertha Miranda’s Mexican Restaurant for lunch. Bertha’s is one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Reno. The atmosphere was authentic Mexican, and the food was wonderful.

After lunch, members had the option to return to the museum to take a free guided 90-minute tour by a docent. This was a great way to learn first hand about all those beautiful autos and to learn the details of how Bill Harrah made this one of the five greatest car museums in the nation. If you have never been to this spectacular museum, you are missing out on some of the most incredible autos in the nation. Many are a one of a kind model that you will never see anywhere else in the world.

~ Pat McGoff

Click here to view the video.
Click here to view the picture gallery

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~ Mart Jaama

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~ Fred Watson

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The show featured a number of motorsport, classic car and restoration celebrities doing panel discussions and signing autographs.

~John Strom

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BMW experiences; 1959 worked for Oden’s Cycle Works the BMW -Yamaha dealer. I was racing a Yamaha at the time which had a very weak crank shaft.  Yamaha had a replacement in Compton CA. The shop owner’s son and I took the R69-S demo BMW (what a marvelous motorcycle) and did a bonsai run to LA and back overnight to get the Yamaha to the next race (dumb teenager). First BMW car experience way air conditioning the 2002’s by the hundreds in Sacramento when the 2002’s were selling like hot cakes.

I bought my first BMW after selling my refuse manufacturing company to a German company, a 1982-633 CSI which I still own and work on. Also, at that time I purchased my first “New” BMW motorcycle.

A 1993 K 1100 LT (purple) for Cheri and quick for me. (I still have it as well). My latest BMW is a K1200LT with a side car for my special needs Granddaughter.

I built Rally cars for BMW’s own Satch Carlson, 10 plus Saab’s and then when he started working for Roundel Magazine I built the Roundel cover car for him (Bad Dog a 325 IX).

Cheri and I both enjoy the BMW Club with all its diverse members and the social and driving events.

~ Russ Huntoon

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After cocktails, we went to the Club which was only minutes away. The McGoff’s are members of the Club so there was no rental charge for the room. The Sierra Chapter also provided the wine for dinner. This year we had a buffet style dinner with mahi-mahi, tri-tip and chicken for the main entrees. The room was beautifully decorated and had a cozy fireplace that enhanced a lovely venue for the party.

The highlight of the evening was the annual raffle. Again, Bill Pearce BMW contributed several raffle items and Mike Dietel donated a gift from The Sport Haus. Almost everyone won a prize. For those who weren’t so lucky, we had BMW lapel pins. Everyone was a winner! The party is booked again at The Club for 2018. We encourage our members who didn’t come in 2017 to come this year. It is a great event and a good opportunity to meet other members of the Sierra Chapter.

Happy New Year!

~ Pat McGoff

Click here to watch the video or or visit our photo gallery

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My first extensive personal experience with a BMW came in 1986 when I worked for Porsche Cars North America.  I purchased a new red 635CSi 5-speed for a competitive comparison driving event we did around the country.  Alice and I flew to Oakland where we picked the car up from Weatherford BMW and drove it back to Reno.  I remember how wonderful the car was to drive.  And as I got to experience the car more during its break-in period, I marveled at the great the clutch/shifter action and how smoothly and evenly the power came on as you accelerated.  Then as I got to drive it on three racetracks during the Porsche event during the summer of 1986, I learned how truly great the car was.  I wanted one!

I bought my first personal BMW in September 2003 when I came across a beautiful 1972 2002tii on consignment at Sport Haus.  It was Polaris Silver with a mostly-original, blue interior.  Special features were a Nardi wood steering wheel and Campagnolo alloy wheels.  It was a BMW I always wanted to experience – the classic round-taillight tii in a perfect color!

Once I had the car I joined the BMW Club as both Alice and I have been long-time Porsche Club members and we always enjoyed the car-club experience.  At the time there was no local chapter in Northern Nevada so I was assigned to the Sin City Chapter in Las Vegas.   That was too far away and I was delighted to be part of the core group who formed our Sierra chapter in 2007.

I sold the 2002tii in 2009 but continued to enjoy driving a BMW as our daily driver was a silver 2008 E83 X3.  Today we have a grey 2012 F25 X3 xdrive 35i daily driver and a red 2003 E46 M3 6-speed convertible.   My other German performance car is a 2009 Porsche Boxster S with the PDK transmission and Sport Chrono package.

The optional Dynamic Handling Package on the F25 X3 makes it amazingly fun to drive when the roads get curvy.  Changing the setting from Normal to Sport brings everything to life and really makes a difference in the handling.  Moving the shifter to the manual mode and using the steering wheel paddles to control the 8-speed automatic also adds to the driving fun.  It’s definitely not your typical SUV – BMW’s label of SAV – Sport Activity Vehicle – truly fits!

As for the E46 M3, what can I say…to me it’s the most beautiful 3-series to date.  And with the 6-speed manual and a 7,900 rpm redline and 333 hp, it’s so much fun to “play with”.   And we can enjoy cruising with the top down!

I’m a car nut for sure!  I’ve owned lots of unique and interesting cars over the years and there’s nothing I like better than talking about cars and experiencing them.   Cars have always been an avocation and in 1981 I was able to combine this avocation with my vocation when I went to work for a large car dealer in Roanoke, Virginia, doing Organizational Development work.   I spent over 30 years in the car business, working in retail for four years, for Porsche Cars North America for six years and 22 years running my own business providing training, coaching and consulting, primarily in the car business.

Alice and I have always enjoyed our car club experience.  We describe it as a social club based around cars – very special cars!  We’ve been Porsche Club members since the early ‘90s and BMW Club members since 2003.  We’ve hosted many events for both clubs and attended many, many more.   I served as the newsletter editor for both clubs and as President of the Porsche Club in 2000.  It’s truly “about the people not just the cars.”    I say, if you like people and you like cars, join the club and have fun with both!

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• January 11, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• February 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• February 10, National Automobile Museum Tour
• March 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• March ??, Tech Session, Bill Pearce BMW
• April 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• May 10, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• May 19, Virginia City Tour
• June 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• June 16, Tour to the Berlin Ghost Town*
• Jul 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• July 21, Sierra Buttes Tour & Poker Run
• August 9, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• August 11, Fifth Annual BMWCCA Sierra Chapter Picnic
• September 13, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• September ??, Mammouth Tour*
• October 11, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• October 13-14, El Dorado & Amador County Wine Tour
• November 3, Fun Rally
• November 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• December 13 – Christmas/Holiday Party

*Details forthcoming

The post 2018 Planned Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

It has been several months now since pulling off the Street Survival 2017 event on October 7^th. I would like to take the opportunity to personally thank all those volunteers who showed up to help – you were all “Rock Stars!”  A special thanks to the in-car coaches from the SCCA who showed up to assist, you guys got rave reviews from your assigned students. Please pass on my gratitude to Carol Deborde for getting the word out to her club.

As luck would have it, the weather gods shone down on the event all day and provided us with almost 80 degrees and plenty of Reno sunshine on an early October day, it was just great to be outdoors. We had 20 enthusiastic students from lots of different places; Petaluma, Cameron Park, San Jose, Nevada City, and Alpine Meadows in California, Sparks and Reno in Nevada. It just blows me away how far some people will travel to get to this event – a true testament to the cause if you will. I would also mention that 15 of the 20 students required a “Minor Release.” My hats off to their parents for ensuring a valuable lesson in their children’s driver education.

I realize that some of you reading this article may not be very impressed by the meager number of 20 students out of what feels like a bazillion number of young drivers on the road today. Personally speaking, if I get one student to be a better driver then I’m way ahead of the game. And I can safely say that our volunteer coaches and staff pretty much feel the same way. If you haven’t participated in the past then I highly encourage you to check it out, we would love to see you next year in any capacity.

I would also like to mention my gratitude to the Reno Police Department for sending Motorcycle Officer Ben Lancaster to answer student questions, to SAIA LTL Freight (Craig, Shannon and Jonah) for providing an 18-wheeler so students could understand what it is like to drive one these from a vision standpoint, and to retired WCSO Deputy Kimberly Myers for her inspirational message to our students.

~Steve Polimeni, Driving Events Coordinator

Click here to watch the video or or visit our photo gallery

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First time wine tour members Kathy and Bob Bennett joined the group in Genoa and Bob and Linda Sanfilippo joined at the first rest stop in Carson Pass.  It was warmer at 8000 feet than in the Sierra Summit parking lot (you will see pictures from Carson Pass).  We were on time and on schedule and everything was under control for the 13 cars in the group—but that did not last.

The route leaving Carson Pass continued to SR 88 about 20 miles to the turn off onto Mormon Immigrant Trail road.  The first 7 cars in line followed the leader when he turned on to Mormon Immigrant Trail but the next 6 did not!   Three of the six took Omo Ranch Road and found their way to the first stop Amador Cellars on Shenandoah Road.  Here is where the fun starts.  The other three ended where SR 88 connects with SR 49 and headed toward Plymouth and were looking for Amador Cellars on Steiner Road because that was the address your “all knowing” tour guide put in the Itinerary (Amador Cellars is on Shenandoah Road).  But all is well that end well—all three found Amador Cellars in plenty of time to enjoy its wine before the Lunch stop at Karmere Vineyards.

Linda Long and her husband, the owners Amador Cellars, welcomed the group to a private tasting area outside of the winery public tasting room in the barrel storage warehouse.  The Weather was perfect for outside tasting of Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Barbara and Rhone valley varietals.

Then it was on to Karmere Vineyards for lunch.  Karmere reserved its outside patio for our use. Before and after lunch tasting and shopping were the order of the day in the large Karmere tasting room and gift shop.  Sampling Karmere’s  2016 vintage Zinfandel and Primavera still aging in the barrel was available to entice purchase of a future for delivery in 2018.

From Karmere we traveled up hill and down dusty dale to MaBeRa Wines where Ramona and Mario provided a fantastic setting (outside with tables and umbrellas) for tasting their wonderful wine.  Ramona displayed a BMW Club flag to welcome us (See Joyce and Cheri in front of flag in pictures on web page).  Although we had just come from lunch we all enjoyed the assorted meat, cheeses and other snacks Ramona provided to enhance the enjoyment of the six wines offered for tasting.  Ramona and Mario patiently answered questions and invited us back in 2018.

Last stop of the day was Scott Harvey Wines also a new stop for the group.  Scott Harvey arranged for us to be in a small area adjacent to public tasting area and served its award-winning Zinfandel for tasting.

After enjoying the Scott Harvey wine, the group moved on to the Shenandoah Inn to check in and prepare for the pool side party.  At the appointed hour the group assembled pool side with a bottle of their favorite wine of the day.  Party Platters from the Amador Vintage Market were waiting.  Platters included assorted artisan cheese, fruit, nuts bread & crackers; Grilled chicken, and pork tenderloin with mustard and chutney; hummus with chips and vegetables and Amador Vintage Famous Chips and salsa.  After appetites had been wetted, Pokerville Market Pizza showed up—Combination; Vegetarian; and Chicken Pesto.  Drinking Wine and visiting must make you ravenous because there was no Pizza leftover.   Cheri and Russ provide Halloween pumpkin cookies for dessert.

The adventure ended Sunday morning at what is now the traditional breakfast at Marlene & Glen’s Dead Fly Dinner.  If you have not been there you need to experience the family size single servings available from a menu that has everything. Marlene sets a table big enough for all of us.  After breakfast members found their way home some stopping first at the Amador Flower Farm, Pokerville Market or other wineries.

The tentative plan is to hold the tour on the same weekend next October—so save Saturday and Sunday October 13 &14, 2018 and join the fun.

~ De Sharp

To watch the video and trip details click here and here to view the photo gallery.

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~ Fred Watson

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On Oct. 7th, the chapter hosted the Tire Rack Street Survival event at the NVHP Vehicle Training Facility.  The event had 19 students who learned in their own cars its handling limits and how to control them.  A couple of guest speakers were present to communicate to young driving adults how important it is to be alert at all times when behind the wheel.  A semi-trailer truck was parked on the track where students were allowed to climb on the driver’s seat to give them a glimpse of what the driver can see or not see.  As always Steve Polemini did an outstanding job in being the event leader and class room god.  Thank you to all who volunteered and donated their Saturday to make sure that this event was a success.

My favorite club event, Sierra Foothills Wine Tour took place on October 14th & 16th.  We had a good mix of new and not so new members that were in attendance.  I always encourage everyone especially the people new to the group to go to this trip, it will not disappoint.  Ron Rachow did a brilliant job of leading the group thru the windy roads off Rt. 88 on our way to Plymouth, CA.  We visited two well liked wineries and two new ones that we can definitely add to our “go to” vintners for next year’s trip.  A relaxing stop for lunch, dinner and drinks by the pool, and a breakfast fit for a king make this one a complete experience.

The Halloween themed Fun Rally was held on Oct 28 and was organized by VP Mart Jaama and Newsletter editor Fred Watson.  Participants were asked to complete a predetermined set of stops and note the time and location of each in costume!  Everyone had a blast.  Thank you and hats off to the organizers for making this event fun.

The two part Holiday party on Dec 14th started off at the well-appointed home of the McGoff’s.  Serving a few fun appetizers and opening a few bottles of wine was all it took to get the Holiday party going.  Followed by dinner at The Club at Arrowcreek which is just a quick jaunt from Casa McGoff.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I am looking forward to a fantastic 2018!

~Ron Nicasio

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My first BMW was a 1983 320i which I purchased in 1989. I then upgraded to a 1985 318i in 1991. My first exciting driving experience in a BMW was going from Tucson to Kino Bay Mexico. I was able to utilize the car full capabilities at high speeds. Since then, I have had a total of 9 BMW’s and hope to have more in the future.

In 1992 while driving home, a car made a U-turn in front of me. I tried to avoid the other car but hit it and spun out. My car ended up on the median and sustained minimal damage. My car was drivable, and I had no injuries. Safety and reliability are the major reasons why I like BMW’s.

Like most European automobile, the cost of maintaining it is higher compared to Japanese and American cars. During my high school years, we had 2 European cars, 3 Japanese cars and 2 Ford pick-ups.  I do feel that BMW’s is the “ultimate driving machine” and the cost is well worth the extra cost.

The interest in BMWCCA is growing because of the involvement of the members. I’m a past president of the Sierra Chapter BMWCCA and am currently on the Board of Directors. To me our members are like my extended family. I look forward to seeing them at every meeting and at our various events. As a small chapter, we are trying to develop new activities. Hopefully, these will attract more of our members to participate.  I also encourage my clients that have BMW’s to join the club, or their local chapter, if they live out of state.

My wife, Diane, and I were members of the Porsche club until she sold her Boxster 4 years ago. We are currently members of the Audi Club too. They are currently forming a Sierra Chapter in Northern Nevada and I hope to share ideas with them. The new president of the Audi club thinks very highly of the BMWCCA and especially our chapter.  Her welcomes my input.

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The day began at the Raley’s Shopping Center, off Wedge Parkway, at 9:00 am for registration. The briefing with hand-outs at 9:15 am and the first team off at 9:30 am. This was in a typical rally format with time intervals between each car starting off on this great day. Thankfully, Mart had several years of rally experience. This was a timed event, time out and time in had to be within 4.5 hours. We didn’t want everyone bunching up become a race and follow leader to be the norm. With four different possible routes, the teams had to figure out the best way to meet the final objective. Out of all the possible sites that were originally surveyed, they had to locate 12 possibilities and remember details about what they observed. Out of 50 or so possibilities, it was narrowed down to something attainable. The sites included historical markers, haunted mansions, and local cemeteries. The area covered was from South Reno to Gardnerville. Of course, Virginia City and Genoa were also included.

What a great day. Mother nature really cooperated this time. Beautiful and temperatures in the mod-seventies. We couldn’t have asked for a better day this last weekend of October. By briefing time, we had 8 teams assembled and were excited to begin. The number “1” team to leave was Art and Diane Ona.

The final team, number “8“, Jim and Bridget Johns, was off and running at 9:45 am. Things were finally under way and on time.

For the Rally they were required to find the specific sites and explore and remember details about the sites. Learn about our historical area and drive on some beautiful and challenging roads. The challenging part of the Rally was answering a 24-question test. We ended up in Carson City for a late lunch. Gift baskets were awarded for the Rally and Costume Winners. Russ and Cheri Huntoon had the best scores and got at all the sites and took home a great gift basket. She had worn a spider costume and had her giant spider draped on the basket. I guess she had already won before the test was administered. Jim and Bridget Johns were the best costume award winners by the people’s choice survey.

The bar has been set for this event. Expect something bigger and better next year. As a club member, you are missing a lot of Fun by not participating in the activities that are offered each year. If there is something or some activity that you would like to have the club incorporate into the schedule, get in contact with one of the officers or board members and let your desires be known. The Board, the Faithful Few, meets and set the activities up for the next year. Currently the Board Meeting is in December. You have several months to get your ideas to someone.

People you should get to know who were present at the rally:

To watch the video and trip details click here. To view the photo gallery click here.

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We had our Sierra Buttes Tour and Poker Run on July 29^th.  There were about 17 cars that made the trip into the Sierra foothills and ended up at the Longboard Bar & Grill for lunch.  John English came out with the winning poker hand to bring home the coveted gift basket.  Thank you once again to Sharon and Andy Goodrich for organizing this exciting driving event.

The other event was the Fourth Annual Family Picnic. This year we decided to add a Show and Shine with radio controlled car races. This was hosted by Pat and Joann McGoff and Mart Jama. The event was well attended by thirty-six family members at the ArrowCreek Clubhouse. Besides a fabulous bar-be-que, first Show and Shine had eighteen entries. This was a great success with many trophies and awards given out. (see event article) We had mostly BMW, s in the lineup plus two MB SL’s and one lonely Subaru. I’m looking forward to a bigger and better event next year. Come out and enjoy the fun.

– Ron Nicasio, President

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Highlights
My first flight into South Vietnam we overflew a little civilian French airport on the coast that had a short little runway with asphalt potholes and a low power radio station.  10 years later I made an emergency landing there and it was called DaNang!
I delivered the first RF-4 into Continental Europe direct from St Louis, MO.  What great fun!

I always loved BMWs.
In Europe had an 1800 TI.  We could take a week end drive to the Nurburgring for a day of fun driving for just few coins.  Not like today!!!)
When we lived in Honolulu, I had the first 2002 (what) in the state.  We would put all the surfboards on top rack and spend weekends on beach in the surf with kids and wife.   Wonderful!
Today I have collection of classic BMWs.  I call them “Cars with History!!
E-24 M6: early Dinan mod car and is in final step of restoration.
E-34 M5: Personal import from Germany final production of hand built M5 Europe version.
E-39 M5: daily driver.
Alpina B12 6.0: this is the only one in US, a personal import from Spain.

E-31 850CSi: another personal import from Germany. BMW Individual Shop with customizing by Alpina factory.

Aston Martin DB7: this was first year of production for the V12 convertible.
E-36/8 Z3/M Roadster: this has been customized into auto cross special.
E-34 M5: Barn Find, for sale, this was the first E-34 M5 factory demonstrator on West Coast.

The post James “Jim” Goodfellow appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

In the mid-1980s BMW built a one-off car using parts from their sports/racing cars, their mid-sized sedans and their luxury 6 series coupe.  They showed it at the European car show and it was an immediate success.  They made it into the E-28 M5 hand built production Uber super sports sedan and it was an instant classic success!

When BMW continued into the E-34 production they continued the M5 hand built model Uber super sports sedan.  They sent the first West Coast car to their San Francisco office where it was used as the demonstrator for the West Coast.  When the model was continued the next year they sold the first car to a doctor in Marin County, Cal.

The Doctor eventually sold it to Jim Goodfellow and he later sold it to a friend in Carson City.  During a routine service a mechanic forgot to refill transmission with fluid and subsequent driving ruined the transmission.  A replacement was fitted but Jim’s friend became ill and which caused him to finally store it.  When he died the M5 became part of the estate and it has been parked for several years.

Jim is now the current owner again, the car is running; Reno Rennsports has inspected it and can tell anyone about the car.

If you are interested in owning an “M” classic with history you can contact Jim at 775-750-7098 or Reno Rennsports at 775-997-8164.

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Only Sierra Chapter Club Members can Place Ads – Members get two free ads per month – Members cannot place ads for non-members  – Members will need to login in to access the Classy-fieds page to create an ad – All site visitors (members and non-members) will be able to view and reply to an ads.
Note: To reply to an ad simply click on the ad and then click on the Contact Name in the ad.

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At about 9:15 am, members of the Sierra Chapter, BMWCCA, started to show up for the Virginia City Cruise and Tour at the Starbucks on Mt Rose Hwy and Wedge Pkwy. John English, the Wagon Master, assembled everyone for a briefing at about 9: 35 on the trip details. The fifteen BMWs soon departed west on Mt Rose Highway on time at 9:45 am. We proceeded up the twisty and windy highway and in about a half hour we were at the parking area overlooking the scenic Lake Tahoe. Besides the beauty of these surroundings, this was a time to meet and talk to the other participants. Some were old friends and a few were new to the BMWCCA activities. After about a 15 minute stop, we then proceed to Incline Village where turned left on Hwy 28.  We proceeded a few miles down the road to the Incline Village Starbucks. We arrived there at about 10:30 am. This was a 15-20 minute stop for picking up more members and some refreshments. We departed Starbucks and stayed on Hwy 28 around Lake Tahoe; luckily the heavy traffic was in the other direction. At the intersection of US Hwy 50 we made a left turn toward Carson City. This was an uncontrolled intersection and it was a challenge to get all the cars onto highway. After a mile or so, John pulled over to regroup and make sure that all the cars made the turn. It was downhill from there to Carson City. Then it was to Hwy 395 north to the cut off to I-580 north. Then it was right onto Hwy 50 again to Virginia City. After several miles, we turned left on the old truck route to Virginia City. This route goes up the very curvy road up 6 mile canyon. By the way, if you missed the trip, this is a very pretty drive that you might want to take someday.

Once in Virginia City, everyone drove around until they found a parking place. Some had to park on the lower and side streets while others were able to park in the public parking lot. We ended up at the Palace Hotel and Restaurant for lunch at about 12:30 pm. Because of the heavy lunch hour traffic, we had to split up and find our own seating.  After lunch everyone went their own way. Some returned to Reno and some stayed in V.C to shop until they dropped. In all, if you missed this trip, prepare for the next event. Join the experience and some HAVE FUN.

(Click here for the mapped Route)

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He was born in Kalamazoo, MI. His family migrated to California when he was 10, and he spent much of his time in Southern California before coming to Reno over 35 yrs ago. Fred spent 4 years in the Air Force. Soon after marriage, came the kids and all the responsibilities that come with fatherhood. While working full time for Douglas Aircraft Company he started collage at 29 years old and earned a BA degree in psychology from Cal State Long Beach. He went to work as the Assistant Director of the Orange County Employee Assistance Network, OCEAN. In this position he worked with several large companies, counseling their troubled employees who were about to be terminated.  During this time he was able to earn a MA in Management and Business Administration from the University of Redlands. And after a few more years, he received a PhD in Management and Human Behavior from University of California, Irvine.

The year was 1979 and this became a new chapter in his family lives. They moved to Reno and found that despite his education and experience, he was blackballed from any position in Reno. Back then Reno was still a small good old boy town. He had done picture framing as a hobby for years, and his wife Cherie was an art consultant. They now turned their skills into a successful business selling art and doing custom picture framing at Vision Quest Arts. Even though he has now officially “retired”, he still operates Vision Quest Arts from his home on a part-time basis. His work adorns the walls at several businesses and homes in Reno and board room across the U.S. and even the White House under President Reagan.

He and his present wife Karen have been married close to 13 years. Between them have 7 children, 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Karen is an avid doll collector and has over 2500 dolls on display in their home. Fred has built several doll houses for her and they have been featured in national magazines.

He is a man of much education and many talents. Now he spends several hours working on his and his wife’s BMW’s. They both have 1999 BMW’s. Her favorite is a 323i convertible which was purchased to match his convertible. Well that lasted for a while, but his as totaled by the insurance company. Not to be discouraged he bought another, but this one is a 1999 328ci M-Sport Convertible. Another hobby that he loves and like all older BMW’s is a money pit. BMW’s are fun to drive and a challenge to work on. They both love the companionship and the friends that they have made with members of the Sierra Chapter of the BMW CCA. We hope to meet you at the next event.

The post Fred Watson appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Our club is growing with new members and I hope to see them participate in the many activities that the club has scheduled. Speaking of participation, it would be great if many of you would also participate in another way. Remember our goal is to HAVE FUN. Not only is there are a lot of activities for the fun aspect, but there is a chance to share stories about our favorite car or cars –   the BMW, MINI, & Rolls Royce – That’s the “BMW Group” of fine automobiles.

What makes a club great is participation. Not only in going to the events, but also by submitting your life experienced on the road and, especially, about your BMW experiences. This is your newsletter and you are invited to submit things of interest. As long as they are family friendly they could be published for all club members to enjoy. I know that you have great things to share. Send your contributions to newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org. I promise that it doesn’t hurt one little bit to share.

Fred Watson, Editor

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What does that have to do with the BMW Club you ask—nothing directly but I liked the song.  However summer is almost gone (gone already for school kids) and our Club is movin’ on from our August meeting and picnic to a September meeting and maybe President Ron installing rotors and pads on his M3;  to Street Survival October 7^th and Wine tour October 14^th and fun rally October 28^th.

Movin’ on after October excitement winter will be coming in November and December as will the Holiday Party.

But if you want to enjoy the great fall weather in Reno movin’ on to your own drive.  The trip to Murphy via California Route 4 is a great drive.  Taste some wine (not to much) have lunch and drive back.  About 6 hour drive time.

If you missed Sierra Buttes Poker Run tour email Sharon Goodrich and ask her to send the route instructions or click here to go to the event page and enjoy ribs at the Longboard restaurant at Plumas Pines Golf Course.

Drive around Lake Tahoe stop at Sugar Pine Point State Park (Californian Side) and visit the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion. The take Kingsbury Grade from South Shore end up in Gardnerville/Minden and have dinner or lunch at JT’s Restaurant, 1426 US-395, Gardnerville.

Stay in Reno and visit the National Auto Museum rated in top five in the nation. It has a new space exhibit.

Before you know it you have moved on into 2018—Happy New Year!

De Sharp, Treasurer

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Event registrations are underway and we already have 10 students enrolled…ummmm…that would be a need for 10 in-car coaches already – you might see where I’m going with this. If you have never coached before then let me tell you… it can be an exhilarating, hair-raising, rewarding, fun experience, and probably all in that order! And no… you don’t get to teach your child or even your neighbors child… that wouldn’t be good! Best of all… you might even learn a few maneuvers you didn’t know about.

To keep the Street Survival folks happy, they require you to complete an on-line course that takes about 1 hour. The course material basically covers the psychology of teaching a teenager car control skills. You can do this. Upon completion you are rewarded with a certificate which officially makes you a coach – then we can play. Click here to start the online course.

The event takes place at the Washoe County Regional Public Safety Center and the facility is terrific – complete with track facilities, air-conditioned classrooms, proper water closets and ample parking. Food and beverages are provided. In addition to coaches, I need volunteers and cheerleaders – yep, if you just want to check it out and cheer on the students and coaches you are more than welcome. Just let me know so I can make sure we don’t run out of food.

Please send me some fan mail so I can get off my knees!

Look forward to seeing you all and please save the date.

Stephen Polimeni, Driving Events Coordinator

The post Street Survival – October 7 appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

We just completed our fifth BMW European Delivery this past May. The journey began on May 18, 2017 when we picked up our 440ic at the Welt in Munich. But before we drove off with our car we were treated to food and beverages in the VIP lounge. This is where you relax prior to going down to the floor where all the BMW’s are rotating on discs.  What a great presentation to see all sides of the car. A representative spends about 30 minutes going over all aspects of the car. Our representative even programmed all the stops on our route thru Switzerland and Italy. We drove the car back to the Platzl Hotel which is a 4-star hotel that BMW recommended. It was spectacular and the breakfast was to die for.

After three days in Munich, we drove on to Lucerne, Switzerland for two days. The city is located on Lake Lucerne. We took a boat tour of the surrounding areas which is a must if you visit. There are several great restaurants in Lucerne but food is extremely expensive in Switzerland. We then went on to Bellagio on Lake Como, Italy for three days. George Clooney owns a mansion across the lake from Bellagio which seems to be a big draw to this area. We came here once before many years ago when we did another European delivery. We liked the area so much, we decided to return. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful mountains surrounding the lake.

On to San Gimignano, Italy which is in the center of Tuscany. We did some serious wine tasting for 4 days. We stayed at a quaint apartment named Il Borghetto. The only set back was the last two miles to the apartment was on a dirt road. With a new white BMW, it was very frustrating. The good news was we did find a car wash on the day we were leaving, so all was good. We then traveled to Asti, Italy which is in the center of the Piedmont wine region. We stayed in Asti for three days and traveled around this area visiting wineries and tasting some great Italian wines. Our final stop in Italy was a small medieval town called Aosta. It is close to the French and Swiss borders. We had also visited it several years ago. It is a walled town with many Roman influences. A great place to take photos.

We finished our trip by stopping back in Lucerne for one night and then back to Munich. We returned our car at the Munich airport. There are about a dozen places you could drop your car off in Europe but we learned early on that your best chance of getting your car back in 8 weeks is to return it to Munich. BMW pays for one month of lease if you are leasing. The downside is you have to wait two months to get your car from Europe. We still think it is worth it.

This was our fifth (and probably last) European delivery. Our first was way back in 2000 when we visited Austria. In 2007, we went to Italy for the first time. In 2010, we traveled to France and dropped the car off in Nice (a big mistake). And in 2014 we went to Prague and then around Germany. I have included a few photos to give you a flavor of our travels. Ciao

Pat & JoAnn McGoff, Past President

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– Ron Nicasio, President

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The Sierra Chapters 4th annual summer picnic was held on August 12th at the ArrowCreek Residence Club. The day turned out to be a perfect day for a picnic. Mart Jaama held a “Show & Shine” in the Club parking lot. A big thank you to Mart for making some great trophies to pass out to three lucky winners. I and new member Mark Hannon did the grilling duties. We had awesome hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage provided by the club. Members brought side dishes to compliment the main meal. There was plenty of food to go around for everyone. We were able to use the indoor residence club to dine although picnic tables were also provided outside with umbrellas.

We had 18 member cars show up for the event, 15 BMWs, two classic MB SL’s and a Subaru. De Sharp brought his beautiful M4, which did win one of the Show and Shine trophies, the People’s Choice award. Sharon Goodrich had her blue M228 on hand and it also won a trophy, the brightest award. Pat & Joann’s 2018 440i convertible won the Cutest Car award. There was a BMW hubcap award given to the Subaru owners. Plus there were another gifts and gag items given out. It was a great idea to have a show and shine with the picnic. Mart also invited members to bring remote control cars to the picnic. Ron Nicasio brought his to challenge Marts remote car. Maybe next year we can get more cars to show up and race. This event is a lot of fun and we hope that members will put it on their calendars for next year!!

Pat and Mart

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We will still be visiting the fantastic city of New Orleans, but now we’ll enjoy temperatures a full twenty average degrees cooler, more track resources, an expanded concours event, and much more! Although this change does present challenges, the opportunities it gave us for a bigger and better Oktoberfest were too great to turn down. We are already working with current registrants to accommodate any inconveniences―and getting great feedback. It seems like Halloween in New Orleans is a definite attraction!

In a nationwide organization of 70,000 members strong, we cannot always accommodate all of the needs of every member. We’re excited that this new opportunity aligns so well with member feedback and interests! Click here to go to the Ofest website with all the details.

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The Sierra Chapter of the BMW Car Club has been successful because of the friendship, camaraderie and the ability of our members to volunteer their time and effort in making events and driving tours well organized and fun. We still need volunteers for different activities – hint: September’s Kars for Kids and Street Survival in October to name a few. So if you would like to get more involved just let me or anyone of the board members know and complete the RSVP forms on our site. Click here to view our event calendar.

We are rolling April and pretty soon summer is in full swing. After this winter, blue skies and the sight of green will bring smiles to everyone’s face. Welcome to the summer driving season, buckle up and let’s go for a drive. The first quarter of the year is pretty lackluster when it comes to club events. The only thing of interest was the tech session highlighted later in the newsletter.

Two events are on deck for June. This is when we come into full swing for club events. We will take the club’s June monthly meeting outside of the Bill Pearce and into the ballpark to watch the Reno Aces take on the Tacoma Rainiers. “Take me out to the ballgame” is scheduled on June 22^nd. Family and friends are welcome to this event. This is our first real social gathering since Christmas and we are looking forward to seeing old and new friends.
The popular Virginia City Tour will be on June 24^th. This touring event will take the club to Historic Virginia City thru Incline Village and Carson City. After taking in the scenery and tackling the twisting roads, the hungry drivers and navigators adjourn at The Palace in Virginia City for a tasty lunch.

June is National Safety Month! Let us all enjoy driving our BMWs and concentrate on being the best drivers that we can be.

– Ron Nicasio

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One Small Step Turns into Giant Leap for National Automobile Museum

Mission control has never been more accessible. We are proud to announce that the Nevada Space Center is now included in your price of admission. It’s an opportunity to become an astronaut for a day and make childhood dreams come to life!

Once a traveling exhibit, the Center’s new Be the Astronaut exhibit features scientifically verified experiences once had only after years of NASA training. Feel as if you’re actually flying a spaceship, driving a surface rover in pods or piloting a lander with the assistance of 70-inch monitors, touchscreens and industrial–quality joysticks. Watch the entire cockpit come to life with animated lighting effects, game visuals and space sounds. 

While visiting the new experience, check out the space memorabilia, an actual rover and collection of space suits and artifacts from NASA missions, plus U.S. Apollo and USSR space programs. The Nevada Space Center exhibit is open during regular Museum hours. Magnetic swipe cards that activate the simulators are issued at the Museum’s admissions counter.

Click here to read the Museum Newsletter

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John Strom

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What makes a club great is participation. Not only in going to the events, but also by submitting your life experiences on the road. This is your newsletter and you are invited to submit things of interest to me or Carol. As long as they are family friendly they could be published for all club members to enjoy. I know that you have great things to share. Send your contributions to newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org. I promise that it doesn’t hurt one little bit to share.

Fred Watson, Editor

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DeArmond Sharp Treasurer.

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Jay offered a 10% discount on service for all the members that attended the event along with a $20 discount on a detail. Mart Jaama won the drawing for a free detail. And  finally, Jay wants to invite the BMW car club members for a cars and coffee event that they are hosting on April 9 from 10am to 2pm (weather permitting).

Click here to view the picture gallery

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Click here to watch the video

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I have been appointed by the board to be the Club Newsletter Editor. As most of you know, Carol Villar has moved to Florida and will remain our Webmaster. I’m taking over her duties as the editor of the newsletter. This will give you a local voice and perspective on most of the club activities. If any of you have articles of interest to the general club members, be sure to send it to me. My email address where things can be sent is newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org.

This year the board has voted on a very busy agenda for 2017. Some new events and some are the most successful from past years. Please make every effort to join in the fun. Remember that we are a bunch of BMW guys and gals who enjoy these great vehicles. The purpose of BMW CCA is to enhance the BMW and MINI ownership experience. Our Chapter Mission is simple: Have Fun! After you look over the list of events and activities, make sure that you make notes of the event and dates on your calendar.

Here’s hoping that this is a fantastic year for all of us.

Fred Watson, Editor

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As you know I have become your new club president for the Sierra BMW CCA chapter.  I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and the role you have granted me.  I have many hopes that this year will be just as successful if not more in our endeavors.  My hopes this year is to grow our programs and build a stronger community base in the Northern Sierra.  I know that we can accomplish these with the amazing team we have. Though I promise that we may work hard to grow our club and help our community we will have just as much fun if not more, and still continue our traditions.  I want you to all be aware that I want to be an avenue for all of you to have a positive experience in the club this year and I am just phone call away if you need anything. 

Just as the famous engineers at BMW say they don’t build cars rather the ultimate driving experience, let us construct our ultimate club experience.  

Ron Nicasio

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This year’s rally required loyal participants to collect items from a grocery list. Items were to be collected from specific locations and once all the items were purchased, participants had to make their way to the Evelyn Mount Community Center where they were collected for donation to Evelyn Mount’s Outreach Program.  Since arriving in Reno in 1976, Evelyn Mount has provided holiday meals to thousands of Reno and Sparks families through the Community Outreach Food Drive she and her late husband founded. This wonderful program accepts food and gift cards from local grocery stores.

A tiny clue in the instructions directed participants to go north for the Grocery Outlet store. Those that headed north first were able to get ahead of the line as it were…..  The first three cars arriving at the community center were awarded prizes. Zachary Harding and his partner arrived first, Ron Nicasio and his navigator arrived in second place (it was almost a photo finish), Ron and Sharon Rachow came in third place thanks to Sharon’s expert shopping skills which was a marked improvement from last year’s last place!

Special thanks to Pat and Joann McGoff, and Fred Watson for their assistance in arranging a picnic at the ArrowCreek Recreation Center –  a wonderful facility and we had some more fun…..I’m bringing more wine next time!!!!

Click here to watch the video

2016 FUN RALLY DETAILS       

Meeting Place:  Parking Lot in front of Total Wine, 6671 S Virginia St, Reno.
Time: Rally starts promptly at 10:30am,  Rally Master contact 775-691-5290

Description:

Participants will be provided a packet of information at the start of the Rally. The objective is to acquire the list of grocery items below from the specified locations. The grocery items should match the brand shown and at the prices indicated, give or take a few cents. The first 3 teams to arrive with the correct items at the least amount (not to exceed $15) at the Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center located at 1301 Valley Road, will be awarded a prize (receipts for purchases will be checked). All collected grocery items will then be donated to the Evelyn Mount Outreach program.

At rally end, participants will then have the option of attending a picnic at the Arrowcreek Recreational Center (map attached). Upon arriving at the gatehouse to the Arrowcreek residences, advise the gatekeeper you are with the BMW club. Follow signs to the Recreation Center.

Please drive safely.

 List of Items to collect:

Raley’s Supermarket

1 Box of Farmhouse Rice                                                $1.50
1 Box of Raley’s Pasta                                                      $1.28

Smith’s Supermarket

1 Can of Koger Sweet Golden Corn Kernels                 $0.70
1 Can of Bruces Yams (29 oz)                                          $2.00

Bargain Market Grocery Outlet  (Lemmon Valley)

1 Box of Marie Callenders Cornbread Mix (2lb)            $3.00
1 Jar/Can of Heinz Homestyle Turkey Gravy                  $1.00
1 Pkg of Grandma Mauds Red Beans & Rice                  $1.00

WINCO

1 Pkt Idahoan Buttery Homestyle Mashed Potatoes     $0.87
1 Box of WINCO brand Stuffing Mix                                  $0.98
1 Can of DelMonte Fresh Cut Green Beans                     $0.98
1 Can of WINCO Cranberry Jelly                                        $0.78

                                                                               Total      $14.09

The post 2016 Fun Rally appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The drive to our first stop went very smoothly, and we arrived at Carson Pass ahead of schedule where we met Bob and Linda Sanfilippo having linked up with James Russell on the way.

However, between Carson Pass and Cooper Vineyards things got exciting.  There was road construction on Highway 88 which at one point reduced travel to one lane.  The lead group of cars of 8 or so was cut off from the balance of the group at one of the flag stops.  Unfortunately, the lead car of the second group did not know we were taking the Mormon Emigrant Trail exit on Highway 88.

Fortunately, the cutoff group was highly motivated to find Cooper Vineyards on their own and all except one showed up in time for the Cooper winetasting.  Cooper treated us very well and in addition to their fine wine (especially Barbara) provided light snacks.  Dick Cooper, the patriarch of the Cooper Family and the founder of the vineyard, stopped by to say hello.  You can see his picture posted on the website.

From Cooper we traveled the short distance to Karmere Vineyards for lunch.  The box lunches were delivered to those who purchased in advance and others brought their own lunch.  Following lunch there was ample time to enjoy the Karmere wines, including barrel tasting.

From Karmere we went to Amador Cellars which is a first-time stop for the club.  This is a small family-run winery showcasing Mediterranean wines and Tuscan architecture.  It produces estate grown zinfandel, sauvignon blanc, and Rhone valley varietals.  They grow their own sauvignon blanc which is unusual in that area.  Linda Long, one of the owner/proprietors set up a tasting area for the club outside of their tasting room which is inside of their barrel aging warehouse.  There were several vats of grapes fermenting in the tasting area fortunately we were not call on to help punch them down (hard work) before tasting. 

Following Amador Cellars we went to a favorite from last year’s tour, Vino Noceto. They have a new area outside, covered area for groups that was just completed. They were able to set up a private tasting for the club.  One of the owners came by to pick up some wine visited with our group and provided us with some history of the vineyard, including a story of how he and his wife traveled to Tuscany and brought home Sangiovese cuttings that are foundation of current Sangiovese production.  We also received another surprise when Steve and Anne Marie Polimeni joined us, Steve having made a quick recovery.

After Noceto, the fourth and final winery, people moved on to the Shenandoah Inn where they enjoyed the pool and prepared for the evening soiree.  At 6 o’clock we all assembled at the picnic area at the Shenandoah.  Everyone brought a bottle of wine, the club had arranged for Amador Vintage Market to deliver party platters which quickly consumed.  The evening was topped off with gourmet pizza from the Pokerville Market complemented by the outstanding wines from Amador County.

On Sunday all but four of the group who had to leave early showed up at Marlene and Glen’s Dead Fly Diner for breakfast which has become the Sunday tradition.

Following breakfast everyone went their own way and visited the Amador Flower Farms, other wineries or Pokerville Market to buy wine (10% case discount) before traveling home.

The weekend was enjoyed by all, the weather was great, the people were great, and the wine spectacular.  Thanks to Ron, Sharon, Pat, JoAnn and Joyce for all the help in arranging the tour.  We look forward to doing it again next year and have already scouted out one new winery to visit.  If anyone has any suggestions of a winery they would like to visit, please provide it to DeArmond, Pat, or Ron together with any other suggestions to improve the event.

Click here to watch the video or visit our photo gallery

The post 2016 Wine Tour appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

• Feb 9, Meeting at Bill Pearce, Dinner Skipolini’s at The Summit
• Mar 9, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
  
• Mar 11, BMW Club Appreciation at Sierra Sport Haus
  
• Apr 13, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• May 11, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Jun 22, Meeting- Reno Aces Ball Game
• Jun 24, Virginia City
• Jul 13, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Jul 29, Sierra Buttes
• Aug 10, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Aug 12, Annual Family Picnic | Show & Shine
• Sep 14, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Oct  7, Street Survival
• Oct 12, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Oct 14, Wine Tour
• Oct 28, Fun Rally
• Nov 9, Meeting at Bill Pearce 6pm
• Dec 14, Holiday Party

The post 2017 Planned Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

As I look back at the last four years, I see that the Sierra Chapter has grown considerably and we have some new members who are participating in the yearly events as well as coming to the meetings. We have gone digital on our quarterly newsletter as well as meeting notifications and invitation to monthly events. We have some new restaurants to go to after the monthly meetings. We try to keep the meetings as interesting as possible and limit the time to 60 minutes or less so we can enjoy the dinners. It’s been a wonderful four years as President of the Club.

On October 8^th, we had the BMW Foundation Street Survival at a new venue, the Regional Public Safety Training Center in Reno. This facility is used by the Sherriff’s Dept. to train their people. We had a total of 33 students signed up and 28 students participated in the program. Steve Polimeni and Jeff Warner did an amazing job this year. Steve has volunteered to take over the event from Jeff starting this year. I would like to thank all the volunteers from the club for making this a successful event. We also had help from the Sherriff’s Dept., the Porsche Club and the Zero Teen Fatalities folks. A big thanks to Steve Reimer for providing bagels and coffee again this year from Einstein Bagels. This facility is first class and the students really enjoyed the experience. We hope to be returning to this center for many years to come!

We had our second annual Fun Rally on October 29^th. Steve and Anne Marie Polimeni created a rally this year using grocery stores as the venue. The intent was to find food at four grocery stores as fast as possible while obeying the speed limits (ha ha). Each car would spend about $15 for the entire journey. The first three cars that returned to the final meeting place won prizes. First place went to Zachary Harding and his partner, second to Ron Nicasio and third place to Ron and Sharon Rachow. The groceries were donated to the Evelyn Mount Outreach Program. Thanks again to Steve and Anne Marie for sponsoring this event. Next year, Fred Watson and Mart Jaama have volunteered and will again have a new format so stay tuned.

Our Holiday Party was held at Brick’s Restaurant this year on December 8^th. Members were invited to De and Joyce Sharp’s house for cocktails and appetizers prior to heading over to the restaurant. A total of 46 members attended this year. Bill Pearce again donated several raffle gifts. De Sharp provided some fun raffle gifts and I had some nice wines to donate. A big thanks for De and Joyce for opening up their house again for the cocktail party.

I would like to thank the members and Board for letting me have fun running meetings and going to as many events as possible. I still intend to stay active in the Chapter and help out as much as possible. The Wine Tour and Street Survival will stay on my volunteer list. I hope to see more of our members this coming 2017.

Happy Motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Thanks to all who pitched in for Street Survival.  I’m sure the new location had a lot to do with it, but I think it was the best one ever.  The final count after one called in sick and another no-showed, was 28 drivers.  The critiques showed that both parents and students appreciated the facility… a lot!  They also gave kudos for the coaching.  AND… I think the feedback on the classroom presentations was the best ever!  Way to go Steve.  Why didn’t we dump that other guy sooner?

For the first time ever at this location, the course layouts and the flow went pretty smoothly.  The water and soap actually worked, for a change, to get cars loose.  One important achievement for the day, the schedule:  we started on time, stayed on time, and finished on time.

Alice and Diane will have to provide the necessary critique of how registration went.  I can say this from double-checking… we collected 100% of the minor waivers and with 83 signatures on the regular waiver, I don’t think we missed anyone.  Steve Reimer generously comp’d 50% of the Einstein goodies.  Just a FYI, we were charged $400 for the use of the facility, which is reimbursed to us by Street Survival.

Fred, thanks for the pictures.  Looking forward to seeing them.  Plz fwd to Carol for the website.

The only trace at day’s end that we had been there might have been a few bagel crumbs.  Thanks for everyone’s help cleaning up.  If you are friends with the Porsche Club guys who helped out, please give them a “thanks”.

It’s more than a one-man job.  I would encourage anyone willing, to step forward and help Steve Polimeni keep the program going.

Cheers,

Jeff- Your Janitor

Click here to watch the video or or visit our photo gallery

The post 2016 Street Survival appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Sierra Bimmerheads,

Thanks to all who pitched in for Street Survival.  I’m sure the new location had a lot to do with it, but I think it was the best one ever.  The final count after one called in sick and another no-showed, was 28 drivers.  The critiques showed that both parents and students appreciated the facility… a lot!  They also gave kudos for the coaching.  AND… I think the feedback on the classroom presentations was the best ever!  Way to go Steve.  Why didn’t we dump that other guy sooner?

For the first time ever at this location, the course layouts and the flow went pretty smoothly.  The water and soap actually worked, for a change, to get cars loose.  One important achievement for the day, the schedule:  we started on time, stayed on time, and finished on time.

Alice and Diane will have to provide the necessary critique of how registration went.  I can say this from double-checking… we collected 100% of the minor waivers and with 83 signatures on the regular waiver, I don’t think we missed anyone.  Steve Reimer generously comp’d 50% of the Einstein goodies.  Just a FYI, we were charged $400 for the use of the facility, which is reimbursed to us by Street Survival.

Fred, thanks for the pictures.  Looking forward to seeing them.  Plz fwd to Carol for the website.

The only trace at day’s end that we had been there might have been a few bagel crumbs.  Thanks for everyone’s help cleaning up.  If you are friends with the Porsche Club guys who helped out, please give them a “thanks”.

It’s more than a one-man job.  I would encourage anyone willing, to step forward and help Steve Polimeni keep the program going.

Cheers,
Jeff- Your Janitor

The post 2016 Street Survival appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Click here to view the video slideshow or click to visit picture gallery.

The post 2016 Sierra Buttes Tour & Poker Run appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The July 14^th meeting of the Sierra Chapter was held at the Greater Nevada Field in Reno. This the home field for the farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks, our own Reno Aces. On this hot evening, the club met in the reserved section of the Coors Party Zone. We had 34 members and guests in attendance, including our new member Ben Potts and his family.  Included with admission to the game was a catered Bar-B-Que dinner which included all of the traditional food items. And, there was plenty of $2.00 Coors or Coors Lite beer.  This was the first game of a series with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the farm team for LA Dodgers. The game went on for eight and a half innings with our home team winning 4 to 2. It was an evening of food, fun and fans–rooting for the home team—and they won!
– Cheri Huntoon

The post Take Me Out to the Ball Game appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

After about a 15 minute stop, we then proceed to Incline Village where turned left on Hwy 28.  We proceeded a few miles down the road to Starbucks. We arrived there at about 10:30 am. This was a 15-20 minute stop for picking up more members and some to Carson City. Then it was to Hwy 395 north to the refreshments.

We departed Starbucks and stayed on Hwy 28 around Lake Tahoe; luckily the heavy traffic was in the other direction. At the intersection of US Hwy 50 we made a left turn toward Carson City. This was an uncontrolled intersection and it was a challenge to get all the cars onto highway. After a mile or so, John pulled over to regroup and make sure that all the cars made the turn. It was downhill from there cut off to I-580 north. Then it was right onto Hwy 50 again to Virginia City. After several miles, we turned left on the old truck route to Virginia City. This route goes up the very curvy road up 6 mile canyon.
(Click https://goo.gl/maps/0hjoJ for the mapped Route).

Once in Virginia City, everyone drove around until they found a parking place. Some had to park on the lower and side streets while others were able to park in the public parking lot. We ended up at the Palace Hotel and Restaurant (http://www.palacerestaurant1875.com/)  for lunch at about 12:30 pm. Because of the heavy lunch hour traffic, we had to split up and find our own seating. A large bunch of kids were in the area reserved for the club and did not leave.  After lunch everyone went their own way. Some returned to Reno and some stayed in V.C to shop until they dropped. In all, if you missed this trip, prepare for the next event. Join the experience and have fun.

By the way, if you missed the trip, this is a very pretty drive that you might want to take someday.

Click here to view the video and Click here to visit the picture gallery

Virginia City is an experience going back 150 years. Let your adventure begin with a step back in time. The 19th century mining boom turned Virginia City into the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco; and grubby prospectors into instant millionaires. They built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from Europe and the Orient, and helped finance the Civil War… and then went on to build empires around the world. The finest example being San Francisco. Click here for information about Virginia City.

The post 2016 Virginia City Drive (Newsletter) appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Click here to view the video and  Click here to visit the picture gallery

Timeline

Friday, May 13th, 2016

11:30 am    Meet at McDonalds in shopping center at Mae Anne & McCarran (5148 Mae Anne Ave., Reno
Noon        Depart Reno on I-80 West
2:00 pm    Rest stop (15 min) in West Sacramento (Reed Ave. exit)  Left at light, left to Starbucks, Jack-in-the-Box, Subway
5:00 pm     Arrive Courtyard Marriott, 2500 Larkspur Cir, Larkspur, CA Social in courtyard garden after arrival – BYOB
6:45 pm     Assemble in Lobby for 2-minute walk to Marin Brewing Company

Saturday, May 14th, 2016

7:00 am       Breakfast at hotel or nearby restaurant of your choice
9:00 am        Depart hotel with full tank of gas*
10:30  am   Rest stop (30 min) in Point Reyes Station
11:45 am     Photo stop along the coast
12:30 am     Lunch (1+ hr) at Ocean Cove Bar & Grill
3:00 – 4:00 pm Arrive at Mendocino and/or Holiday Inn Express, 250 West Hwy 20, Fort Bragg
6:45 pm     Leave for 5-minute drive to dinner at Silver’s at the Wharf, Noyo Harbor

Sunday, May 15th, 2016

On your own**
Map in packet gives alternative routes home. You may want to stop in the wine country or the outlets in Vacaville!

(click here for the route)

The post 2016 Cabot Cove Cruise appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

As you know, Amador County is best known for its red wines, particularly zinfandel and barbera.  In the zinfandel category, there were five flights with eight wines in each for judging in Calaveras this year.  Terra d Oro 2014 Amador Zinfandel won a double gold (all judges awarded a gold) and was selected as the zin most representative of Amador County Zinfandels  The Terra d Oro 2014 Deaver zin also received a double gold.

Other Zinfandel winners from Amador County included:

• Runquist 2014 Cooper, Silver
• Runquist 2014 Esola, Silver
• Runquist 2014 Massoni, Silver
• Convergence 2014, Bronze
• Sobon 2014 Fiddletown, Silver
• Sobon 2013 Old Vine, Silver
• Sobon 2013 Cougar Hill, Gold,
• Sobon 2013 Rocky Top, Bronze
• Amador Cellars 2013, Silver,
• Shenandoah 2013 Mittner Selection, Gold
• Terra d Oro 2014 Home, Bronze
• Deaver 2012, Gold
• Driven 2010, Silver

In the Barbera category, there were two flights of eight:

• Runquist 2014 Amador was awarded a double gold
• Runquist 2014 Cooper, Gold
• Sobon Estates 2013, Gold
• Terra d Oro 2014, Silver
• Convergence 2014, Silver
• Driven 2012, Bronze
• Bray 2012, Silver

 Among the Sangioveses:

• Bray 2012  Gold
• Deaver 2012, Silver
• Runquist 2014, Silver

Runquist also scored with its other red varietals as follows:

• Runquist Carginane 2014, Silver
• Runquist Touriga 2014, Silver

In the category Italian red varietal:

• Runquist Charbona 2014 was a Gold
• Terra d Oro Teroldego 2014, Gold
• Terra d Oro Aglianico 2014, Silver
• Runquist Alicante Bouschet 2014, Silver
• Convergence scored a Silver for its new blend called “El Diablo” 2014 and a Gold for its Italian Job 2014.
• Runquist 2014 “1448” scored a Bronze.

If you are interested in Tempranillo:

• Runquist 2014 Shake Ridge double gold
• Driven 2011 scored a Silver
• Runquist 2014 Liberty, Gold
• Convergence 2014, Silver

Primitivos included:

• Driven 2012, double Gold
• Driven 2013, Gold
•  Bray 2012, Bronze
• Runquist 2014, Bronze
• Convergence 2014, Silver

If you are going to Runquist, try the:

• Petite Verdot scored a Silver

For you cab drinkers:

• Sobon 2012, Bronze
• Convergence 2014, Silver

Cabernet Franc:

• Shenandoah 2013, Gold, best in class

In the Syrah category:

• Convergence 2014 Silver
• Amador Cellars 2013 Silver

Petite Sirah:

• Deaver 2012, Gold
• Runquist 2014, Silver
• Convergence 2014, Silver

For you port drinkers – Non Vintage Port – Ruby:

• Terra d Oro, double Gold

Vintage Port:

• Terra d Oro 2005, double Gold, best in show
• Convergence 2012, Silver

White Wines are available but usually made with grapes sourced from a different area, including Sauvignon Blancs from:

• Amador Cellars, Silver
• Shenandoah Vineyards 2015, Bronze

Other white winners: 

• Bray 2013 Verdelho which scored a Silver
• Terra d Oro Viognier Chenin Blanc blend a Silver and its
• 2015 Nebbiolo rose a Gold as did its 2015 Pinot Gris/Grigio scored a Gold.

Viognier category Sobon 2015 scored a Silver, as did the Sobon Roussanne.  If you stop at Lavender Ridge in El Dorado County on your way home be sure to taste the Lavender Ridge 2015 Grenache rose which won a Gold and was awarded best of class.

Several of the wineries we have previously visited, for example, Cooper, Helwig, Karmere, Vino Noceto, Terra Rouge / Easton do not appear in the results probably because they didn’t enter.

Last year we had lunch at Terra d Oro and it appears from the results that not only should we have lunch there again, but spend a good deal of time sampling their Calaveras County winners.

See you in September!
DeArmond Sharp

The post Anticipating September Wine Tour appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

After a very snowy winter, we finally arrived at the start of a wet spring. We have two touring events coming up in the next few months. One is a returning tour and the other is one that is a club favorite. March 7 was the 10^th anniversary of BMW. It was founded in 1916. The Oktoberfest in Monterey will be celebrating the event with many cars from the BMW museum in Munich. We hope to see many of our members there.

We did have a Tech Session on March 12^th at Sierra Wheel Repair. John Strom arranged the presentation and we had 12 members show up for the event. John knows the owner very well. As a matter of fact, John just had his M3 wheels refurbished by the company. We did learn the technique for fixing and painting wheels that have gotten dinged up or bent. Sierra Wheel Repair is one of the few companies that do this type of repair and at a very affordable cost. If you have wheels that need attention, give them a call.

The Cabot Cove Tour is returning after a 4-year hiatus. John Strom is going to lead us again to Marin and then up to Fort Bragg along the Rt. 1 coastal highway. It is a two-day tour starting on Friday May 13th and finishing on Sunday May 15^th. We stop in Marin for the night on Friday and then continue up the coast Saturday. The tour was limited to 12 members and it filled up very quickly.

On Jun 25^th, John English will take us back to Virginia City thru Incline Village and Carson City. The Virginia City Tour ends up with a very nice lunch at the Palace in Virginia City.

The 2016 Oktoberfest in Monterey apparently has filled up the Hyatt Hotel in Monterey so the BMWCCA is looking for more hotels to house more than 1500 members. We have 8 members attending from the Sierra Chapter. Russ Huntoon is bring down his RV and parking it on the Laguna Seca track. I will host a wine tasting tour of the Carmel Valley on the Wednesday of the event. We did that two years ago when the Oktoberfest was also in Monterey. It was a great time!

Although we only had one event in the Winter Quarter, we did have some fun meetings. I’d like to thank all the members who have been showing up for the meetings. We have been averaging 25-30 members and spouses. As always, most of us attend the dinner after the meeting. We change the restaurants every month to keep it interesting. I encourage all our members to come and check us out. We have a great time talking about our BMW’s and get to know our members better.

Happy Motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The Cabot Cove Tour was a great success this year and we didn’t lose Jim Goodfellow like we did 4 years ago. John and Alice Strom lead us again to Marin and then up to Fort Bragg along the Rt. 1 coastal highway. It takes a lot of work and coordination to put this tour together so our hats off to John and Alice. John even put a quiz together on BMW technical names that turned out to be a real challenge. The two-day tour started on Friday May 13th and finished on Sunday May 15^th. We stopped in Marin for the night on Friday and had appetizers and drinks on the hotel patio and then walked over to the pub for a wonderful dinner. The beer wasn’t bad either. On Saturday we got an early start and headed up the coast highway. We had to deal with some fog and a bunch of cyclists but we needed the challenge. The 10 member cars ended up in Fort Bragg for the evening. We all went to a seafood restaurant for dinner and shared conversations of the drive up the coast. We need to do this again in a few years if John is willing.

On Jun 25^th, John English took us back to Virginia City thru Incline Village and Carson City. The Virginia City Tour ended up with a very nice lunch at the Palace in Virginia City. A big thanks to John for doing this tour each year. It is a club favorite.

For the third quarter, the club is having their 3^rd Annual Picnic on July 10^th. It will be held at Bower’s Mansion again this year. Andy and Sharon Goodrich are spearheading the Sierra Butts Tour and Poker Run again on July 30^th.  The Hot August Nights Potluck will be at our house on August 11th. We had 46 members attend last year so let’s try and beat that record. I would love to see some new faces at our house. The Kars for Kids Show and Shine will be at Sky Tavern again this year on September 11^th. Our BMW club won the $1000 award last year for most club cars. This is a non-club event but the money goes to a good cause and we will be trying to win again this year. And the last event of the third quarter is our annual Sierra Wine Tour on September 24^th and 25^th. The event is already full with 15 members attending.

The 2016 Oktoberfest in Monterey now has 2000 members attending. There are 12 Sierra chapter members signed up to attend this year. Some are attending the Festorics and Legends of the Autobahn as well. I hear there is still room so if you have never attended an Oktoberfest, this would be the one since it is close and BMW is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary.

Happy Motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Here’s a roster of all who chipped in to make this year’s Street Survival another worthwhile event. (Gee, I hope I didn’t leave out anyone!!!) We had help from outside the club (denoted by an *), from our venue host, Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program… and from other individuals who care about the effort to give new drivers a better chance to survive.

Registration was manned… errr, wo-manned… by Diane Ona, Carmina Nicasio and Jackie Douglass. We would have starved without Joyce Sharp and Sharon Rachow… okay and DeArmond for bagels and coffee first thing.

The course workers kept the flow going: John Strom, Ed Smith, Art Ona, Duane Meyer*… plus some parental help.

Fred Watson was a moving target as the event photographer.

A HUGE thanks to all of our COACHES/VOLUNTEERS (see below)
Sky Tavern and Captain Duane Meyer

And mostly to our fearless Leader: JEFF WARNER, without you this event would not be possible!
Thanks Parents, because you care

BMWCCA Sierra Chapter White Knuckled, Fearless Coaches (in alphabetical order):

The post 2015 Street Survival appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

by DeArmond Sharp

The Sierra Chapter 2015 Holiday Party was held a week earlier than usual because another group booked Brick’s Restaurant on our usual date the second Thursday in December. We are safe for 2016—room is already reserved for the Club.

Thursday, December 3r^d turned out to be a stormy windy day- like Holiday Party day in 2014. Nevertheless, 54 members enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Bricks following a cocktail party and Joyce and DeArmond’s home.

In 2014, the high wind caused a power outage in the middle of the cocktail party—members to the rescue with lights from cell phones. In 2015 many came prepared for a repeat test of their cell phone lights because of the windy day—they were disappointed. No power outage!

The 40+/- who attended the cocktail party came bearing their favorite libations and bountiful feast of hors d’oeuvres and appetizers. In fact many members commented we could have grazed on the appetizers and skipped dinner.

Notwithstanding the selection of hors d’oeuvres, the members did tear themselves away to adjourn to Brick’s for dinner. Brick’s offered three main courses to choose from: Barramundi fish from Australia, Short Ribs or Pork Tenderloin. In addition to the main course, we had a caesar salad and a choice of desert: key lime pie, bread pudding or crème brûlée.

The club also provided wine for the dinner.

President Pat rounded up raffle prizes many donated by Bill Pearce BMW- thank you Bill Pearce.

If you log on the Sierra BMW Club web site go to the video and photo galleries look at the Holiday Party pictures and watch the Holiday Party video and you will see that a great time was had by all. It was a marvelous party and all who attended look forward to Holiday Party version 2016!!

The post 2015 Holiday Party appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

by Steve Polimeni

As luck would have it, after rescheduling our Fun Rally to Halloween Saturday because of prior commitments by quite a few valued club members, the weather turned out to be one of those beautiful Fall days with temperatures in the low 70’s and clear, sunny skies….yeah!

Our Fun rally was centered around public accessible golf courses in the greater Reno/Sparks area which provided an opportunity for members to venture to areas they may have never been before without having to pack an overnight bag or even require an afternoon nap! Eleven teams (cars) showed up mostly on time except for Andy and Sharon who got there just in time before the start – Andy blamed it on Sharon as usual….just kidding.

Rally fans were handed a packet of information which contained instructions and clues for each leg of the rally. Points were awarded for each leg completed, there were 6 golf courses, a driving range, a one hole putt challenge that was mandatory, and an elusive bottle of Greg Norman Cab/Merlot that could actually be found at our starting point in front of Total Wine. Oh yes, there was one other golf course but since it had not points assigned to it, why even go there!

The rally stops were random and participants had to use their own discretion as to what they could complete in the 3-hour time frame they given before ending up at the Twisted Fork restaurant for some well deserved sustenance. Each clue contained a picture of the rally stop, and within the picture was a clue as to the location or identity of the golf course. Participants were free to use their phones or GPS devices or printed maps (not many of those). There appeared to be some collusion but that was expected…it didn’t help much. At the mandatory one-hole putt challenge (girls did better than boys except Jim Johns and Pat McGoff – of course), Rally fans were handed a complimentary golf (crying) towel.

It should be noted that the Rallymaster is not a golfer (yet) but the geographic locations, accessibility of club houses and restrooms for potty breaks, and overall “driveability” for the rally made this an opportune theme. My sincere thanks to all participants for being such good sports.

 

The post 2015 Fun Rally appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

by Pat McGoff

The Kars for Kids event at Sky Tavern held on September 13^th was a non-BMW event that took me by surprise. There were all types of cars that showed up and entered the charity event and many clubs that competed for the $1000 prize for the most cars entered by a club. The top two clubs were the Mustang Club with 27 entrants and the BMW club with 30 cars participating…so we won! The rules didn’t specifically state it HAD to be a BMW.  We were also represented by a Mercedes, an Explorer, Mini and a Corvette which helped us out tremendously.

There were great raffle prizes given out every 15 minutes. De Sharp will look great in the pink Jaguar T Shirt he won. He gave away the Roller Kingdom tickets he won. It would have been nice to see him and Joyce at the rink. My wife would like to thank whoever left the Land Rover key chain on her windshield. Just what she always wanted (not). Last but not least the event ended with a live auction. I wonder how Jane Warner likes the ski lift chair that Jeff was high bidder on.  I heard it looks great in front of the picture window. As could be expected, there was a little sour grapes from the Mustang people. One lady passed the Huntoon’s and said one of our members brought eight cars. Not true but maybe next year!  Members did man their cell phones and got members to come who had no plans on attending the event. Lex Anastassatos was on Reserve duty for the weekend, and had brought his car the night before. We knew we needed more cars so he enlisted the help of his boss and brought his X5!  I drove Jim Goodfellow home so he could bring another car to the event. Russ Huntoon strode in on his BMW motorcycle while Cheri followed in her daughter’s BMW. Carmina stayed home and packed for their upcoming move but did let Ron Nicasio out so he could participate.

The post 2015 Kars for Kids – We Showed & We Shined appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

We are happy to bring you our Sierra Photo Gallery Website! This little website has all the Chapter’s pictures going waaaaaay back (2010)! Grab your Hot Chocolate and take a stroll down memory lane…  Click HERE to go to the Gallery site!

The Gallery is found under Calendar & Events menu on our website and is labeled as “Photo Gallery.”

You can also check out our YouTube Channel videos.

The post Sierra Gallery appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

by DeArmond Sharp

Early Saturday morning (7:20 a.m.), on September 19, 2015, BMWs with enthusiastic drivers and 15 restless passengers met to begin the Sierra Chapter Annual Eldorado/Amador Wine Tour.

The group departed on schedule at 8:15 a.m. and headed for its first stop three hours later at Cooper Vineyard, Plymouth, California.  The route took the drivers through Carson City, from there to Jacks Valley Road for a pleasant drive through the countryside on the west side of the Carson Valley, and from there on Route 88 over Carson Pass including spectacular views of Caples and Silver Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

We arrived on schedule at Cooper Vineyard where we were privileged to taste nine of the wonderful wines that Cooper produces, including the Barbera for which its renowned in Amador County.  In addition to the wine, Cooper provided cheese and crackers to wet our appetites for lunch.

From Cooper Vineyard the group proceeded a short distance to Terra d‘Oro Montevina Winery for our lunch stop.  By prearrangement, the Amador Vintage Market had delivered box lunches for those who purchased box lunches others brought their own.  Villa d’Oro has a beautiful facility for picnicking which they graciously permitted us to use.  It is currently the site of the Barbera Festival which is held in Amador County in June of each year.

Following lunch we enjoyed tasting the Villa d’Oro/Montevina offerings before proceeding to our next stop at Vino Noceto.  We were treated to a tasting of the Vino Noceto signature Sangiovese (3 distinct styles) in their outside patio.  The weather was sunny and warm and a few participants gave up on wine tasting and checked in at the Shenandoah Inn for a dip in the pool.

After Vino Noceto we made a short drive to Terra Rouge and Easton Winery.  We were fortunate to be there on Terra Rouge’s Syrah festival weekend and were treated to a sampling of nine styles of Syrah made by the Terra Rouge Winemaker who is known as the “Rhône Ranger.”  Who knew there were that many styles of Syrah?

The final stop of the day was Dobra Zemlja’s beautiful grounds with an underground tasting room.  Dobra Zemlja is owned by a Croatian winemaker who specializes in big Amador reds, no light weights.  At the conclusion of the last wine tasting, we all checked in at the Shenandoah Inn for a short rest prior to the evening events at the Shenandoah Inn pool patio.  While checking in we encountered friends from the Reno Porsche Club who were also staying at the Shenandoah.

We all (except two couples who went to a concert at Helwig Winery) gathered at the pool side patio for heavy hors’ devours, pizza purchased by the Club and other appetizers.  Everyone brought a bottle of wine to share.  The balance of the evening was spent with good friends enjoying  the  favorite bottles of wine the Hors d’oeuvre platters that were delivered by the Amador Vintage Market and pizza from the Pokerville Market

As is traditional, the next morning the hearty wine tasters had the option of enjoying a robust breakfast at the Dead Fly Diner and then proceeding for additional tastings at other wineries , enjoying the Amador Flower Farm or returning home.

The tour was enjoyed by all and included four wineries that we had not previously visited.  We are all looking forward to the 2016 version of the tour.

The post 2015 Wine Tour appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The Buttes Tour and Poker Run was held on August 8^th. Andy and Sharon sponsored the event again this year and did a super job! The weather was fine and the lunch at Longboards Bar & Grill located at Plumas Golf Course was fantastic. The winner of the Poker Run was James Russell.

The Potluck Dinner was at our house again this year on August 13^th. We had a total of 41 members show up for the event. Although this is supposed to be a meeting night, we spend more time talking, eating and drinking. Lots of fun and a break from meeting at the BMW Dealership.

My favorite event of the year was the Sierra Wine Tour on September 19^th and 20^th. We went to several new wineries this year, and had a box lunch at Terra d’Oro. They have a lovely covered patio which came in handy due to the high temperatures that day. We then visited Vino Noceto that was having a Sangiovese tasting. Then we went next door to Terra Rouge, who was having a Syrah tasting. Both had wonderful wines. The last winery we visited was Dobra Zemlja. If you want wine with high alcohol content, this is the place. The grounds were very stunning and the tasting room cave was a hit with the members. We decided to eat at the hotel this year. The Club bought pizza and plates of cheese, meats and vegetables. Of course, we had many wines to taste from the wineries we visited that day. Thanks again to De Sharp and Ron Rachow for all the work putting the tour together again this year.

The Kars for Kids event at Sky Tavern which was held on September 13^th was a shocker for the club. We never expected to win the $1000 award for the most cars but our members showed up with 30 cars to beat out the Mustang club by 3 cars. This was not our first attempt at winning this worthwhile event which supports the Kids Ski School at Sky Tavern ski area. We have tried to win for the last three years so I guess three is the charm. I am so thankful for the great support from our members. We did push the limit on phone calls at the last minute to get more cars to attend which did produce three more BMW’s. We have a great club and this is one the reasons I am so proud of this membership. We plan to do this again next year so what better way to support the Reno community that show up with your car and enjoy all the entertainment and camaraderie.

We now know that the 2016 Oktoberfest in Monterrey will be held from August 23^rd to the 28^th.  My sources at National are hoping to have the Oktoberfest website active sometime in January. If you are thinking of attending the 100th BMW Birthday Oktoberfest next year, you need to sign up the day the website comes out because the hotel rooms will sell out in a matter of a few days.

Happy motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

On October 3^rd, we again had the BMW Foundation Street Survival at Sky Tavern. We had a total of 16 students signed up for the event this year but only 11 showed so we had more than enough instructors. Jeff Warner did an amazing job again this year. This will be Jeff’s last year as event leader so Steve Polimeni will be taking over in 2016. Jeff is trying to secure the NVHP vehicle training facility for Street Survival 2016. We found that the Sky Tavern facility is too small for some of the exercises. We had one incident that resulted in a car being damaged which prompted the change.

We had our very first Fun Rally on October 31^st. Steve and Anne Marie Polimeni created a rally using golf courses. Photos were provided for each course. Points were given for certain facts that you had to acquire at the course. It turned out to be an exciting scavenger hunt of sorts. When all the dust settled, Paul Hollenbeck came in third, John and Anne Marie Utter took second, and JoAnn and yours truly won the top prize. There were a total of 11 cars on the rally which we considered a very good turnout. In 2016, we want to continue the Fun Rally but will have to create a new venue. Stay tuned.

Our Holiday Party was held at Brick’s Restaurant again this year on December 3^rd. Members were invited to De and Joyce Sharp’s house for cocktails and appetizers prior to heading over to the restaurant. A total of 54 members attended this year which broke all records. Bill Pearce again donated several raffle gifts. De Sharp provided some fun raffle gifts and I had some nice wines to donate.

As I mentioned last quarter, the 2016 Oktoberfest in Monterey will be held from August 23^rd to the 28^th. The website is still not complete due to hotel signup links not installed yet. This year, you will be able to sign up for the Festorics, Legends of the Autobahn and Oktoberfest from the same site. This is what Steve Schlossman of BMWCCA had to report: The Oktoberfest website continues to be ofest.bmwcca.org We also have celebratebmw.com When will it open? As soon as we have the registration and some fees finalized. We just aren’t there yet. We are expecting +1500 overall in attendance over the week ½. It’s very important that the registration goes smoothly. For my sanity at least. This year’s registration will include Legends, Festorics and Oktoberfest. You will also be able to book your Oktoberfest hotel using a unique link. Personally I’m hesitant to pick a date for the sake of picking a date. The registration form is just about done. We have weekly meetings with a company working with us through the process. Still need to finish up some integrations. Look to Roundel Weekly. That will be our primary members of communication.

Happy motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

• Jan 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/La Vecchia 6pm
• Feb 11, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• Mar 10, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• Apr 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• April 23, Tech Session @ Rennsport
• May 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• May 13–15, Coastal Cruise to Cabot Cove
• Jun 9, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• June 25, Virginia City Tour
• July 10, Third Annual BMWCCA Sierra Chapter Picnic
• Jul 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• July 30, Sierra Buttes Tour & Poker Run
• Aug 11, Hot August Nights Potluck
• Sep 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• Sep 24-25, El Dorado & Amador County Wine Tour
• Oct 8, Street Survival
• Oct 13, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• Oct 29, Fun Rally
• Nov 10, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• Dec 8, Christmas/Holiday Party

The post 2016 Coming Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Newsworthy can also be found under the “Stuff” menu and also displays in the sidebar of some of our pages (scroll down). 

The post See Something “Newsworthy” – Let Us Know! appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

New Process:
Instead of sending an invitation through the Gmail calendar (which some folks are having an issue with) and then sending a separate “evite” to get potluck signups, etc. we will simply send an email with the link to the RSVP page for the event.  Complete the form and you are ready to go.  NOTE: THIS WILL NOT ADD THE EVENT TO YOUR CALENDAR, you will have to add it manually. All of our events will still appear on our website calendar. I have created two examples for you to look at on our TEST site: 
Example 1: September Chapter Meeting (http://is.gd/onuquj)  which only requires an RSVP.
Example 2: The Holiday Party (http://is.gd/ejuhal) which requires a food sign up.

If you have any questions, please email me at WebMistress@SierraBMWCarClub.org

The post RSVPing for a Club Event appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

We did not take European Delivery but we did rent a BMW 320d touring (not a wagon) which we enjoyed greatly on the Autobahn! 
So sit back, relax and take the museum tour with us (click here to video slideshow).

The post Villars @ The BMW Welt & Museum appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

On July 12th, the club had it’s second annual Summer Picnic. This year we held it at Bower’s Mansion which is half way between Reno and Carson City just off Rt. 580. We had our own pavilion right next to the playground so it was perfect for the kids to play and pass the time away. Andy Goodrich did the grilling honors again this year. The burgers, sausages and hot dogs were delicious. All the members brought salads, appetizers and desserts so we had plenty of food. The Mazuryk’s even brought some pizzas for the group. A big thank you to Sharon Goodrich for putting this all together again this year. We had 20 families show up which was a wonderful turnout.

In August we have two events which the club looks forward to each year. August 8th is the Sierra Buttes Tour/Poker Run. If you haven’t tried it yet, come join us. We end up having lunch at Longboard’s Bar & Grill at Plumas Pines Golf Resort. Andy and Sharon Goodrich are taking the lead again this year and I know they will have a nice gift for the winner of the Poker Run. On August 13th, we will have out annual Potluck meeting at our house. We had 40 members come last year and I would love to beat the record this year for member attendance so sign up and come to ArrowCreek for a great time.

I know it is a year away but BMWCCA is coming back to Monterey for the 2016 Oktoberfest in August! This is a very special Oktoberfest because it marks the 100th year of BMW. There are very good rumors that BMW is bringing over many of the classic BMW’s from their museum. Jeff Warner mentioned in our meeting a few months ago that he will be attending and would love to have many of the club members attend. Stay tuned for more information in the coming newsletters but make a mental note to try and come next year!!
Happy motoring,
Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

If you didn’t get to join us Saturday, May 16th on the Virginia City Drive you can still share our experience (then you may want to join us on our next drive!).

Click here to view media

We lucked out on the weather since it rained the previous day and the day after the event. We had a total of 15 cars this year which tied the record from the previous year. We traveled over Mt. Rose Highway stopped at the Lake for a Kodak moment, then on to Incline Village for a rest stop at Starbucks. Jeff Warner met us there to say hello. He still doesn’t have his M5 in working order so he didn’t join us. We continued down Lake Tahoe and up Rt. 50 to Carson City. From there we went up Rt. 341 to Virginia City for a great lunch at the Palace Restaurant. Food and service at the Palace were great as always.

(Click here for the mapped Route)

Virginia City is an experience going back 150 years. Let your adventure begin with a step back in time. The 19th century mining boom turned Virginia City into the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco; and grubby prospectors into instant millionaires. They built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from Europe and the Orient, and helped finance the Civil War… and then went on to build empires around the world. The finest example being San Francisco. Click here for information about Virgina City.

The post 2016 Virginia City Drive appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

I hope this newsletter finds all our members enjoying a happy 2015 so far. We have some new and exciting events this year. We hope that you will check some of them out and join in on the fun. We have some new board members who have joined us for the next two years. Ron Nicasio has taken over as Vice President, replacing John English. Carol Villar will now be doing the newsletter since John and Alice Strom are taking off for Europe for six months. James Russell is our new secretary, replacing Dody Gustafson, who has been our loyal secretary almost since the club started. I have decided remain as president for another two years, and am looking forward to it. Our membership has been growing by leaps and bounds the last few years, and I believe it will keep growing with BMW coming out with more exciting models and will draw more members to our club.

This newsletter will be the first ever eNewsletter for our chapter. We know that there still are a few members who don’t have email addresses so they will still receive mailed copies. The good news is that we now have a newsletter in living color and it will not be limited by four black and white pages. I know that Carol Villar is thrilled to put this all together for the members. Since she is still our webmaster, her new position fits perfectly. We hope you enjoy the new format. Please give us some feedback, positive or negative.

Ron Nicasio and I attended the BMWCCA Congress in Dallas March 13 thru 15. The National BMWCCA has come up with some very interesting projects. I have summarized below what we can look forward to:

• BMWCCA Recognition Program to recognize individual club members, chapters, and members of the Industry for outstanding achievements and exceptional dedication.
• The BMWCCA Foundation is requesting Ambassadors from most of the chapters to educate the community and associated industries. Click here for more information on the Ambassador program.
• Jeff Cowan of the Golden Gate chapter presented ways to engage more chapter members. He mentioned their websites, Facebook page and email blasts to keep in touch with all 3700 members. Click here to view his presentation.

We got off to a slow start this year for events. Our Ski Day in February had to be cancelled due to lack of snow. Gilson Autobody had to postpone both Tech Sessions in March and April due to the sale of their company. The good news is the Virginia City Tour is happening on May 16^th so if you haven’t attended this event before, please give it a try. It’s a great ride to Lake Tahoe and then on to Virginia City for Lunch.

Happy motoring,

Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The post More photos from our Holiday party! appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

• Jan 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW 6PM
• Feb 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW 6PM
• Mar 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW 6PM
• Apr 9, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW 6PM
• May 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW 6PM

The post 2014 Coming Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

This issue of the Sierra Scene will be my last as editor.  Beginning with the first quarter 2015 issue, the newsletter will shift to a primarily electronic format and delivery method.  Please be sure we have your correct email address as that is the means by which you will receive your copy of Sierra Scene (if you’ve been receiving the regular email blasts that means we have your correct email address – if not, let Pat  know).  We will only mail the newsletter to members who do not have an email address.  You will continue to be notified of upcoming events by email blasts as in the past.

I have enjoyed being the Sierra Scene editor since the first issue in 2007. I’d particularly like to thank my wife, Alice, for her great photography and editorial and distribution help over the years. It’s been fun!                            John Strom  

The post Newsletter to transition to primarily electronic format and delivery appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Plans for 2015

Ideas for events in 2015 will be discussed at the January meeting/social Thursday, Jan 8 at Bill Pearce BMW at 6 PM.

If you would like to host an event, please attend this meeting or call Russ or Cheri Huntoon at 741-4111.  Some already-scheduled events include our regular monthly meeting/socials, the summer picnic, a fall wine tour, Street Survival and our annual Holiday party next December.

What would you like to do?

The post Festive holiday party ends year of fun! appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The post 2015-Coming Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

President Pat McGoff, (775) 473-8549
Vice President Ron Nicasio, (775) 843-5904
Secretary James Russell, (801) 707-8639
Treasurer/Chief Legal Counsel DeArmond Sharp (775) 826-4357
Past President Art Ona, (775) 772-1328
Member-at-Large Mike Dietel, (775) 338-2183
Membership Sharon Goodrich, (775) 849-3420
Event Coordinators Russ & Cheri Huntoon, (775) 742-4111
Driving Events Jeff Warner, (775) 745-6962
Community Involvement Gilbert Dayao, (775) 720-7485 and John Strom, (775) 851-3000
Newsletter Carol Villar, (775) 525-0509, Pat McGoff, (775) 473-8549 and others (it takes a village)
WebMistress Carol Villar, (775) 525-0509

The post 2015-Who’s Who appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

 Street Survival was held at Sky Tavern Ski Area on October 4^{th for} the first time. As always, thanks again to Jeff Warner for leading and coordinating this event along with all our wonderful volunteers.  This has become a favorite event for me. I really enjoy teaching young drivers how to drive more safely. It certainly is very rewarding to see the faces on these young men and women when they realize what a car/truck can really do when pushed to its limits. We had a record year for students with a total of 22.

The Holiday Party was held at Brick’s restaurant this year. We had 41 members attend our annual BMWCCA party on December 11^th.  I’d like to thank Gilbert Dayao and Bill Pearce BMW for all the wonderful raffle prizes as well as the Sharp’s for having the cocktail party at their home. Art and Diane Ona won the glass tinting from Gilson Autobody and Graeme Price won the X3 pedal car donated by Bill Pearce BMW which I am sure will come in handy with his son.

We elected new officers this year. Ron Nicasio is our new Vice President and James Russell will be taking over for Dody as Secretary. All other officers will continue for the next two years.

This has been a banner year for BMW as well. A field of new BMW vehicles roared out of the gate: The 2 Series Coupes, including the 228i and the M235i-the first M Performance vehicle in the US. The fifth generation M3, the 4 Series Convertible and the Gran Coupe, M4 Coupe and the M4 Convertible. The X4, the second generation X6 and finally the Alpina B6. WOW, what a list. Can BMW top this for 2015? BMW launched the BMWi cars as well. The new i3 and the i8 came out this year and have already won several awards for design and “green” awards. I can’t wait for 2015 for more exciting vehicles and events. Maybe a M2?

 That wraps it up for this year. I wish all of you a Happy and prosperous New Year and hope to see more of you attend our meetings to check out what is going on in our Club.

Happy motoring,

Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

The post More photos from our summer events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

On July 13^th, we had our first annual BMWCCA Summer Picnic at the Arrowcreek Recreation Center with over 30 members attending. The facility has swimming pools, tennis courts, spa, indoor and outdoor cooking facilities along with a large lounge and big screen TV for watching the World Cup soccer match. Andy and Sharon Goodrich were our hosts and a big thanks goes out to both of them for all their hard work. We especially thank Andy who slaved over the grill making hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone. We will continue this event next year since it had such a great turnout. We did have a new member, Charlie Pan, attend the event with his family. It’s wonderful to see new faces at these events!

Andy and Sharon Goodrich led another very successful tour of the Sierra Buttes on July 26^th. The weather was perfect for the 16 cars that participated. We had a great lunch at the Plumas Pines Golf Course. Ron Rachow was the winner of the Poker Run this year. Looks like another repeat for next year.

The August Potluck meeting was held at our home again this year. We tied the record of 44 members attending. There was plenty of food and drink for everyone. John English brought his popular lasagna which was gone in a heartbeat. Mike Deitel shared some wonderful cheeses and crackers with the group. New members attending were Fred and Karen Watson, Mark Boe, and Corey Hjelmeir.

Our next monthly meeting is September  11^th at 6:00 PM. If you haven’t attended a meeting lately, come down to Bill Pearce BMW and join us. The meeting normally lasts about 30-45 minutes and then we head out to dinner. This month we are going back to LaVecchia for some great Italian cuisine.

Happy motoring,

Pat McGoff

The post From the President’s Desk appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

President

The post 2014 Who’s Who appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

 Three great events highlighted the club’s summer schedule – the Family Picnic on Saturday, July 13^th, the Sierra Buttes Tour/Poker Run   on Saturday, July 26^thand the Pot Luck Dinner on Thursday, August 14^th.

The Family Picnic was held at the Arrowcreek Residents Club and featured lots of great food and socializing.

The Buttes Tour featured beautiful scenery and great driving roads along with a great lunch at Longboards Bar & Grill at Plumas Pines Golf Course.

The Pot Luck was held in lieu of the monthly meeting and social.   Sharon and Andy Goodrich were the hosts for the picnic and Buttes Tour.  Pat and JoAnn McGoff hosted the pot luck.

I’ve said that the BMW club is a social organization of great people with a shared interest in the Ultimate Driving Machine.  We like to drive our cars and share meals and conversation together.  These events sure proved that to be true!

The post BMWs + Food + Socializing = Fun!!! appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.