BMW CCA Foundation

GREENVILLE, SC (October 8, 2009) - As funding for high school driver education programs dwindles, vehicle accidents remain the biggest killer of youths age 16-20. That is why Tire Rack Street Survival®, a national non-profit teen driving education program, has partnered with former IndyCar driver and current ABC/ESPN racing commentator, Scott Goodyear, to host multiple schools around the country during National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 18-24). Conceived by the BMW CCA Foundation in 2002, the Tire Rack Street Survival® schools are designed to save lives and raise awareness about the number one killer of teens.

 

In 2007, Congress enacted National Teen Driver Safety Week to address the epidemic of teen driving deaths. Each year more than 5,000 youths ages 16-20 die, and more than 400,000 are injured behind the wheel. On average, one teen per hour is killed every weekend, and once every two hours during the week. 108 families needlessly lose a child every seven days. In an effort to lower that number and to call attention to outdated and less effective driver education programs, Tire Rack Street Survival® will kick off National Teen Driver Safety Week with a school in Mahwah, NJ and host 5 schools across the country during that week. The schools are scheduled for Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; Byron, IL; Richmond, VA; and Fort Worth,TX.

 

 

“The goal of the Tire Rack Street Survival program is to save lives by teaching young drivers the basics of car control, to enhance their enjoyment of driving and to improve their overall competence as drivers,” said Scott Goodyear. “Inexperience behind the wheel, and more importantly a lack of proper training, is the number one cause of fatal accidents among teens in this country and I am proud to be part of the Tire Rack Street Survival program.”

 

Unlike traditional novice driver education programs based on classroom theory and simple maneuvers, Tire Rack Street Survival® improves driver competence through hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations. Students learn emergency braking and skid control in wet and dry conditions, how to correct unintended oversteer and understeer situations, how to avoid accidents entirely and learn how to control their vehicle, rather than just operate it.

 

“We’re working to make the roads safer for everyone,” said Bill Wade, Tire Rack Street Survival® National Program Manager. “Although it’s a year-round problem, National Teen Driver Safety Week is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness and educate parents and teens to the importance of learning proper car control. Few teens realize driving is one of the most dangerous things they can do.”

“With more than 25 years’ experience racing at 230mph, I understand how important it is to be in complete control whenever the car is moving,” added Goodyear. “After seeing my son successfully avoid an accident after executing a maneuver he learned from Tire Rack Street Survival® instructors, I knew I needed to become involved.”

 

To kick off National Teen Driver Safety Week, Goodyear will share his expertise and knowledge as a professional driver with teen drivers enrolled in the Mahwah, NJ and Indianapolis, IN schools.

“Communities that participate in National Teen Driver Safety Week become part of the solution and the experienced, volunteer coaches who understand car control and work individually with each driver are fulfilling their responsibility,” said Matt Edmonds, vice president of Tire Rack. “I urge parents to take an active role in educating their young drivers and preserving our future and most precious resource: our youth.”

Tire Rack Street Survival classes are conducted by local member volunteers from regional chapters of the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA), the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and other car clubs. Students, driving their own vehicles, are supervised at all times by experienced, knowledgeable driving coaches. In 2008, 72 communities signed up to benefit 1,555 students. Fifty-four schools have been completed for 2009 and another 22 are open for registration. Community leaders or concerned parents interested in requesting a Tire Rack Street Survival school for their community can visit www.streetsurvival.org or call 502.649.4871. 

The non-profit, tax-exempt charitable BMW CCA Foundation, Inc. was formed in 2002 by the BMW Car Club of America, to provide benefits to the motoring public community and owners of BMW automobiles. Its charter under Section 501(c) (3) enables the Foundation to establish programs to benefit the public in general, and BMW owners specifically. The vision of the Foundation is to be a significant repository of BMW information and to foster educational programs, including the Tire Rack Street Survival® program, for the automotive community.

 

 

 

What Emily Did On Her Summer Vacation - Story and photographs by Erik Wensberg

Being a concerned parent, as well as a lifelong automotive enthusiast, I was more than interested in playing an active role in my children’s driver training. My daughter Emily, eighteen, had already been through the obligatory instructional course while at school---from a national firm affiliated with Sears, of all things. The “Sears approach” consisted of some classroom sessions going over routine rules of the road, along with some fifteen hours as a passenger in the back seat of a training vehicle, and a similar stint behind the wheel with a rather grumpy Walter Mathau-type instructor.

Because a certificate from such an outfit is more or less obligatory to take the state driving test in a timely fashion, I was not all that surprised that it did not cover any sort of accident avoidance or vehicle dynamics training. In fact, it would seem that more time is spent on proper parallel-parking technique than on advanced situational awareness coaching---of any sort.

Having heard a good deal about the CCA Foundation’s Tire Rack Street Survival course, I looked carefully for an opportunity for Emily’s schedule to coincide with a school in the Northeast---and just such a date presented itself this spring.

To be fair, Emily is a conscientious, if cautious, driver who has taken her time coming to grips with the responsibility of it all. We have also made it common practice to ask her to drive us on routine errands whenever possible---as well as getting her comfortable with more than one of the family cars. We had noticed Emily being cautious, even timid in traffic---and easily rattled when presented with multi-tasking situations. I knew we had plenty of work ahead of us.

 

When the date finally arrived, Emily headed into the day with an open mind. As soon as initial registration details were attended to, the twenty or so students headed into a large car trailer for a simple 25-minute classroom overview of the theory of driving. The instructor explained terms that they would be using, like weight transfer, vehicle dynamics, the apex of a corner (and how to spot one in the wild), and so on. A few simple diagrams were also presented. Most important, great effort was taken to explain these terms in the simplest possible language so that the concepts were easy to grasp---and then apply to the exercises that would soon follow.

The group was then divided into three teams and we headed out to various corners of a large open parking lot. There were a wide range of student vehicles present: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive. Our first exercise was the wet skid pad; with instructors moving from car to car, the kids went several laps around the pad in one direction, trying to provoke a loss of adhesion. When this proved difficult, instructors would take the wheel and get things started. More than a few spins resulted. And as parents milled about making small talk, the students continued. Then they took laps in the other direction. And sure enough, tire squeal began to diminish and mid-stream corrections---at first clumsy and incomplete, but slowly more definitive and subtle---became evident. This was harder than it looked---but it was also fun!

The next portion of the skid-pad exercise was the Figure 8. Two skid pads---one taken to the left, emerging into one taken to the right in one graceful and sweeping motion---composed the exercise. There were many attempts before much grace showed up, but the point was made. Then a few of the instructors demonstrated what was possible---as well as explaining why it was important to be able to feel what the car was trying to tell you, and then what to do about it when adhesion began to slip away.

 

 

As the kids marveled at how difficult it  was to get these techniques right, we were shuttled off to the braking lanes. First, straight-line emergency braking and how to find the limits of adhesion were explained---and then demonstrated. Two accident-avoidance simulations were then used, where emergency braking was followed by having to turn, mid-maneuver, and maintain the positioning of the car---within some very tight coned lanes---as well as stop within a pre-designated “box.”

It was a very tough day for the cones out there at first, but there were also some very exciting revelations as the kids got noticeably better at controlling the attitude of their cars under full emergency lockdown. Again and again they tried it, getting encouragement and tips each time from the animated instructors. This was very obviously fun, and many of the kids were getting good at it!

After a break for pizza and some refreshments at lunch, we had a quick classroom review of vehicle dynamics, the contact patch, and weight transfer---why a car does what it does---and off to the lane-changing exercises we went. By now, there was some obvious excitement in the air, and the awkward silences of the morning were long gone. This exercise begins to tie in the lessons of the previous two, by asking students to brake in full emergency mode, while watching the instructor at the end of the lane, whose job is to signal which of three lanes you must try to enter, simulating an accident avoidance situation. Some would call it multi-tasking under pressure!

Standing at the back of the lanes, and running to replace killed cones, it became very clear to me that the kids were really getting with it now; that light bulb was well and truly on. I also had a chance to compare notes with Emily while waiting for the final exercise of the day, a giant autocross course combining all of the elements that the kids had studied over the course of the day---and a good opportunity to have some fun as well. She was enjoying this, and had become noticeably more confident in her approach to the exercises, positively pitching the car into the turns as a result of her instructor admonishing her that BMWs were “not built of balsa wood”---she did not have to worry about breaking it. In fact, these cars are tools that can do incredible things when necessary; it’s important to understand how and when to call on those capabilities. 

After some final words of congratulations and extended applause for the instructors who had not only donated their entire Saturday to this effort, but had clearly brought a good deal of enthusiasm and skill to the proceedings, Emily received a lovely printed Street Survival diploma for the Tire Rack, as well as a year’s subscription to AutoWeek, plus an associate membership to the CCA! Parents were also treated to a short pitch by our local Liberty Mutual Insurance representative, who was so impressed with what he saw; he offered all parents a break on their family premiums as a result of this day of teen training and what it represented. In fact, as we waved goodbye, I saw more than a few parents huddled around his car asking questions and requesting a business card! 

A suitable postscript occurred just three weeks later, when Emily was driving to work one morning. A neighbor, busy trying to quiet her kids in the back seat while on the cell phone, abruptly came right out of her driveway without stopping or even looking---arriving head-on in Emily’s lane! Instinctually, Emily went to full-brake lock, and swerved toward the curb, avoiding contact and driving around her oncoming neighbor---and it was over just that fast. What would have been a nasty and upsetting fender-bender just weeks ago became a quick memory---with no harm done to my child, to my car, or to my insurance rates!

All I can say is thank you, Street Survival. Keep up the great work. My son is a mere three years away---and we will be back!---Erik Wensberg

 

 

BMW CCA Foundation at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix – by Scott Hughes

 

Eleven years ago (1998) I was the Chairman of BMW CCA Club Racing when BMW was selected as the featured marque of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. I got to manage the program with Jeff and Barbara Taylor, Tom Wettach, Tim Silbaugh, Allegheny Chapter gurus that made the race happen, and watch enviously from the sidelines as club racers made their 2002's sing around this incredible venue.

2009 and we are invited back and I GET TO PLAY! Just under 20 BMWs took to the track, with 220+ in the corral. Beautiful BMWs everywhere!!!!  I have the privilege of entering in one of three (!!) magnificent 3.0 CSLs (see October Roundel article) and the great fun of sharing the event with Erik Wensberg in my ex-Ray Korman Firehawk winning E30 Me Serial #001, which Erik was responsible for bringing into the country to race. A treat to reunite him with HIS car!!

 

Check out the photo gallery of the event!

 

The racing was HUGE fun, in spite of the need to practice and qualify BEHIND A PACE CAR!! Apparently the organizers were scared stiff we were toooooo fast for the course!! We proved them wrong and had a TERRIFIC time!  Allegheny Chapter put on a TREMENDOUS event!!  

All the original "faculty" was on board plus race chair Eric Zagrocki, who did a great job! If you have a chance to go don't miss it!!

 

 

One of the highlights was parading all of the cars around to the spectator corral for a post race visit with the club members. A zillion photos, kids climbing in the race cars, SUPER FUN!!

Hope we get invited back!!!   I'll be there!!!  

 

 

BMW CCA Foundation Supports Vintage at the Vineyards 2009

 

This year’s Vintage at the Vineyards event moved to the Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, NC. A beautiful setting to host a car show and rain had been forecasted for the weekend, but it held off for the day – giving attendees beautiful sunny skies.  This annual event is open for display of vintage BMWs (1985 and older).  The event enjoyed record-breaking attendance with 279 cars and motorcycles on display.

 

The BMW CCA Foundation provided support for the event for the second year in a row.  This year, two of the Foundation Trustees brought some cars from their collections – Lance White with a 1937 328 and an M1; and Scott Hughes brought his 2002 turbo.  The Foundation borrowed Lance’s two vehicles to display near our booth to help draw attention to our organization.

Once again, we wanted to give a trophy to the “Most Desirable BMW” in the field of entries.  The idea behind this trophy is relatively simple but not very easy to determine a winner.  Basically, the Foundation considers if we could take the keys to any BMW and bring the car home to our garage, that would be the winner.  The hard part is trying to figure out which one best fits that description in such a large gathering of spectacular cars.

 

Lance and Scott had a big job ahead of them to find that special car.  After a couple hours of walking around the field, looking at the cars and talking with several owners, they finally narrowed it down to one car.  It wasn’t easy since there were dozens upon dozens of cars really worthy of this award.

 

The winner of the “Most Desirable BMW” trophy this year was awarded to Sam Adams (no relation to the beer company) with a beautiful 1972 2002 tii touring.  This is an Inka Orange car with black interior.  (Out of the 279 cars, 94 cars were in the ’02 category on display in the event.)  Sam has been a member of the BMW CCA since 1987 in the Smoky Mountain chapter (TN).  Sam purchased this car in December 2007 from the second owner who lived in CA.  The car had been imported from Germany in 2005 from the original owner.  As it turned out, the car had been delivered to Sam on Christmas day 2007 – what a nice Christmas gift to receive!

Before Sam got the car, it had been repainted and received new carpet.  Since then, Sam only has had to do general maintenance to the car. 

 

The ’02 tourings were never officially imported into the U.S.  It is a rare sight to see a touring at any event.  According to The Complete Book of BMW Every Model Since 1950, there were only 29,330 tourings produced between 1971 and 1974.  Sam’s touring was not the only touring on display at Vintage at the Vineyards. 

 

Congratulations Sam, you really have one beautiful car.  Should you ever decide you want to get rid of it, the Foundation is always looking for a car to add to its collection.  We are looking forward to seeing the car again at more events.

If you haven’t been to any of the Vintage at the Vineyards events, I would recommend you check it out next year.  They are always on Memorial Day Weekend.  It is great to see so many classic BMWs all in one place – doesn’t matter is they have been restored, modified or if they show that great patina that comes with age.  It is great to see the history of BMW live on.

 

Were you the Winner?

BMW CCA Foundation conducted its Spring 2009 Sponsorship Drive - the prize being a new BMW Z4 Roadster! This beautiful new BMW Z4 became available in May, 2009, and has for the first time ever, a retractable hardtop! As in all of our previous sponsorship drives, 1 entry cost $25, 3 entries cost $50, and 7 entries cost $100. Tthe Sponsorship Drive closed at 11:59, Friday, May 15, 2009, and the drawing was held shortly after that. The winners will be announced shortly..

 

The Foundation held an Open House on Saturday, 18 April 2009,

from 10 am to 2 pm, showing off the new facilities. BMW CCA Members from as far away as Georgia joined us for lunch and a mini-car show. All of the Trustees plus Michael Mitchell-Office Manager, Bill Wade-Tire Rack Street Survival National Program Manager, and Wynne Smith-Director of Develoment, were present. You are welcome to stop by the new location at 201-A Pelham Davis Circle in Greenville, SC (facilities are off Pelham Road between I-85 and Highway 14) the next time you're in Greenville.

Tire Rack Street Survival Program hosts teen driving safety school for Michelin of North America Employees!

The BMW Car Club of America Foundation hosted a Tire Rack Street Survival® school for the tire manufacturing giant Michelin North America at the Laurens Proving Grounds.

Track #8 at the LPG, aka ‘the Black Lake’, lived up to it’s name as the 12.85 acres (560,000 square feet) of billiard table flat asphalt hosted all the driving exercises with room to spare. A non-stop gentle rain provided the maximum learning environment for the 30 students. The indoor media center with comfortable chairs and full audio/visual equipment offered a premier classroom. Michelin provided a semi-truck for a example of blind spots of these over the road giants needing respect, not fear. Bill Wade, National Program Manager who facilitated the classroom, exploded a steering wheel air bag sending a small traffic cone 30 feet in the air to place emphasis on the need of proper hand position on the steering wheel and keeping feet off the dash board.

The company is considering using the Street Survival® program at all of its 17 national production facilities. Many parents attending with their teens learned a few things as well.

In the Tire Rack Street Survival® program, teens learn from experienced, knowledgeable driving coaches how to control a vehicle, rather than just operate one. They are taught how their actions govern a car’s responses, what the vehicle’s limitations are, and how to avoid accidents entirely. Unlike other advanced driving schools, students use the vehicle they will drive most, so new skills can be directly translated to their own daily driving experiences. To find a program in your area, click on Street Survival or call 864.329.1919.

Want a Street Survival or BMW CCA Foundation shirt, cap, jacket, etc?

Now you can support the Foundation and Street Survival® by wearing apparel with our logos on them. Choose from the Foundation or Street Survival logo on any item our apparel store - or you can have both logos on everything except hats. Plenty of styles, colors, and sizes available for men, women, and children. To go to the apparel store, just Click Here Also check out the Foundation merchandise store. Currently, we have a great limited edition M1 Red Lobster print available. Check out our other great items in our store. We are always adding more items, so check back often.