by Bob Morin 

On June 25^th, Ev and Judy Newton hosted a good ol’ backyard barbecue at their home in Manchester, CT.   It was a very hot day and many members took advantage of some time in the pool while enjoying the company of Chapter members.   Thanks to Ev and Judy for opening their home and yard to us and hosting this event.

Two days later, we gained a new member.   Congratulations to Jonathan and Karen Bisset on the birth of their new daughter, Holly Grace Bisset.   She was born June 27^th at 7:30 p.m.   She weighed in at 8lbs. 11 oz.   We’ll look forward to meeting her at a future event.

Next month we’ll feature a new event with the Concours at the Oxridge Hunt Club, a combination car show and horse show.   Check the article in this issue or the website for up-to-date details or contact Willy Wiley with questions.  

September will be a busy month starting with the always popular Rolex Vintage Fall Festival Presented by BMW at Lime Rock Park.    Although not officially a Chapter event, many members attend each year and there are always a few vintage BMWs to check out.   The Pit Tour that BMW sponsors is also an excellent way to add enjoyment to the day.  

The next weekend we will host ’02 Fest East, again at Lime Rock Park.   Not just for ‘02s, but a great gathering for all BMW fans, there is usually a great display of 2002s and their variants on the front straight and some interesting vendors through which to browse.  

The following weekend, many of us will be heading south to Oktoberfest in Greensboro, NC.   You are running out of time if you haven’t registered yet, and this is your closest opportunity in years to attend.   As next year is in Michigan, it will be a shorter drive than next year also, so make some plans and don’t be left out.  

We’ll return home and the next weekend will be the Humpa Picnic on October 2^nd and then the Witch’s Brew Rally on the 8^th.   There certainly are plenty of choices in a short time frame, so you should be able to find something to get your attention.

I hate to even waste space talking about F1 anymore.   After the farce that was Indy, BMW Williams had an outstanding 12^th and 14^th in France and followed that up a week later with a solid 11^th and 12^th in Great Britain.   The Sauber and Red Bull Teams have even started to have better finishes than our guys, so all we can hope for is that they can stay one step ahead of the Jordans and the Minardis.   BMW has announced that it has bought the Sauber Team and plan to go it on their own next year, so things may even get worse before they get better.   To think, it was less than two months ago when they were giving us all some hope with back to back podiums in Monaco and at the Nurburgring.

In News From National, membership now stands at 75,204, down 1.82% from last year.   The new BMW CCA website is up and running.   Have you had a chance to check it out yet?   There have been some changes at the National Office as Tricia Jones has given up her position as Event Planner to become Chapter Relations Specialist.   Brenda Sarvis will now be the Event Planner and Jennifer Skatzes has been hired as a Customer Service Representative.  

Try to put those gasoline prices out of your mind and get out there and have some fun with your BMW.   See you at an event soon.