derBayerische January/February 2025 - 10

H I L T O N H E A D C O N C O U R S 2 0 2 4
■ (Above from Left) Mike Ura's stunning black 850 Csi. BMW's 1986 GTP race car, tuned by McLaren?
disappointing). The night before the show, and after communicating endless
show details to each participant, we were able to gather for a joint M and
Sandlapper Chapter dinner. We had people drive from thousands of miles
away, and this would be the first time to get all the participants together in one
place. During this fantastic evening, we shared car stories, club adventures,
and what cars everyone has. Here is the final list of the selected participants:
Name
City
State Year Model
Color
Joe Vernon Indianapolis IN 1988 E28 M5 Dinan Black
Thom Moske Sherrills Ford NC 1988 E30 M3
Mike Ura
Gail Baer
Allison Smith Spartanburg SC 1998 E36 M3
Mark Lee Cary
Florence
Edmond OK 1995 E31 850 CSI
NC 2002 E39 M5
Henna Red
Rusty Johnson Lexington SC 1991 E30 M Technic Vert Macao Blue
Eugene Tkach Gaithersburg MD 1993 E34 M5
Daytona Violet
Black
Technoviolet
Titanium Silver
AL 2007 E86 Z4M Coupe Titanium Silver
As we aligned ourselves at the local Starbucks and drove into the show,
it was amazing to see the beauty and diversity of all the cars. It's rare to see this
many super clean, 'classic' BMWs in one spot and all the owners were very
proud to represent CCA. We were lucky that Tom Plucinsky, from BMW NA, let
us borrow an Alpina Z8 for our lineup and it fit in quite nicely with all the other
great looking cars. He brought several historic GTP race cars for the main
show field that were just jaw droppingly beautiful. Cars back then were so raw
and visceral - can we not go back to simpler times? Once parked on the show
field, everyone was quick to wipe down their cars in preparation for the
opening of the show. For the Saturday Car Club Showcase, all cars are judged
'lightly', so no Q-tips, undercarriage inspections, or white glove treatment.
The judges spent a few minutes with each participant to get an understanding
of each car, but most importantly, to hear the owner's and car's backstory.
With so much competition on the show field, it would be a great honor to be
selected for any award. Not that I was counting, but there was easily several
million dollars' worth of automobiles, and this isn't even the main show of the
weekend.
The Hagerty Youth judges fell in love with Thom Moske's Henna Red E30
M3, so they spent several minutes getting a rundown of his car so they could
fill out their scorecards. It was great to see Joe Vernon's E28 M5 in person,
after it had undergone several years of restoration work. Mike Ura brought one
of my favorite cars of my youth, the sleek, pillarless 850 CSi. Our two female
participants, Ally and Gail, put a tremendous amount of pride and work into
their cars, which were both in pristine condition. In my opinion, the Z4M
Coupe will be one of the next BMWs to really blow up in collectors' interests.
■ (Below from Left) The iconic V12 LMR, raced on multiple continents. BMW's first GTP race car, the M1C.
10
derBayerische

derBayerische January/February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of derBayerische January/February 2025