President's Message – Terry Kiwala
Driving Excitement
As the two tour buses pulled up to the test track, 60 die-hard Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts smiled. The international group of Mercedes-Benz Club presidents was in for a treat on that cold Saturday outside of Stuttgart. We gazed in awe at a few dozen white C-Class Mercedes vehicles, most notably a collection of the AMG C models. We were going to drive these cars to the max, and we were ready. A main focus for Daimler during our presidents’ trip this year was the promotion of its company-sponsored driving events; we were about to have a taste of this excellent program.
As we fired up our C63 S AMG, I looked around as my friend Sayam Sethaputra, president of the Mercedes-Benz Club of Thailand, headed to grid up. On our walkie-talkies, the instructors spoke about the various stations and talked us through the course. It seemed all too familiar; each of the stations was a carbon copy of the defensive driving program that the Mercedes-Benz Club of America has sponsored for decades in the United States. I mean, had I not been at this meeting in Stuttgart, I would have been making the rounds to the exact same stations at a defensive driving course in Minneapolis that same weekend. How cool to see that MBCA shares the same driving philosophy and sophistication as Daimler!
For decades, driving events have been part of MBCA culture. Of course, times have changed slightly since MBCA started sponsoring driving events. I recently saw Gibby Vartan, president of MBCA from 1964-66. Gibby kindly donated some items to the MBCA archives; among them were materials from Gemütlichkeit 1963. According to the event’s program, one could participate in a full week-long series of driving events, banquets and festivities for well under $100! I haven’t been able to restore prices to those 1963 levels, but I can assure members that these events are worth the time and monetary investment.
National Events Chairman Frank Cozza and his wife Mary Alice spearhead our club’s defensive driving program. The Cozzas have assembled a team of driving instructors that includes Dr. Jim Roberts, Julie Bruggner, Dudley Smith, Jason Burton, Paul Bailey and me. We all travel to teach MBCA members about controlled braking, accident avoidance, proper driving etiquette and the amazing capability of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles in adverse situations. After a morning of theory and practical training, these lessons roll up into an afternoon autocross that every member – to date – has loved. Whether you drive an AMG or a 240D, you will have a good time. As many of our members know, I enjoy auto-crossing in my 375,000-mile 300SDL far more than my S63; it’s great when a diesel posts a better time than a much faster gasoline counterpart … just sayin’.
As members ramp up involvement, there are numerous opportunities to take their driving experience to the next level. The MBCA sponsors driving courses across the country. This summer, Roberts and the Alabama Section will be hosting MBCA members at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham. Roberts is also organizing a June event at Watkins Glen, which is always well received among members. And make sure you mark your calendar for a week of fun at StarFest® 2018 – starfest2018.mbca.org – which promises to be on par with the fun everyone had at StarFest 2016 hosted by the Minuteman Section.
I may have had a bit too much fun in the C63 S AMG wagon in Germany. Eager to show the expertise I’ve gained – or lack thereof – at MBCA driving events, I spun out in the wagon. Our host Marcel Schuh just smiled. There was no damage – except to my pride – and a few cones that eventually reshaped themselves. At least it wasn’t my car.
Driving has and always will be a cornerstone of the MBCA experience, and it was great to see Daimler’s emphasis on its sponsored driving events, which you should check out online. For members and section leaders, I encourage you to contact Frank Cozza or me, and let us do the planning to share the knowledge and fun of MBCA’s defensive driving program. I personally guarantee that you will have a good time.