Hot Time in Frogtown
by Pat Gardner
RA Rally Co-Chairman
August started with a sizzle in Angels Camp followed shortly by
the increase in population at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds that
would mark the start of the 1995 BMW RA International Rally.
Co-Chairman Greg Gibson and I arrived in Angels Camp early on
Tuesday morning to start set-up. In the 100+š heat those first two
days, it was easy to predict the two most popular spots on the
grounds where people would congregate: out of the sun in the
vendor building, and just inside the gate on the grassy area that
framed the little stream and fountain. And indeed, once the Rally
was underway, the crowd was divided into barefoot clusters
gathered along the shaded banks of the stream, the remainder drawn
by the local purveyor of ice cream in the vendor building.
The majority of the crowd in rally attendance was from out of
state. Knowing the weather in the Sierra foothills may well have
contributed to keeping the Californian numbers down. For the brave
who made the trip, the program and grounds offered a variety of
respites from the heat. Besides the public foot bath and frosty
refreshment for shoppers, the Beer Garden offered lots of canopied
seating for enjoying chilled beverages and conserving energy. This
was also the site for afternoon entertainment provided by the Piney
Creek Weasels and accordianist Don Gilbrook, and versatile and
accomplished Fred McCarty & Co. in the evenings. Friday evening,
BMW of North America hosted an ice cream social highlighted by a
plentiful and assorted supply of Haagen Daz bars and the humorous
musing of historical guest Mark Twain on the stage of the main
arena.
While many rallyers simply located a comfortable spot on the
well-maintained grounds to weather the heat, others took the
opportunity to explore the local towns with the convenience of the
Frogtown BMW Shuttle Bus. This easily visible green bus made
hourly stops at the fairgrounds and alternated trips to Angels Camp
and Sonora to allow time for shopping or sight-seeing without the
encumbrance of heavy riding apparel to wear and carry.
Saturday offered the greatest number of scheduled activities: RA
member Larry Sparber conducted the Concours d'Elegance, the Ray
Hutchins/Lee Wolfe/Bruce Cleeton gang put on the field events, and
Greg provided for a comprehensive and insightful Poker Run through
the Gold Country. These were all capped off by the Awards
Ceremony on Saturday evening where our own lucky club member
Bruce McManus won the R1100R in the drawing sponsored by BMW
of North America.
Overall, the rally ran smoothly with the help of members from our
own club and from RA who spent time greeting and guiding folks
through registration and the difficult decision of which spectacular
mountain pass to cross first! Thanks also to Greg Hutchinson for
developing the self-guided tour programs and spending the time
walking people through their directions, and to Jonathan Jefferies for
working with the rally vendors. We planned for a minimum of 1000
people for this event, but were comfortably prepared for 2000 or
more. We wanted to provide a '49er Rally quality experience for all
the people who would attend, and introduce out-of-staters to the
BMW Club of Northern California.
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