Registration now open for Oktoberfast at VIR.

It won't be long until the air turns a bit cooler and the racing heats up again at Virginia International Raceway. The annual NASA event will be October 7-9 at the VIR track just outside of Danville VA. Scheduled events include HPDE 1-4, time trials, sprint races, OG Racing HyperDrives™, SuperComp School, instructor clinic, test & tune, open practice, and Twilight Kart Enduros. There will also be an awards dinner on Saturday night. Drivers can register at the NASA Racing website.

This is a three day event for race teams but for spectators, the most action will occur on Saturday and most of Sunday. OktoberFast always has a very large number of BMW's, especially e30's, but plenty of brands are represented including Mazda, Porsche, Nissan, and Lotus. If you've never been to VIR before, you're in for a great time. The 3.27 mile track is considered by many to be one of the finest road courses in America, yet the atmosphere is relaxed and personal. As long as you stay on the safe side of the tire barriers, visitors are free to walk just about anywhere on the property and talk to the drivers and crews. Restaurants are on site along with a speed shop, a hotel, classrooms, and a separate Kart track. Spectator seating is limited so I suggest you bring your own folding chairs. And don't forget your camera and sunblock lotion!

VIR hasn't posted a link to buy tickets yet, but normally a one day pass is only $10, making it one of the cheapest, legal good times around. I'll keep you updated as more information is made available.

Future collectable: BMW e21 series.

I was recently reading how the BMW 2002 series is beginning to rise in value. Even the newer models with safety bumpers are being sought after now. A decent example can be found for just a few thousand dollars but fully restored cars can sell for $20,000 or more. In fact, I recently found a 1975 2002 turbo with a $64,000 price tag on it in Los Angeles!

If your budget is more modest but you want a vintage Bimmer that is almost certain to rise in value, you may want to search for an e21. The e21 series bridged the gap between the 2002 and the e30. Introduced in 1975 and continuing on until 1983, e21's were offered as the 316 (1.6 liter), the 318 (1.8 liter) and the 320 (2.0 liter) All of these featured versions of the simple and reliable BMW M10 four cylinder engine. In 1977 the new M20 six cylinder engine was offered, and the 323i was introduced with 4 wheel disc brakes.
These cars won't be very easy to find, yet the ones that are available are fairly inexpensive. On Ebay Motors I found a 1983 320i in great condition with 283,000 miles selling for $3500. A 1978 320i with a mildly tuned engine and tweaked suspension can be found on the BMWCCA website for $6500. You could probably buy either car for several hundred dollars less if you had cash in hand. Overall, however, I think prices have just about bottomed out for this series. If you've ever wanted one, buy it now and begin restoring it as well as your bank account will allow. It's just going to get harder and harder with each passing year to find these cars in decent condition at reasonable prices.

Before heading out to find your dream car, I suggest you do some research on the e21 variations and learn what to look out for as you shop around. A few good places to start are:

Jeroen's BMW E21 Network
BimmerForums.com

Bimmerfest.com

E21's are fun to drive and amazingly simple and cheap to repair compared to almost any car being built today. Go get yours, while you still can!