This absolutely horrible and sad new just in from Ralph Warren:

I was contacted today by Monty Sidhu's brother Mike, with terrible news.

With great sadness and grief I need to announce that Monty Sidhu has passed away of a heart attack in India.

Monty was truly one of the nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Monty was a Chapter President, instructor, Club Racer, BMW Sales Manager and so much more. He was not only a tremendous friend of the BMW community - but a true friend to all that got to know him.

Monty was always the guy you wanted to be around. He was so genuine in everything he did, never had any bad intensions and never spoke a bad word about anyone.

Monty would give you the shirt of his back and never ask for anything in return. One can only hope to be as friendly and well-liked as him. I'm so sad I can hardly type.

I'm in communication with his brother Mike who is preparing to travel to India. I will continue to keep you up to date the best I can.

-Ralph Warren

For any of you who've ever met Monty, you'll know just how extremely sad this is. Truly one of the nicest guys you've ever met, at or away from a race track. Ralph's words are so true... He was always the guy that everyone wanted to be around, and I'm welling up thinking of some of the hilarious times we've had.

:(:bluecry1:crying

RIP my friend...
(still in shock...)

Really sad, you could not ask to know a nicer person.

Unfortunatly today is not April 1st, or I'd think this was some sad attempt at a joke.

For those that didn't know Monty, he was one of those 'give you the shirt off his back' kind of guys.
He was big hearted, and jokes at his expense rolled off his back, like water off a ducks back. His lazy eye and Indian (Asian Indian) decent made him an easy target. His no-holds-barred driving style also was the starting point of many stories.

He leaves a huge hole in the racing/instructor core here in the West, and his loss is deeply felt.

God Speed Monty.

It hurts every time I read this. :(

I am saddened for all of our loss and wish the family the best in these hard times. Monty will be missed by all who knew him.

Monty Sidhu. A friend to all...

Damn. I didn't know him, but it's sad to lose a fellow racer :(

Godspeed Monty,
-Ted

i had the pleasure of working with Monty and man was he a great guy! I learned a lot from him as a person and became close friends with monty... we were all so sad to find out about his passing may MONTY forever be remembered for the great man that he was...

RIP MONTY WE LOVE YOU!

Monty Sidhu. A friend to all...

I showed up at my first track event not knowing a soul and not even sure why I was there. Monty is a big part of why I ever showed up a second time.

I'm stunned. I will miss him.

I bought my girlfriends mini from him a few years ago. Plus seeing him at all the bmw LA club auto-x's. Sad news....

Sad news, our thoughts and prayers fo to his family.

Monty was a good friend and a better person. He will be missed by all that met and had the pleasure to interact with him.

Very very sad.
Brad

I just saw him helping out with me instructing at the Car Control Clinic at California Speedway!!! I mean he was fine and we were chatting about the new E92 M3 to come out.

RIP Monty. :(

I just saw him helping out with me instructing at the Car Control Clinic at California Speedway!!! I mean he was fine and we were chatting about the new E92 M3 to come out.

He was my instructor at that same clinic and made me enjoy spinning my car...I would have freaked out on the track the next day without him. You could tell he was a genuine and generous person, passionate about what he was doing. Monty will be missed by a lot of us.

I can't remember if I met Monty at Buttonwillow in May or not. 2 out of the 3 Sidhu brothers were there. Either way, that is very sad. :( RIP

Slideshow Tribute to Monty (http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/bemcnutt/In%20Memory%20of%20Monty/?action=view&slideshow=true) setup by fellow BMWCCA track/auto-x instructor Blaine McNutt.

Didn't even know the guy but I feel sorry just from seeing all of the comments. Sounds like one hell of a guy.

Condolences to his friends and family:(

Don

wow, I can't believe it. Monty has been a long time BMW enthusiast, CCA member, chapter president, sales person, club racer, etc etc. This is sad news indeed.

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but Ive heard so many great things about him. RIP :(

Wait a minute! I know I've met Monty, years ago. Maybe 2003. He was instructing at the SD autox and he gave me a ride. I have always remembered it because we went sideways thru the finish line. That was so much fun. Thanks big guy!

Btw, those are some great pictures of Dan, Carl and Blaine. :)

I have always remembered it because we went sideways thru the finish line.

That sounds like our Monty!

man, I never knew him, or had heard of him before this, but going on what everyone is saying, sounds like he was an incredible guy. So sad, he looks like he was still pretty young. Way too young to die, especially of a heart attack . . . RIP.

I first met Monty the night before a Driving Concepts event at Willow Springs back in September 2000. After a few short echanges of the usual pleasantries I soon new that this was a 'Real Person', in Yiddish a 'Mensch'. I later had the pleasure to instruct with Monty at several TracQuest events. Unfortunately I never really got to know him in depth as our paths stopped crossing several years back. My memories of Monty will always be fond and my heart is heavy with the burden of knowing that our paths will never again cross in this life.

My thoughts and prayers are extended to his friends and family.


Does anyone know of an address to which condolences can be sent?

Definitely a great guy that will be missed at the Ca. HPDEs

When i got the email from Kelly the other day i was stunned - it took about a day for it to sink in that he was gone. He was always such a great guy - always smiling and very down to earth. It was always fun to watch him drive on the autocross course - he could punish a BMW with the best of em! Tire shops loved him. He was only 37 years old - way to young to go out like that. Condolences to his family and his many many friends.

I met him as my instructor at an LA AutoX a couple of years ago... I always knew him as the guy with the Estoril E46 ///M3. I even contacted him a few years back about ordering an Individual Z4M when thy first came out , unfortunately NJ was not to keen on the idea.. I have also had 1 of his brothers as an instructor at ButtonWillow..

This is a sad day for the BMW community....... :(

Never met him but RIP.

Monty, RIP, we will all miss you.

aww crap. This news really sucks. :(

Monty was my wife's instructor for part of the Car Control Clinic recently in Fontana. She said he was very patient with her, despite the fact that she's a pretty poor driver driving her Lexus RX300 SUV, still managing to knock over slalom cones while barely making the Michelin SUV tires squeal.

She said that Monty took her around the slalom course in his M3 to show her how it was done. It scared the crap out of her (but not nearly as much as Harry Sidhu's taking her around the big track during the A session). But at the same time, she got an appreciation for how it can be done, and she is certainly a better driver for having taken the course.

Harry did not have to take this woman--who is never going to drive in an HDPE ... EVER--around the slalom course in his car, but he did it anyway, just to try and teach her something.

I'll admit that I knew Monty the least of all the Sidhus, but he always seemed like a decent guy who was always willing to go the extra mile for people. I'm sorry we lost a very generous member of our chapter.

RIP Monty.

gees... RIP monty... so in shock.

monty was a big part for me getting into autocross and track... he was my first ever autox instructor in irwindale... he'll be missed...

We had a really nice gathering in Monty's honor recently and everyone has pitched in to have a couple of trees planted at Buttonwillow in his honor.

Also, the BMW CCA DE and first-ever LA Chapter combined event with a BMW CCA Club Race (big news out here!) will be considered the Monty Sidhu Memorial Weekend, and there will be a "Monty Sidhu *59-Minute* Non-Enduro" in his honor as well. I'm sure other memorial events will take place off track that are better left unmentioned in a public forum. :)

I can only hope that you guys say 1/10th that much nice stuff about me when I go...:(

Also, the BMW CCA DE and first-ever LA Chapter combined event with a BMW CCA Club Race (big news out here!) will be considered the Monty Sidhu Memorial Weekend, and there will be a "Monty Sidhu *59-Minute* Non-Enduro" in his honor as well.
Either of those by themselves (first combined event, memorial weekend) would be reason enough to attend, but both together - a weekend not to be missed.

I'm sure other memorial events will take place off track that are better left unmentioned in a public forum. :)
Monty would approve, I'm sure :cool

Either of those by themselves (first combined event, memorial weekend) would be reason enough to attend, but both together - a weekend not to be missed.


Has the Monty Memorial Weekend/Track School/Club Race thread been started yet?