First trip to Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon

[CWPspeed3]

Living my entire life in South East Michigan I'm used to driving flat straight roads and never truly "driven" my car. I must say I didnt know what to expect of the Dragon. BillTheCat's write up was really good but US129 is just one of those roads you cant explain in words or pictures. It wasnt until my first trip up the dragon that I started to get what these cars were designed for. I've got a Cobb RSB and Eibach pro kit which made the car very solid, even on the stock bridgestones. For the most part I just left the car in 3rd and concentrated on turning and breaking. You dont exit the turns too fast and i wound it up to 6k for a while on some of the straighter parts. For those of you going to the EECMM I'd suggest investing $40 in a CG-lock, kept me planted in my seat very well.

After 4 days and 1800 miles of flat out driving my car is running like a beast, I also got anywhere from 14.9mpg to 27.8mpg

We had an in car photographer who should be posting some of the sweet pictures he took too.

Anyway BillTheCat did a very nice write up so I'll just post pictures now.

Link to the full album
http://s82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/lazyboymsu/051309 TOD/?start=all


These are on the Skyway.

Top of the Dragon (Deals Gap)

Bottom of the Dragon

View of Fontana Damn in the background.

Some pictures from a nice pull off

 

[BillTheCat]

Hey, nice action shots of the bikes in motion! For that matter, nice shots in general. And thanks for the mention in your post.

A lot of my friends who either aren't "car guys" or just don't enjoy driving think I am nuts to center an annual vacation around US 129. But I try to explain to them that there's so much more in the area than just the one 12-mile stretch of road. There are twisty roads everywhere, all sorts of attractions for all tastes, amazaing natural beauty, and if you go with a group, as I do with the MINIs, or many will be doing with EECMM, it just makes for a great trip.

By the way, your wheels are giving me wood. Mind if I ask for the stats? Make/Model, size, offset, WEIGHT?

 

[Hank3]

Great pics! The Speeds look nice. I've been there before with my previous cars and would definitely like to do it again.

 

[CWPspeed3]

Hey, nice action shots of the bikes in motion! For that matter, nice shots in general. And thanks for the mention in your post.

A lot of my friends who either aren't "car guys" or just don't enjoy driving think I am nuts to center an annual vacation around US 129. But I try to explain to them that there's so much more in the area than just the one 12-mile stretch of road. There are twisty roads everywhere, all sorts of attractions for all tastes, amazaing natural beauty, and if you go with a group, as I do with the MINIs, or many will be doing with EECMM, it just makes for a great trip.

By the way, your wheels are giving me wood. Mind if I ask for the stats? Make/Model, size, offset, WEIGHT?

Thanks man, it was overcast and rained off and on so some of the shots got a little blurry but a couple came out better than I expected.

I got some really strange reactions when I got back to work and told people I just went on vacation to drive. Like you said though all the roads down there are so nice and the scenery wherever you go is great. Non car enthusiasts just dont understand a road with a cult following.

The wheels are (now discontinued) Enkei RS7's 18x7.5 +45 and according to the web 19.5lbs a piece but I think they were closer to 20.5lbs when i weighed them. Not the most scientific way of weighing them but it was close enough.

Great pics! The Speeds look nice. I've been there before with my previous cars and would definitely like to do it again.

Thanks, what were the cars you drove it with before? I'm already looking forward to going down there next year.

 

[Hank3]

An Xterra (haha) and my WRX.

 

[Kain]

I used to live an hour away (Knoxville), still got family down there. Next time I'm down there again visiting, I'm definitely hitting up the Dragon. Hanky, let me know the next time your back, Deals Gap is pretty much equidistant for both of us.

 

[daonly1around]

I used to live an hour away (Knoxville), still got family down there. Next time I'm down there again visiting, I'm definitely hitting up the Dragon. Hanky, let me know the next time your back, Deals Gap is pretty much equidistant for both of us.

soo close for eecmm, seeing these pictures makes me even MORE excited...

and kain you should come to EECMM.. the meet itself is the 13th..

but OP, great pictures, and has gotten my excitement up again. looks like you guys had decent weather.

 

[Kain]

Can't do EECMM, unfortunately. I have a bunch of summer commitments already, and I'm pressed to squeeze them in with work and all.

 

[Hank3]

Hanky, let me know the next time your back, Deals Gap is pretty much equidistant for both of us.

You bet!

 

[CWPspeed3]

Kain, did you ever drive there when you used to live there? We met quite a few locals to the area that are lucky enough to just drive over for the afternoon then go home.

soo close for eecmm, seeing these pictures makes me even MORE excited...

and kain you should come to EECMM.. the meet itself is the 13th..

but OP, great pictures, and has gotten my excitement up again. looks like you guys had decent weather.

I know how you feel, I read BillTheCat's write up the week before I went down there..

EECMM should be a good time, hopefully the weather is good. We actually got quite a bit or rain and running the dragon on a wet road is a bit intense. Sleeping in a leaking tent when its raining isnt too fun either.

 

[Kain]

Nah, I was a poor teenager when I lived there. I have my version here near DC: Skyline Drive. Not nearly as curvy, but fun in its own right and about 40 min away.

 

[CallmeDave]

Sorry I never posted Matt you pictures turned out great. Your composition skills are so much better than mine, I have a few things to learn. I think I tend to focus on the subject to much instead of getting the whole picture.
It may be because I only have two good lenses a 50mm and a 28mm-75mm so I'm so close up LOL

Here is an example:

Your pic nice and wide.

My shot not the best example but I guess I usally try to fill the whole frame with the subject.