pjal84

Damn...that looks like soooo much fun! In California we have twisties but nothing like that! WHEE! Anybody wanna fly me out there!?

dazz

Nice, if I'm ever in the area I would like to take a fun runs down those roads.

OzRally02

Actually interested, question is, is the road going to be closed off for the event? Cause I've driven in a caravan type style before, and people do stupid sh*t.... Just worried about someone else f*$king up my car trying to look cool

Porter

The road will not be run caravan style, nor will it be closed. Take a look at the Safety section of the Dragon website. Everyone will be required to read and sign a safety document as part of attending the event. We're very serious about safety, if someone starts driving in a patently dangerous manner they will be asked to leave.

We love to drive on the limit, but if people start driving past the limit with the tail out they're endangering others and it won't be tolerated. We're sharing the road with a number of sportbike riders up there, and the last thing we need is some guy to drift around a corner with his rear bumper in the other lane and smack a sportbike rider who's leaning over to make the corner. Terrible way to end a weekend.

All that being said, this is shaping up to be one of the best non-track driving events in the eastern US. Believe me when I tell you you it is impossible to finish a run at the Dragon without a major adrenaline rush and a big silly grin on your face!

Let me know if there are any other questions I can address, I'm available through this thread or via email at asphaltsurfer@charter.net .

Thanks for the interest guys! You rock!


Jason Porter
Dragon Challenge Coordinator
Southeast Subaru Club

Michaelk

Hehe, this being in the US and all, how many signatures will be required until you're ready to go. I just remember when I did a tandem-jump in Texas, I had to sign something like 30 pages, so that not even the neighbours goldfish could sue them for compensation in case I died

Porter

Maybe our terminology is conflicting. When I say "past the limit" I'm referring to the limit of adhesion.

On TARMAC, it is very difficult to drift a car while ALSO staying in your own lane. We are sharing the road with other vehicles, therefore it is not the best idea to start sliding your vehicle everywhere just because you can. Powersliding is not a terribly difficult thing, it takes more skill to remain WITHIN the tires' limit of adhesion and also maintain speed through the corner. Huge oversteer is flashy but it is also slow. Certainly it's impressive to those who don't know any better (i.e. teenagers), but we prefer to err on the side of safety for this event.

When I say the road will not be run caravan style, I mean we specifically discourage people from trying to race each other. If you're driving faster with other cars around than you would if you were alone on the road, you need to slow down and stay within the limits of your experience.

"Rally car" or not, some measure of restraint must be observed. Please don't think we won't be hauling *** through there... last year we had a number of sportbike riders who were amazed to find that something with four wheels was faster than they were. Maintaining any kind of speed through the Gap is a feat in itself, the number of consecutive corners will have you breaking a sweat at around the 40mph mark. I prefer to run at around 60mph, but that's just me, and I did set a brake pad on FIRE last year from so much late-braking. The glowing rotors were cool enough by themselves, but the fire took the cake.

Check out the video section of www.killboy.com to see several runs through the Dragon from a biker's perspective. There are some hilarious videos on there.

Porter

LOL it won't be anything like that. Just a simple signature to verify that everyone has read the safety regs and understood them. It's not a binding document or anything, I just want everyone to leave the weekend with an operational vehicle and all their limbs intact. Keeping the shiny side up is pretty important when you're running in your daily driver!

Evoposer

I really wish I could drive my 93 Lancer Gli :headbng2: across from Australia but I dont have the money to pay for petrol. Plus it will put on the miles. Perhaps next year we can hold the event here in Aus

Porter

That's the beauty of the Dragon.. there's nowhere to sit except at the extreme ends of the run. They stopped patroling the Dragon after a Blount county Sheriff tried to chase down a guy on a Yamaha R1 in his Ford Crown Victoria squad car and ended up destroying his vehicle when he overshot a corner and flipped it down the mountain. They don't chase people anymore.

Anyway, all the core Southeast Subaru Club folks will be communicating with walkie-talkies and we'll be able to warn people if there are cops around.

It's understood that this road is a sportbike and sports car mecca, and they generally only make patrols to ensure no one has cracked up their vehicle or hurt anyone. Apparently several of the officers up there are sportbike fanatics anyway, and are known to run the Gap at speed themselves!


Thanks for all the interest guys, please fire away if you have any other questions or concerns!

lukkee7

ill be there with my gixer hitched up

Porter

Cool! Sign up on the website and make a reservation with Fontana Village whenever you're ready. If you want to room with someone but don't have a group set up, let me know and I can hook you up with a group who need a third or fourth. Let them know you're with the Subaru group, there is a large block of rooms reserved for us. Rooms are $68 a night, Fontana's number is 1-800-849-2258.

Thanks!