Had a completely clear run up The Tail of the Dragon!
 

In a rented Dodge Caravan (GT, lol) but I did my best Sabine imitation, and the brake rotors are Not OK. We ran North and for laughs I had my wife start the lap timer on her phone. 11 miles, 300+ turns… it was wet and I had waived the rental insurance sooooo… I left some in reserve but it was still quite fun. How rare to get a free run on your favorite road these days, or even on a track at a HPDE- let alone on the Tail of the Dragon. God is good.

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Haha:
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nice..congrats.

Just don't be a donor to the tree of shame.
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Some day

30 mph in a minivan, in the wet. Not bad at all!

Fun road when empty :-)http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1626864378.jpg

That is an awesome shot !!

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I did it on a Thursday morning at 8:30 AM and it was just the nuts on motorcycles that will never live to be 30 on the road.

Overall, it is a WAY overrated road. Lots of curves, and fun, but not worth a special trip just to go there. It was right on my way, so convenient.

There are lots of better roads in Arkansas, and not just a short little road. Imagine a road like the tail that goes on for an hour of driving.


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The Smokey mountains are a pretty area.

The other very popular road in the area is the Cherohala Skyway
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Most folks running the Tail do it multiple times in a day. It helps where you start to remember some of the more challenging curves. The off camber ones can get especially hairy on 2 wheels (I have only run it in the Carrera).

It certainly is a fun road, but everybody and their mother, brother and uncle goes there and there are lots and lots of nice roads in the mountains there. Like off the top of my head, 28 past Fontana Lake, right around the corner. And on and on. First time I did it was something like the OP's drive, in my Beigemobile 2003 Accord just after Christmas, taking a slight detour on the way home to Chicago from Atlanta. Took my 911 up there for the day the day after I bought it, also in Atlanta. Haven't been since.

Thank you--it was a beautiful Spring day with very little traffic. I was with a group of 16 transaxle guys. Great roads there and back.

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6am it’s empty.

Go during a weekday and not around a holiday like the weeks around 7/4 and it isn't that bad.

Here’s the minivan- plunked down $9 to the photographers to memorialize it. This thing is probably still wondering WTH just happened. To be honest, the 8spd auto was very easy to always be kicking down to pull out of the corners… much easier than my 930 would have been with the huge spacing of the 4 speed 930 box. Many of the turns would be really winding 1st out, but lugging 2nd, and my old school k27-7006 boost would be coming and going at in opportune times.

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What can I say… I guess we bonded.;)

We got some pretty clear runs in June during the Rennsport Dragon Rally. I choose to be in the 'touring' group rather than the 'spirited' group since I'd never been there before. Holy crap the leader in the touring group was flying! We weren't sliding but we were only a couple mph from the limit. I should have dropped my tire pressures since I was getting track like tire pressures when hot. The rally leaders gave good instructions for proper Dragon etiquette so things went smoothly for the most part.

Forgot a pic :)

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I've been in GA for 8 months now......been on a few back roads and to Atlanta a few times. Plan on doing the Tail soon. I don't like doing groups because in my experience there is always one jerkoff that does an off-road experience and groups draw the POPO like flies on rice.

BTW, I'm sure there are a lot of Smokies out there ALL the time. I have yet the detect ANY radar traps in my area. What is the speed enforcement out there like?