Has anyone driven the Dragon in late November?

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I'm in trouble - my daughter wants to run the Dragon again for her 13th birthday (Nov 24). If I turn out to be crazy enough to do this, I'd actually be travelling up on the 24th, driving the Dragon the 25th & 26th, driving home the 28th.

Has anyone driven it that late in the year? I looked at the Tail of the Dragon web site, and their calendar only goes through October. Is that because it's focused on bikes, or is it just the Dragon's not good driving from now until spring?

If driving conditions on the Dragon then are OK, does anyone want to meet to drive the Dragon November 25th and/or 26th?

Email Ron at info@ridedealsgap.com or join the yahoo deal's gap group. They should be able to give you some help.
I doubt they'll have started using road salt then, so the roads should still be good. I think the weather could just be hit or miss. If a cold front comes through, it could snow. Though of course a warm front could go through and have mild temperatures.

By the way, I will email you those pics sometime. I haven't forgot.

Can get VERY slippery up there in winter. BE CAREFUL!

I thought they just closed the road at a certain time of the year

I know this for sure though, when the weather dips down, the Cherahola is NO place to be, especially the part where it gets above 4,000 feet elevation

that would just be plain nuts. Looking forward to next years run, especially since Hector is going to let me drive his EVO out there!!! I'm sure my Crossfire will "tie him over" for the time while I'm carving the Dragon a new one!

Was there last weekend weather was alittle cool, there was some snow on surround mountain tops but it was all on the sides and only a couples inches.

Originally posted by The EX- Striped SVT:
I thought they just closed the road at a certain time of the year I know this for sure though, when the weather dips down, the Cherahola is NO place to be, especially the part where it gets above 4,000 feet elevation that would just be plain nuts. Looking forward to next years run, especially since Hector is going to let me drive his EVO out there!!! I'm sure my Crossfire will "tie him over" for the time while I'm carving the Dragon a new one!

Good luck. I will be running some tires by then.

Originally posted by LocoGSR:

Originally posted by The EX- Striped SVT:
I thought they just closed the road at a certain time of the year I know this for sure though, when the weather dips down, the Cherahola is NO place to be, especially the part where it gets above 4,000 feet elevation that would just be plain nuts. Looking forward to next years run, especially since Hector is going to let me drive his EVO out there!!! I'm sure my Crossfire will "tie him over" for the time while I'm carving the Dragon a new one!

Good luck. I will be running some tires by then.

The Goodyear Eagle F1's were rated #1 by Car and Driver and were only a hair behind the BFG KD's for dry grip, I say go for them Hector, I liked them on my CSVT

$$$$

I'd rather go with multiple sets of Azenis over Eagle F1s.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
$$$$

I'd rather go with multiple sets of Azenis over Eagle F1s.

I didn't see how those rated, are they cheap or something

Originally posted by The EX- Striped SVT:

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
$$$$

I'd rather go with multiple sets of Azenis over Eagle F1s.

I didn't see how those rated, are they cheap or something

Car and driver did not test them. They are pretty much THE tire to have for use in street touring classes in scca autox (though plenty people win with kumho mx's and hankooks, the azenis are faster).

The 215s were pretty cheap, the 615s cost a good bit more. I believe both are less than F1s. Wet grip isn't near as good (but people I know with them on their DDs say it's not bad), but racing around in rain isn't real smart anyways.
I picked up a set of 195/60/14s rt-215s the other day for my escort. $217 shipped.

http://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/samples/august_100_115_tiretest.pdf

Oh, so they're pretty much the tires to have when you in the know about SCCA, good find

I'm a BFG guy when it comes to street perf tires, but the Goodyears really impressed me last year on the Dragon

Last spring ER, an autocross group in central FL, tested the Falken Azeni against the (then new) Hankooks where we run & altho' I didn't make it, I'm told that the Hankooks were better. This was on a 1 mile autocross course on dry pavement, which probaly was pretty fast. (Our course desinger often ends up with courses where the best times are in the mid-60s for a mile). I suspect the Hankooks do no better than Azenis in wet/snowy/icy/etc conditions.

My All-FL-weather tires are Falken GRB-451s and they are GREAT in the rain. (Of course, I've no idea how they are in snow, and since I haven't driven in snow for a dozen years, I DO NOT want to find out.)

No-one's interested in driving instead of shopping the day after Thanksgiving???

Accuweather's 15 day forecast is saying NOV 22nd, 23rd will be highs in the low 60s & lows in the upper 30s... Dragon should be fine during daylight hours at those temps, and I'm looking at just 3 days after that.

Take a pass through before you run it hard. If it was really cold the day/night before you may have to wait for some ice to melt off the road and the temp to rise enough to make that happen. Otherwise this time of year should be OK. Winter in the Tennessee Valley is late around Jan-Feb. Till then it's just wet all the time in the valleys and a few light dustings in the mountains.

Originally posted by gulfcat:
Last spring ER, an autocross group in central FL, tested the Falken Azeni against the (then new) Hankooks where we run & altho' I didn't make it, I'm told that the Hankooks were better.

I've heard the opposite from nationally competetive autoxers and from other sources (such as that grm link). The hankooks are good but don't have large enough tread blocks or stiff enough of a sidewall.

Lee knows the score. If you're a Dragon-virgin, take it slow the first couple times; you don't want to pop your cherry too fast and run off the road. As far a weather goes, this time of year is pretty much too cold for most bikers, so you shouldn't have any trouble rolling through the Gap.

Everyone's first time is different; just take is slow and easy before you jam in full throttle.

It's not gulfcat's first time.

O yeah, definitely take it sorta easy. Always.