Tail of the Dragon 2025...anyone wanna go?

Setec Astronomy said:
Did he become your buddy after using his service, or you knew him before?
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I got to know him the first week I moved to Chicago back in December of 2009. I followed him from store to store, he used to be a manager for Discount Tire for almost 20 years and they did him wrong, so he struck out on his own, he's a great guy AND a car guy as well

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DetailKitty said:
I'm glad you still go Roger!

There is a 4.2 mile road I have to drive to get back and forth to my mother's assisted living place.
I call it the "Mini Dragon"... lots of turns, a handful of them are switchbacks even.

I usually find it funny most cars can't keep up with me on it... and I'm in the F250!!!
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One day Monica, you and your husband need to come back down there, I'm 55 now and not getting younger

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yakky said:
Oh, that reminds me of this:


If you think a big vehicle can't hustle, you need to watch this video.
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I was an avid watcher of Top Gear every Sunday night, that was a great video, may she RIP

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Klasse Act said:
I got to know him the first week I moved to Chicago back in December of 2009. I followed him from store to store, he used to be a manager for Discount Tire for almost 20 years and they did him wrong, so he struck out on his own, he's a great guy AND a car guy as well
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That's a great story, him winding up with his own mobile service, good for him!
 
Klasse Act said:
One day Monica, you and your husband need to come back down there, I'm 55 now and not getting younger

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One day!
Though now the only vehicle worth driving there is the bike.
 
waddell64 said:
With offroad tires to boot.
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Ooof! After driving cars at the limit (and a little beyond, in closed course conditions) with all seasons, summer, and some sticky 200TW tires, and felt the difference in grip levels I can't imagine what that was like...especially when they got hot. I bet it tore them up pretty good.
 
yakky said:
You know, big girls like to dance too. I used to have a lot of fun with my ML on twisty roads, its really not a good afternoon for someone in a Corvette or a Porsche when a big Suv stomps them in the corners. It was fun to get them to ride my rear into a corner, then suck them into a speed they were very uncomfortable taking a turn. If you do the math at corner speeds for something at .85g vs .95g, the difference is surprisingly small, especially at TOD speeds.
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For me it's not so much the ultimate g-levels in the corners. It's things like weight distribution, center of gravity, tire grip levels etc. Tossing a big, tall, 2+ ton vehicle on twisty roads is not something I enjoy. I've seen a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT at a track day and we currently have a guy who autocrosses a Tackhawk (lowerd to meet safety requirements), but in both cases the owners did/do it for a laugh with no really expectations of performance.

I believe you when you talk about reeling in performance machines in the corners. Much of that comes down to the drivers and very little to do with the vehicle. Every time I get on a road with any type of curve, even an interstate in an urban area, it's funny/sad to watch how people struggle to maneuver their vehicles. They seem lost if the road isn't straight.
 
yakky said:
Oh, that reminds me of this:


If you think a big vehicle can't hustle, you need to watch this video.
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Love that video. I remember watching it when it first came out. One of the funniest Top Gear segments ever and truly showed how good of a "shoe" Sabine really was, and even more so on her home track.
 
Desertnate said:
I believe you when you talk about reeling in performance machines in the corners. Much of that comes down to the drivers and very little to do with the vehicle. Every time I get on a road with any type of curve, even an interstate in an urban area, it's funny/sad to watch how people struggle to maneuver their vehicles. They seem lost if the road isn't straight.
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Ha...that reminds me of my high school days when we would chase each other around the suburban neighborhoods, trying to "lose" the car behind us. In my hand-me-down sedan, I would sometimes embarrass the kids who got Trans Am's or Z-28's for their birthday. But that was because I knew the limits of my vehicle and could drive it at 10/10ths, where they didn't/couldn't/wouldn't. Fortunately we all lived to talk about those days.
 
Desertnate said:
For me it's not so much the ultimate g-levels in the corners. It's things like weight distribution, center of gravity, tire grip levels etc. Tossing a big, tall, 2+ ton vehicle on twisty roads is not something I enjoy. I've seen a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT at a track day and we currently have a guy who autocrosses a Tackhawk (lowerd to meet safety requirements), but in both cases the owners did/do it for a laugh with no really expectations of performance.

I believe you when you talk about reeling in performance machines in the corners. Much of that comes down to the drivers and very little to do with the vehicle. Every time I get on a road with any type of curve, even an interstate in an urban area, it's funny/sad to watch how people struggle to maneuver their vehicles. They seem lost if the road isn't straight.
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Of course its drivers. That's where the fun is. If you think you are cool because you dropped a ton of money on a car, there is some guy in a lesser car that will show you otherwise. Its not a jealously thing, I love seeing a high performance car run at 10/10'ths. Its the tool that buys a 200k car and drives it like a grandma yet expects respect that is the sad sight.

Is it fun to drive a van or truck fast? Not really. Is it fun to drive one fast and humble one of those guys, oh yes it is.

For me the true enjoyment is pushing a car past its limits and seeing where my personal limits are.
 
yakky said:
Of course its drivers. That's where the fun is. If you think you are cool because you dropped a ton of money on a car, there is some guy in a lesser car that will show you otherwise. Its not a jealously thing, I love seeing a high performance car run at 10/10'ths. Its the tool that buys a 200k car and drives it like a grandma yet expects respect that is the sad sight.

Is it fun to drive a van or truck fast? Not really. Is it fun to drive one fast and humble one of those guys, oh yes it is.

For me the true enjoyment is pushing a car past its limits and seeing where my personal limits are.
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Your last part is reserved for the Track, these are public roads, so 5/10ths-8/10ths is more than enough, 11/10ths out there could get you or someone else killed

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Klasse Act said:
Your last part is reserved for the Track, these are public roads, so 5/10ths-8/10ths is more than enough, 11/10ths out there could get you or someone else killed
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There is definitely a time and a place, but to say you can't have fun on the streets, silly, and lets not cast stones from glass houses. 5/10ths in a GT3 is a whole lot more dangerous to others than 11/10ths in a NA Miata. A driver should have complete control of his/her vehicle, and be expecting hazardous situations. If they can't handle that, then yes, on a closed course, the problem is those types usually hate track days.
 
I'm less than a week away, going solo and riding solo the entire trip, first time in 22 yrs I've done that

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Depending on your personality, it could be therapeutic going solo.

At least twice a year I try to take a morning and head off on a long, spirited drive into the Ozarks for a few hours. Being alone for that time on the backroads and focusing the simple act of driving through twisty roads really relieves a lot of tension and stress. A trip like yours would be on a totally different scale!

Safe travels, have fun, and l look forward to all the pictures.
 
Desertnate said:
Depending on your personality, it could be therapeutic going solo.

At least twice a year I try to take a morning and head off on a long, spirited drive into the Ozarks for a few hours. Being alone for that time on the backroads and focusing the simple act of driving through twisty roads really relieves a lot of tension and stress. A trip like yours would be on a totally different scale!

Safe travels, have fun, and l look forward to all the pictures.
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I'm a chatty guy and love being around a couple enthusiasts doing this drive. That said, I drive for a living, so I'm used to being alone. In closing I'll enjoy it ALOT, plus I can go when I want, where I want for as long as I want


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The hurricane that hit that area did some damage. Some or the roads are open and some aren't. Don't know until you try to go down them. Google maps says there's roads closed that arent and says roads are open and they arent.
Be careful.
 
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