"Tail of the Dragon"

danmas · January 25, 2012, 11:18:26 AM

The Discovery channel will air a special on the "Tail of the Dragon" tonight at 9:00 EST. Check your local listing for your area. Should be interesting. I've been there a few times! The first time was in 1969 in a school bus. The last time was last year in this. This was better!

On the Dragon small.jpg

rficalora · January 25, 2012, 11:27:47 AM

9pm Eastern?

danmas · January 25, 2012, 11:48:11 AM

Yup, that's EST.

BlownMGB-V8 · January 25, 2012, 05:02:55 PM

Wow! I actually get that channel! Man, I'm psyched!

Jim

rficalora · January 25, 2012, 09:12:01 PM

It's good so far! Didn't know Kill-boy used to run it on his bike & now photographs instead.

NCtim · March 16, 2012, 12:09:44 PM

In the paper today:

MARYVILLE, TENN. — A rock slide has closed a Smoky Mountains highway popular with motorcyclists.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation says a slide onto U.S. 129 at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line has closed the highway in both directions. The incident was reported Friday at 7 a.m. EDT.

The highway is nicknamed the Dragon because of its numerous tight curves.

burner1 · March 16, 2012, 07:19:02 PM

The highways around the ail of the draggon are far more fun. The "Dragon" which typically has 3 or 4 cops on a 4mile stretch is hard left, hard right, etc. The dragon is like a parking lot race where the nearby roads are more like road courses.

MGBV8 · March 18, 2012, 02:15:50 PM

In our local paper:

http://www.timesnews.net/article/9043880/rock-slide-to-keep-us-129-closed-into-next-week

MGBV8 · March 18, 2012, 02:19:31 PM

Speaking of "other roads", this one is closer to me. I took Mike Moor on a section of it from Shady Valley, TN to Bristol, TN when we were traveling back from the Durham, NC V8 Meet.

http://www.421thesnake.com/

ex-tyke · March 18, 2012, 02:46:47 PM

By my reckonin', 'The Snake' has 15 curves/mile and 'The Dragon' has 29 curves/mile......sure beats the roads in Illinois!

danmas · March 18, 2012, 03:53:35 PM

You can buy a t-shirt at the gift shop on the "Dragon" that says:

"The Dragon - 318 curves in 11 miles.
Illinois - 11 curves in 318 miles"

kstevusa · March 18, 2012, 07:05:47 PM

Now Graham, you know you can't coast very far in Illinois either! You run out of gas, and coast about 60-70 yards if you are going above the speed limit and stop. No rolling forward or back.

Not like Tn.

danmas · March 23, 2012, 11:00:57 AM

The rock slide has been cleared and the Dragon is open again.

Dan B · March 23, 2012, 01:11:12 PM

Here is a fun ride you may want to take if you are ever in Southern WV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=tCIGZSlA-PM

BlownMGB-V8 · March 23, 2012, 03:10:37 PM

Not 318 curves though. Do you think we just might oughta be counting the straight stretches instead? I saw about four.

Pretty typical for a W.Va mountain road. I'd of gotten seasick if I wasn't acclimated. Rt. 60 over Gauley Mountain is pretty good too, along with Rt. 16, 61 and some others, basically any road going to a different town in those parts that isn't freeway. Rt. 60 over Sewell Mtn. is really good too, though Rt 60 is a high speed road. If you can call the occasional kiss your ass hairpin high speed that is. All depends on your driving technique I guess.

Jim

Merv · March 25, 2012, 05:30:23 PM

Am I mistaken or is MG 2012 going to be doing the Tail of the Dragon?
I know that many of these cars may be missing four cylinders (does that make them Spurious?) but it still looks to be a lot of fun.
Merv

mowog1 · March 25, 2012, 06:13:08 PM

Yes, there will be tours to SR129 during MG2012 in Dillard, GA.