quattro de Mayo at the Tail of the Dragon picture megapost
05-10-2007, 02:46 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,735
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
quattro de Mayo at the Tail of the Dragon picture megapost
What better way is there to celebrate the day before the day that Mexican forces defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla (thereby delaying the French invasion of Mexico City by a year) than by driving like a maniac on some curvy roads in Tennessee and North Carolina? Yeah, well a bunch of us did that anyway this weekend for the first annual quattro de Mayo.
About 40 people showed up, with the vast majority driving Audis (the oddball that stuck around all weekend was in an R32). I got five runs on the Tail of the Dragon itself over the weekend, and also hit the Cherohala Skyway and the Foothills Parkway. The roads are very technical and are in great condition. There are curvy roads here in WV, but most of their surfaces are crap. We took a night run to and from the hotel on Friday, and running the Dragon at night is intense. It certainly did keep us from sightseeing, though, which was the point. The weather Saturday was rain for most of the day, and someone had left a Spy Hunter-esque oil slick over the length of the Dragon, so the conditions were very slick that morning. The car slid through a few curves (without crossing the center line, thank goodness). Sunday morning we ran through the Dragon again to Fontana Dam for a photo shoot.
Unfortunately, Killboy seems to have missed most of us. Zee Photo was out on Sunday morning, but the last upload they've done on their website is from April 30. TT driver MyTToy_225QC was in front of me for the Saturday morning run, and was good enough to have a camera in his car. He posted the video <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6947965990016921711">here</A>. We enter the Dragon itself about 7 minutes in, and yours truly makes cameos at ~7:00 and 14:00. We were taking it easy due to the rain and oil, but it still felt like we were going faster than it looks in the video...
I have been to the Tail of the Dragon one other time, with TT-East in 2005. That was the first strenuous drive I had ever done, and the road got the better of my stomach that day. I did much better this time around, and I was very impressed with the RS 4. The Dragon itself is more geared towards small, nimble cars, but I was able to keep up with modified TTs. The DRC kept the car flat (enough that the driver of the TT roadster behind me commented on it), and steering with the throttle is much more apparent with this car. Whereas in 2005 I was constantly banging back and forth between 2nd and 3rd gears, 2nd gear is sufficient for ~90% of the Dragon in the RS 4.
But enough with the words, and on with some pics. We invaded the Jameson Inn in Alcoa.
<img src="http://images23.fotki.com/v823/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1935crop-vi.jpg">
Here's a shot of most of the cars before the Saturday morning run. The rain did let up a bit while we were on the Dragon, but the sunlight that shone down shimmered off the oil on the road.
<img src="http://images109.fotki.com/v778/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1907-vi.jpg">
Last weekend was also Minis on the Dragon, and they were everywhere. They expected ~400 Minis to show up. When we stopped at the Dragon's Den on Saturday, this little thing was there. RHD and all.
<img src="http://images112.fotki.com/v585/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1917-vi.jpg">
A few of us shot up the Cherohala Skyway late Saturday morning, but the rain and fog got to be intense:
<img src="http://images23.fotki.com/v823/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1923-vi.jpg">
The conditions did get better once we got to lower elevation.
<img src="http://images108.fotki.com/v622/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1932crop-vi.jpg">
This T-Rex was staying at another hotel. When a few of us were leaving the Dragon Sunday morning it blasted past us in the opposite direction. It must be a helluva time.
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v385/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1953-vi.jpg">
There were at least seven cars missing from the dam photo shoot. A few ran over to see the Minis do a midnight run, and slept in Sunday morning. They missed a very pretty scene.
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v369/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1959-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v383/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1962-vi.jpg">
View from the dam top:
<img src="http://images22.fotki.com/v752/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1977-vi.jpg">
Big dam hole:
<img src="http://images24.fotki.com/v853/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1973-vi.jpg">
And finally, a little comparison from my two trips to the Dragon.
<img src="http://images9.fotki.com/v188/photos/2/226513/2258971/TTE050043-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v369/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1925-vi.jpg">
There are some more pics linked in my sig if anyone's interested. Word is they're tentatively planning a repeat next May 1-4. I hope to not be the only RS 4 there next time. If you make it, you'll be impressed with the car. I certainly was.
About 40 people showed up, with the vast majority driving Audis (the oddball that stuck around all weekend was in an R32). I got five runs on the Tail of the Dragon itself over the weekend, and also hit the Cherohala Skyway and the Foothills Parkway. The roads are very technical and are in great condition. There are curvy roads here in WV, but most of their surfaces are crap. We took a night run to and from the hotel on Friday, and running the Dragon at night is intense. It certainly did keep us from sightseeing, though, which was the point. The weather Saturday was rain for most of the day, and someone had left a Spy Hunter-esque oil slick over the length of the Dragon, so the conditions were very slick that morning. The car slid through a few curves (without crossing the center line, thank goodness). Sunday morning we ran through the Dragon again to Fontana Dam for a photo shoot.
Unfortunately, Killboy seems to have missed most of us. Zee Photo was out on Sunday morning, but the last upload they've done on their website is from April 30. TT driver MyTToy_225QC was in front of me for the Saturday morning run, and was good enough to have a camera in his car. He posted the video <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6947965990016921711">here</A>. We enter the Dragon itself about 7 minutes in, and yours truly makes cameos at ~7:00 and 14:00. We were taking it easy due to the rain and oil, but it still felt like we were going faster than it looks in the video...
I have been to the Tail of the Dragon one other time, with TT-East in 2005. That was the first strenuous drive I had ever done, and the road got the better of my stomach that day. I did much better this time around, and I was very impressed with the RS 4. The Dragon itself is more geared towards small, nimble cars, but I was able to keep up with modified TTs. The DRC kept the car flat (enough that the driver of the TT roadster behind me commented on it), and steering with the throttle is much more apparent with this car. Whereas in 2005 I was constantly banging back and forth between 2nd and 3rd gears, 2nd gear is sufficient for ~90% of the Dragon in the RS 4.
But enough with the words, and on with some pics. We invaded the Jameson Inn in Alcoa.
<img src="http://images23.fotki.com/v823/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1935crop-vi.jpg">
Here's a shot of most of the cars before the Saturday morning run. The rain did let up a bit while we were on the Dragon, but the sunlight that shone down shimmered off the oil on the road.
<img src="http://images109.fotki.com/v778/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1907-vi.jpg">
Last weekend was also Minis on the Dragon, and they were everywhere. They expected ~400 Minis to show up. When we stopped at the Dragon's Den on Saturday, this little thing was there. RHD and all.
<img src="http://images112.fotki.com/v585/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1917-vi.jpg">
A few of us shot up the Cherohala Skyway late Saturday morning, but the rain and fog got to be intense:
<img src="http://images23.fotki.com/v823/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1923-vi.jpg">
The conditions did get better once we got to lower elevation.
<img src="http://images108.fotki.com/v622/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1932crop-vi.jpg">
This T-Rex was staying at another hotel. When a few of us were leaving the Dragon Sunday morning it blasted past us in the opposite direction. It must be a helluva time.
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v385/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1953-vi.jpg">
There were at least seven cars missing from the dam photo shoot. A few ran over to see the Minis do a midnight run, and slept in Sunday morning. They missed a very pretty scene.
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v369/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1959-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v383/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1962-vi.jpg">
View from the dam top:
<img src="http://images22.fotki.com/v752/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1977-vi.jpg">
Big dam hole:
<img src="http://images24.fotki.com/v853/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1973-vi.jpg">
And finally, a little comparison from my two trips to the Dragon.
<img src="http://images9.fotki.com/v188/photos/2/226513/2258971/TTE050043-vi.jpg">
<img src="http://images20.fotki.com/v369/photos/2/226513/4902144/IMG_1925-vi.jpg">
There are some more pics linked in my sig if anyone's interested. Word is they're tentatively planning a repeat next May 1-4. I hope to not be the only RS 4 there next time.
If you make it, you'll be impressed with the car. I certainly was.
05-10-2007, 04:42 PM
#2
New Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like a lot of fun...
great pictures also. You refer to the "Tail of The Dragon," Im not familiar with this road. Is it a highway? Route? Interstate? or a private road?
Anyways, looks like a great way to enjoy your RS4.
Anyways, looks like a great way to enjoy your RS4.
05-10-2007, 05:40 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,735
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey thanks.
The Tail of the Dragon is a section of US 129 that bisects the Tennessee/North Carolina border. It's purported to have 318 curves in 11 miles. It's a federal highway, and therefore open to all kinds of traffic, including tractor-trailers.
And it is a great way to enjoy an RS 4.
And it is a great way to enjoy an RS 4.
05-10-2007, 07:57 PM
#5
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice Pictures, sounds like a great time. Where in WV do you live?
I live in Charleston, WV Grad and grew up in Fairmont at Rock Lake. Not too many Audis in the great state of WV.
05-10-2007, 08:10 PM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,735
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm from the northern panhandle...
but am in Huntington now. I know a couple other TT guys on AudiWorld, and have briefly spoken to an ex-RS 4 owner just across the river in Kentucky, but you're right--there are very few of us on here.
Are you a pharmacist?
Are you a pharmacist?
Trending Topics
05-11-2007, 08:23 AM
#9
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good deal Huntington is a nice area...............
I am a sales rep in the medical arena, I used to be in Pharmaceuticals, thus the screen name. There are a few of us running around Charleston. I have sold 3 of my buddies and got them into Audis. RS4, C5 S6, B6 S4. Give me a call sometime if you want to talk cars or grab a brew. 553.5648 Ian
