12 Coming & 9 maybes. Sure would be great to end up w/ @ least 20 V8 Miatas rumbling through the Georgia/Carolina hills.

Saturday meet & Sunday drive has been mentioned. Anything going on for Friday? Can everyone note what they would like to do?

I'm good w/ Sat/Sun & Friday if enough people are gathering on Friday. Might be nice to settle in & check the place out a bit.

My plan is to:
Wednesday and Thursday drive the 1200 miles to Atlanta,
Friday watch the races. (unless I need the day to fix something...)
Saturday hang with the V8 crowd
Sunday head north for a cruise in the Georgia hills then on up to the tail of the dragon,
Monday 8:30 tour of the vette plant in bowling green then head for home.

I'm hoping my son can get leave and come over from Norfolk VA so we might have a tag along Firebird on the cruise.

Any of you Ford guys want to take the lead to get a hold of Martin and see if we can get some contacts, or have him reach out to Ford builds in the area? We need more Fords!
http://i50.tinypic.com/f092ky.jpg

Jim,
The Meet sounds awesome, sorry I can't make it from New Jersey. I will just be returning from a business conference that week.
John

Hotels
 

Any hotel picked that we would all stay at ?
that way we park in the same area...:)

Great idea! I made reservations at the country inn listed on RAs site. Hotel & Dining - Road Atlanta

But I did that just to be safe in case I can get my wife or son are there. If it's just me I'd more likely mount a cot to the wing mounts and camp out.
http://i57.tinypic.com/2rr6xl5.jpg

Hotel
 

Just booked the Hampton Inn $ 99.00 Rate
Arrive Thursday April 23 ----:wavey: Depart Monday April 27

man, I wish my car would be finished. :(

Count me in
 

OK....... Count me in one more from Canada :laugh::laugh:
CF-55 Flyin Miata Built LS3
2004 Mazda Speed Miata V8

Outstanding moved to the in crowd! Wow that is a really beautiful car, we better put you far from me so I don't rub off!

Steve you don't have to bring your car to come ya know. Nick from North Dakota is coming and his won't be done either. Is it a long trip for you?

Edit: wait a sec you have 4 months to get it done. What's the problem!

It's about 9 hours away. and $ is the problem haha. Unless someone wants to have a t56 and ls shipped to my door for me. You can add me under the "would like to go" lol there's a chance but i'm unsure at this time. I'd realllly like to see all the v8 miata's and it would be some serious inspiration to get mine finished.

Since I spend a lot more time staying in hotel rooms than working on my car, perhaps I can contribute some worthwhile suggestions on this. I looked at numerous hotels for location, amenities, and value/price. Here's what I would suggest:

My number one pick would be the Hilton Garden Inn in Gainesville. It is a VERY nice hotel. It has large, comfortable sitting areas both inside and out, great for a group hang-out. Great rooms/comfy beds, quality, cooked to order breakfast, nice bar. Scroll through the pictures here: Hilton Garden Inn Gainesville - Hotels.com - Hotel rooms with reviews. Discounts and Deals on 85,000 hotels worldwide Those traveling with their better half could make extra points staying here.

This Garden Inn is 11.5 miles/18 minutes Northeast from Road Atlanta. Go to www.hhonors.com and, as of tonight anyway, you can book for the following rates: $79 prepaid (no refunds), AAA rate $80 - $85 rate averages to $82.50 a night; couple dollars more for AARP rate. $94 "no discounts" rate.

If a few people booked at the above hotel, the other logical hotels in the area where others might stay are not more than about 4 to 17 minutes away, so this could be a nice, central meeting place for the group.

The Country Inn Jim mentioned is a decent value; I see it at $104 on Hotels.com. It is ten minutes closer to the track than the Hilton above (6.2 miles, 8 minutes). Personally , I'd rather drive the extra ten minutes and stay in a nicer place for less money. Nothing wrong with this one, though; it's a solid value.

The Hampton Inn Flowery Branch is the Host Hotel for the event. It is 7.9 miles/12 minutes west of the track. There is a negotiated rate of $99 until they sell out their block of rooms. Call the hotel directly, 855-238-1591. Hotels.com has a $93 non-refundable rate if you're that committed. Hamptons are fine and this one is rated highly, but again if I'm spending my own money I'd drive 6 minutes further and stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Because I'm just a po' boy, I've booked the Hampton Inn at 450 Jesse Jewel Pkwy in Gainesville. It is only 1.6 mile from the Hilton Garden Inn where I'd LIKE to stay, but I got this one for a dirt cheap 10,000 hhonor points per night at www.hhonors.com For those that have Hilton points, this is a steal. Much rather have the Garden Inn, but not for $400+ more.

As all you frequent travelers already know, to get the lowest rate at the place you want to stay, it's best to book your rooms now for the maximum number of nights you might need, and then just call and change the arrival and/or departure dates as required. With most hotels you can do this up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival; almost none are more than 48 hours prior for a change or cancellation. So, book now and if a cheaper price shows up later, book that and cancel your first reservation. Of course this strategy does not apply to the non-refundable rates.

Great write up as always Sunshine! I'm booked at $64 a night with the points thing at the Country Inn.

Another cheap way to go is airbnb if you are a little more adventurous. If you don't know what that is it can be anything from crashing on someones couch to renting their entire house. I've done both and have had several good experiences using the site. https://www.airbnb.com/s/Braselton?c...ss_id=fomepdqc

I figure for this trip there is not much value in too nice of diggs. I'll be at the track all day and out to dinner with new found friends in the evening. Pretty much just need a place to sleep...

My wife and I both have business travel in the same time frame so we're waiting for those dates to firm up. We'll likely stay at the HGI. I'm a sucker for a decent breakfast in the morning and a glass of wine before bed. Plus I'm risk adverse; I get consistent experiences with the HGIs.

Should we consider dash plaques, stickers or something to commemorate the event; hopefully the first of many. So, the inaugural event? If agreed upon, everyone might throw in a few bucks each, to cover the cost?

Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest for a scheduled Friday gathering. So, we are currently planning to drive down Friday, meet Sat, cruise Sun, & then head home.

For the guys trying to complete a build in time; it's hard work, but you can do it. Doesn't have to be perfect, just safe. After all, you will most likely make changes over the years. So, it's never really finished...

I hit up Internet Brands (the folks that own this site) for some support on that. I'm hoping to get some to get site stickers at least.
http://i61.tinypic.com/2lufdi1.jpg

I also asked if they could make an event design for us using that logo as a base like they did for the mod under my name that could be used for shirts or whatever. Hadn't thought about dash plaques but that's a great idea.

I'm hoping to get some sponsors to kick a little something in too for fun.

After the holidays if Martin at Monster and Keith at FM reaches out to their customer base this thing could get much bigger than it is now.

We will be driving up on Thursday then staying for the entire weekend. I think dash plaques or stickers are a great idea.

The Panoz family owns Road Atlanta as well as this place Château Élan Winery & Resort | Inn, Spa, Golf, Meetings, and Weddings. I like to stay here as it is very close to the track. It has wine & spa stuff for the ladies while the guys are at the track.

And let us not forget this Panoz Historic Racing Museum - Château Élan Winery & Resort - Luxury Inn, Spa, Golf, Weddings and Meeting Destination

Oh, man, I gotta' hide this post. If my wife sees this I won't be staying at the Hampton Inn with free points...

Okay, I've got this.

I shot a message off to Martin with info on the Mitty. I asked if it would be possible to contact his current and former customers to make them aware of the event. Here's a quote from his reply: "I'm going to roust the Ford troops."

So watch out, you Heartbeat boys, the Blue Oval tide is about to swell... :smilie_daumenpos:

Also, I figured there would be a 1 in a 1000 chance that Martin himself would be able to attend all the way from the left coast. However, I made it known that we sure would love to have THE MAN who started it all, and that if driving a shop car clear across the country was an impossibility, we'd arrange to pick him up at the airport and make sure he got a ride for any group events.

To my surprise, Martin responded he had conflicts on those dates but would investigate whether it was possible to overcome them and attend! Would that be awesome, or what?

I'm excited!

This message brought to you by Oil-dri... :smokin: :p


http://www.clawsonsupply.com/yahoo_s...121231_std.jpg

That's funny. :laugh:


I realize that we're just joking around here, but, as a side note:
To me, parts are parts & I use the best parts suited to meet the need regardless of manufacturer.

The more V8 Miatas the better

Absolutely! Also realize there is a reason I know all too well about oil-dri! :sign0134:

Luckily its all Jeep and not V8 Miata related! :thumbsup:

Thanks Sunshine YES it would be epic to have him there!

I never could come to terms with the whole Ford vs Chevy thing either. Both companies have made some really epic cars. How would you choose between a 66 BB Vette and a 70 Boss Mustang? The bottom line for me is all the effort they have spent trying to out do each other has truly made the world a better place so I tip my hat with sincere appreciation and admiration to them both!

http://i57.tinypic.com/2yv4hox.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/2lmlzlc.jpg

Hey guys check out the first post. Teaser video!

:thumbsup:

Tail of the Dragon "Good Read", R&T
 

Remembered reading an article in R&T recently where the writer followed "The King" (fastest Dragon time) through the Tail of the Dragon in a Ferrari 458. A good read because it talks about when & when not to drive the Dragon & is a great story about this guy "The King" & his RX7.

Since we are gonna be in the area (Road Atlanta), thought the article might be of interest.

I took on the fastest man on the Dragon with a 458 Speciale

Great story! Thanks for posting it.

There is a pretty good video on tail of the dragon here too.

My wife and I will will be there Friday through Sunday. I'm sure we'll end up camping unless something crazy happens with the weather. I'll probably trailer the car from Huntsville, AL since its pretty track focused these days.

There was a lot to read there so I may have missed it but if the test and tune ends up being open to anyone I'd be interested in that. Let me know if you guys find anything out.

TN finally banned the big rigs on the Dragon. NC did it a few years ago. I've been nose to nose with a rig on my bike there, not fun. But worse imo are the cruiser bikes. Many of those guys have never done much more than ride bar to bar or run the super slab. They get in over their head quickly. Then as a biker the car clubs cause issues too as they'll hang a wheel off the edge and kick rocks and dirt onto the road. That plays hell on a bike's quarter sized contact patch. Or they'll cross the center line trying to keep up with the guy in front of them. As I said...I'll never go on a weekend. Too many other great roads in the area to deal with the idiots the Dragon attracts on the weekend.

Oh so Sunday is a bad choice then? I figured maybe we could head out kind of early before the masses hit the roads.

Side note if you have not seen page 1 lately with the maybes, V8R and FM cars we will easily top 20 cars now...

Honestly don't know as I've completely avoided the weekends for years. I have friends that live in the area though that ride/drive there often. I'll ask for current conditions.

I do end up passing through early or late in the day on my way in and out. I tend to stay in or around Townsend. I hit the roads via the Foothills Parkway and then through the dragon. For those that want to experience the full effect of 'the scene' with all the various cars and bikes, the weekend it great. Just be cautious.

We plan to drive there on Sunday also, but will be trailering the car. Will you still be there Monday to drive?

I am definitely in! I can't wait to see some other people that have done the same thing I am working on now.

^^ LOL yeah but with less boost! I invited a turbo build out of Mpls but have not heard back. That is probably farther than he would want to drive it but I am hoping!

Damn Gator too bad you are coming from Gods country and a million miles out of the way to leave the truck and trailer up north. My plan is to hit the vette plant Monday but it's a very fluid plan!

yeah, the dragon is a big no-no on the weekends. too much traffic, and the chances of getting a ticket are much higher. Early in the morning on week days is the best time to go. But like gator said, there are a ton of other amazing roads in the area that are loads of fun. I've been up there probably 10 times or so and have a blast every year no matter if I'm driving or on the bike.

The report back from the Gap,

I'd take that with a grain of salt. If your goal is to just drive it and see the scene, you'll be perfectly happy. If you want to tame the dragon, and test your mettle (and metal), the weekdays are better.

The plan is still in the air. I may try to talk the wife into just driving the car. It's about the same distance as the drive back from FM was. ...but we where extremely road weary when we got home and she would rather save our strength to enjoy the while there vs the getting there. ...Plus having room for her shoe suitcase. :bang:

A great way to run "The Tail of the Dragon" is to send out a scout that drives from point A to point B & stays @ point B. The first car in the run has a passenger that stays on the phone w/ the scout during the run. Have heard that there are no intersecting roads on the dragon. So, unless the scout reports law enforcement, we should all be able to make the run. If at any point during the run, the passenger & scout lose contact, we all slow 'till the finish.

We could modify this plan to include any practical input, but the basic plan is sound.

There are always people parked at each end. They'll pass on if there are cops on the road. It's never a secret. Plus there are only a few places they can actually park along the road. Getting a ticket isn't the issue. It's the parade of slow movers they cause when present.

Race weekend tickets etc ...?
 

Has any thing been arranged for the V8 Miata,s
**************************************+

We booked the Hotel ( Hampton Inn & Suites Flowery )
Now I guess we need weekend passes and parking ?

Any update ?

TVP CF-55 Flyin Miata Built LS3. :3gears::3gears:

Great! Once we get past the holidays here I would expect more details to come together.

Meanwhile anyone want to take the lead on seeing what it takes to get the most V8 Miatas gathered in one place into the Guinness book of records and make it happen? Nope I'm not kidding!
http://i61.tinypic.com/99qph3.jpg

Good idea
 

Well if this event does not due it not much else will....lol:3gears:

TVP CF-55 LS3 Miata

Be my guest.

x2 regarding confirmation that we need tickets to access the corral.

The car corrals are usually located on top of the hill as you enter the infield. You will likely need an event ticket & a parking pass to enter. I just hope that it does not turn into a muddy mess or a red clay dust bowl.

I was wondering that too. What's the end of April usually like in Atlanta and does the thing happen rain or shine?

The temp is usually pretty nice. The weather? It can be hit or miss. They will only race in the dry....I think. The track is pretty spread out with a LARGE hill separating the paddock & front stretch from the car corrals (top of the hill), to the "valley" at the bottom of the esses, to the spectator hill before the turns leading to the long backstretch. There are many good spots to view the action, but they are beyond walking distance (with a large cooler full of beer) for me. I usually park at the corral area & walk to the paddock to check out the cool stuff, then drive to the hill to view the action entering the esses. When it rains, the place is a muddy mess. When it is dry, it is a dust bowl. Other than that, I is pretty fun to watch rich folks thrash their million dollar toys.