Its all fun and games till someone loses thier MINI. Thats when they stand up and say why was there not any safety meeting. So good job! Sometimes we need a saftey reminder.
I say we honk at EVERYONE who crosses the line. Even a little. (I hope AGRanger still has his train horn installed...) Note also that early morning runs can bring dew AND cold enough conditions that it can be tough to get heat (and traction) into summer tires. That (and a dose of early morning cold meds) cost someone a Mini a few years ago, but some good came of it: He "manned up" and parked the wreck where EVERYONE could see it on Vendor's Row, with a warning label. Sobering.
That's it! Mo 19 is a fantastic drive, but it will add considerably to your overall drive as once you get down there, there aren't any interstates to take you where you want to go, are there? I suppose at some point you could get to I-40, but you'd have to go way south to get it and then doesn't that go back north quite a bit? The last time I came back from my daughter's house in Hendersonville, NC I took 64 all the way across to Memphis, and it was a fantastic drive, almost like being on the Dragon most of the way! But it added a day to the drive ultimately.
Done! That's a favorite loop of ours, MO-21 out of STL to MO-106 across to Eminence, then MO-19 back to Hermann / MO-94 and some letter roads to get us back home. Fried chicken lunch at that place near Fort Davidson, or in Salem, or wherever. I know my MINI is *eager* to try it out! Now: just need a calm Saturday or Sunday soon to get this going! Extra credit: run the MO-19 roller-coaster between Thayer and Winona. Yee haw! 60mph on the Mighty K tops the shocks on the rises, and compresses to the stops on the bottoms when we're two-up. We about died laughing the first time!
Surprised that no one has yet referenced the MINIBee MOTD safety tips video... MINIs on the Dragon - Motoring Safety Tips - YouTube
umm.... http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/minis-dragon-10-may-2-6-2012-tn-nc/13031-minibees-motd-dragon-safety-video.html#axzz1sWQ7fMWC has been posted.
A little more thread highjack here, Dave won't add too much time, I am overnighting in Murray Ky, from where I live it will be six and one half hours from here to Murray either way, Interstate or 19, I cross the river at Cario, Ill. Then on Tuesday it is 6 1/2 hours to Robbinsiville. Is it time to go yet ?
I have been going to the Dragon for the last 5 years. Someone wrecks a car every year. The thread has lots of good advice. Here is my two cents: The Dragon is as dangerous as any road I have ever driven. It is also an absolute blast to drive. I have not driven many public roads where you can develop a rhythm similar to a race track. You can test your skills and get the same satisfaction within the limits required because it is a very dangerous public road. Look as far in front of you as possible. Don’t drive into the corners hard. Most of them you can’t see around anyway. That way you can make corrections for what might be coming. Concentrate on the line and zip off the corner. The Dragon rewards a very late apex. I can’t think of a turn on the entire thing that doesn’t. If it were a race track it would be faster to go in slow and come out fast. Don’t carry much speed down the straits. If it was a race track I do not believe anyone’s brakes would stand the full length of the dragon. If you drive moderately hard middle off the corner you will have a blast. You might also learn something about overdriving. Slow in on a lot of turns is faster. Race car drivers talk about overdriving a corner. If you overdrive this place you could get killed or kill someone.
I keep reading about a late apex, and it sounds important. I'm sure I'm not the only person here that has no idea what that actually means. I googled it and see it's a racing term and they show examples on several sites, like this one Modern Racer - Driving Tips - Cornering Lines The thing is, the examples are all for a race track with one lane of traffic all going in the same direction. Anyone want to explain this for me with little words :biggrin5: If I don't get this, I am betting there are others that don't either. I am just trying to really picture what this means, help Ali
Ali - Turning in early or early apex is the recipe for running off the road on the exit of the corner. On a public road we should be driving at a pace that lets us maintain our lane on our side of the road. Very little room for error on the dragon. The race track is where one should practice their high performance driving. Doing a track day or a HPDE will make one a much safer driver. I highly recommend doing one or two.
Ok, I was thinking this was some special technique to help me stay on my side of the road. Like start your turn early or late or something like that. I always take the Dragon at a pace that I'm comfortable with, I pull over and let speedier vehicles pass and my speedier friends just wait for me at the top. I don't like driving the dragon with lots of acceleration and shifting and ripping through the turns. I enjoy driving it smoothly and kind of slow, I actually like it that way. I like feeling the car as it gets into the rhythm, so I guess I'm doing it right even if I don't know what an apex means. Last year I heard a MINI driver saying that he was taking the Dragon at 50mph, he had his wife and kids in the car with him. I wasn't impressed, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind and explain a little about safety and the other vehicles etc, but I didn't say anything. I think this year, I won't be so quiet. Ali
Think of it this way, your lane is the entire race track, nothing more. You can still do a "late apex" and is does help. Just use YOUR SIDE OF THE ROAD to your fullest advantage. It means thinking a bit smaller then a full blown race driver would, but it is a good thing to learn. Jim
If you feel you are doing a rhythm then yes you are doing it right. A few years ago on one of our OFOTD October trips my wife & I rounded a corner only to find a MINI convertible upside down. Lucky for them the driver & 2 passengers 1 was a child were uninjured. The car died on the side of the road. Scary stuff for sure.
Truth be told, think of it as a road with other people on it. That is what it is, Mom's & Dad's driving the kids somewhere & locals going about their daily business. It is not a race track & should not be thought of as one. Of all the people that have crashed on the dragon I'd hazard a guess that most all of them confused it with a race track. Have fun be safe....
I have a cabrio, glad to hear that they survived that. I always kind of wondered how well the roll bar works, but I don't want to find out. I like this thread, sometimes I feel like I'm the slowest one out there, but I'm having fun and trying my best to stay safe. I just don't care if I'm a little slower, I'm having fun and in control. Staying between the mustard and the mayo!!! This is my third year and I can't wait
Yep. Nano was Blimey's blood brother. Very sad. But very happy he did his job and protected everyone inside.