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RX-8 Brotherhood of the Dragon: Pre-Event Safety Briefing
The Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap is a challenging venue that can exercise the performance of both car and driver. For 4 years now, the RX-8 Brotherhood of Dragon has collectively made hundreds of runs without incident, but we should always be vigilant to the dangers that that type of environment can bring. We normally only conduct a short safety briefing the first night of the event, but due to a rise in accidents this year on the Dragon we've decided to stress the importance of safety during the event. Each year the RX-8 BOTD is a bigger, more exciting trip and your event organizers would like this to continue without incident.
Before You Leave
Before you begin your trip, it's a good idea to make some basic, yet important checks to your car. The loads and stresses your vehicle will undergo are not far removed from that of an autocross, and the inspection criteria are very similar:
- Battery: The battery must be held down properly. This can be extremely dangerous and cause extensive damage to your engine. Most likely not a problem for RX-8's since they are newer, but a quick check won't hurt.
- Tires: You'll want to increase your tire pressure to limit sidewall roll over, as this can damage your tires. If your tire tread is even remotely low, seriously consider buying a new set. Even a cheap set of new Potenzas are better than worn ones.
- Brakes: Your brake pedal should be firm, with a quick initial bite. Check your pad wear and the condition of your fluid. Brakes are the most crucial part of this check for obvious reasons.
- Steering / Suspension: The steering must be tight, with no excessive play. Wheel bearings cannot have excessive play. Any knocks, thumps, or anything else that may indicate a suspension malfunction should be addressed before the trip.
- Loose Items in Car: All loose items should be removed from the passenger compartment, and as much as possible from the trunk. You can do this once you reach Fontana Village.
- Fluid Leaks: Unlikely on newer stock cars, but you'll want to make sure all your fluids are topped off and nothing is leaking. Keep and extra quart of oil with you as well.
If you are unsure about how to check these items, or feel uncomfortable doing so, most dealers will be happy to look over them at no charge. Also be sure that your dealer has addressed all applicable recalls and service bulletins. You can check them here:
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/bulletins.html
The other organizers and I will also be happy to look over your car before you go out to make any runs! In the rare event of a problem with your car, we can help you get it to the closest dealership in Knoxville. Twin City Mazda has been great to us in the past, and will do everything they can to get you back on the road as soon as possible.
Guidelines for Driving the Dragon (and other area roads)
If this is your first time at the Dragon, or in the mountains in general, you'll want to take it easy particularly on your way there. Mountainous driving adds a third dimension to your cars dynamics, and can required some practice to master.
For those new to mountain driving:
- Be mindful of your brakes. The instinctive thing to do when you're going too fast is to apply your brakes. While this is perfectly fine to do on flat land, you can quickly overheat and damage your brake system by “riding” the brakes on a downhill grade. Use lower gears to allow engine drag to keep your speed in check without burning up your brakes. This applies more to cruising on the area roads than the Dragon, but the principal is the same.
- Avoid driving at night. Particularly in unfamiliar territory. Not only is it more dangerous, but the Dragon is fairly remote and finding people and places at night can be next to impossible at times. Fontana Village has a notoriously difficult network of roads as well. Try to plan your journey so that you arrive during daylight.
- Be Mindful of Your Fuel. Just be sure you have enough for the day's events. There is a station at Fontana Village with 93 octane, and it is slightly pricey. It's recommended you fill up each day; as rotaries are not well known for fuel economy, and AAA will take hours to respond.
For Everyone:
- Do not follow too closely. To be absolutely clear, this is NOT a timed performance competition. While the driving styles and preparations may be the same, we are not racing. Every driver has a comfortable pace, and it will take a few runs for a good running order to get sorted out within the group. Be respectful of the driver in front of you and do not push him beyond his means. If you are asked, or notice a driver in the group tailing you, you may want to offer to switch positions. If you are coming up on a driver outside of our group, give them space. If their speed is painstakingly slow a polite honk of the horn can sometimes convince them to pull over. The Dragon is an extremely dynamic environment when compared to an autocross or a track, and great measures must be taken in account of that.
- Do not cross the center line. This is arguably the single most important rule to adhere to. It can be tempting to cross the center line in order to cut a better line through a turn, but it is extremely dangerous. The Dragon is as much a motorcycle retreat as it is a car venue, and most of the incidents out there involve one party crossing the center line. There are police present at the Dragon, and while they have been tolerant in the past, they WILL ticket you for crossing the center line.
- Be Mindful of You Surroundings. You never know for sure what lies around the next blind corner. Occasionally large trucks and RV's get out on the Dragon and don't make it far before they high center on a turn. That's the last thing you want to find coming around a blind corner. The Dragon crowd is normally pretty good about warning oncoming traffic of dangers like that, but always be mentally prepared for the worst.
- Stay in Your Performance Envelope. No matter what the tune of your car is or your own performance driving history, there will always be someone out there that thinks they're better at driving the Dragon than you. Do not feel compelled to exceed your own limits. This is not a race, we are only there to enjoy the performance of our cars, not to test our limits.
- Absolutely No Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol. This is as much a fun social event as it is an event to feel out what your car can do, and inevitably there will be alcohol involved to some degree. I hope I don't need to explain why this mixed with the Dragon is an absolutely terrible idea. Please exercise caution in your indulgence as well.
- Maintain Focus. This is inherent in autocross or track day environments, and it's as equally important on the Dragon. Consider turning off the radio and eliminating other distractions. You'll want to keep your focus on the road.
As I mentioned before, as a group we've made hundreds of runs without incident. While you may hear horror stories, you have to remember the sheer number of cars and bikes that run this road every day. Adhere to the rules and use common sense and you'll have the time of your life.
Some Pointers for Your Time in and around Fontana Village.
As fun as the Dragon is, it would wear you down to drive an entire day. This part of North Carolina and Tennessee offers a lot of other ways to have an exciting time. Each year, we make arrangements with Fontana Village for discounted rates, reserved cabins, and other favors and in return we owe the community a bit of courtesy.
• No Loud Music. Fontana security is very strict about this. At night and during our Show and Shine, please keep unnecessary noise to a minimum.
• No aggressive Driving in the Complex. The roads at Fontana Village are twisty and very dark at night and there are a good number of pedestrians. Please exercise common courtesy when moving around in the village. We have one of the better reputations as a group there, and we'd like to maintain that. Please no revving of exhausts, burnouts, doughnuts, etc.
• Keep Your Map Handy. Finding people and places at the village can be tough if you've never been there. You'll be given a map when you check in, so keep it in your car.
• Headquarters Area. In prior years, we've found it best to center the event between two cabins, 617 and 621. There is a fairly large paved and grassy area for everyone to park. This is where most of the events at the village will take place (cookouts, poker tournament, campfires, rally point for Dragon runs and other outings). The camaraderie of this event is one of it's greatest virtues, and having this area to hang out is priceless
• Arrival. Once you reach Fontana Village, proceed to the main hotel lobby to check in. This can be found on the map available on the Fontana Village website. There you will get your keys and a map. Go to your cabin and get situated. Once your all set, take a cruise around the village and look for two highly decorated cabins. The organizers will be there the day before setting up, so look for RX-8 and BOTD banners. There should be a few RX-8's parked outside. Come on in and well get you everything you'll need. Wednesday night around 8 we'll have everyone meet at the HQ for a quick meeting where we'll go over some things and show a few of the videos from prior years. Cell phone service is non existent in much of the area, and most cabins do not have telephones. If you get lost, ask a Fontana employee for cabin 617 or 621.
• Late Arrivals. If you're planning on arriving late Wednesday or later in the week, look for the HQ cabins. If you don't see anyone, just sit tight as we're probably out on a group outing. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Smoky Mountains and keep and ear out for the drone of two dozen rotaries returning to the village.
What to Bring
This questions seems to come up a lot
• Tire Pressure Gauge. You don't already keep one in your car!?
• Extra Oil. High altitudes and spirited driving can increase the rate at which your car burns oil. Nothing to worry about, but keep an extra quart with you and check it each morning before you go out.
• Camera & Batteries. I can't begin to explain how many opportunities there are for great pictures. Bring some extra batteries too, since the Fontana Village general store is a bit expensive.
• Warm Clothes. It can get fairly cool at night up there this time of year. A light jacket is recommended. The days can be pretty hot as well, so pack accordingly.
• Swim Gear. We will take a group trip white water rafting on the Nantahala River one day.
• FRS Radios. These are the cheap family radios that you can buy at Wal-Mart. This way we can keep in contact while we're cruising the mountains without having to use cell phones. Not absolutely crucial, but it's good that we have a few cars with them in the group.
If you have any other questions or issues, please feel free to contact one of the event organizers and we'll be glad to help. Looking forward to seeing you in September!
Brian Cross
Safety Steward – RX-8 Brotherhood of the Dragon
brian.cross@gmail.com |
