2015 Miatas at the gap - July 24, 25, 26
 

I booked my hotel today for Miatas at the Gap. I will be staying at the Microtel in Robbinsville NC if anyone wants to attend and book a room at that hotel.

Miatas at the Gap

Not sure how many of the group activities I will be attending - I am interested in driving more than standing around taking pictures. I am sure I will have more fun if some of my MT.net friends come as well.

Post here if you are considering going this year.

Definitely considering. Will be my first time so why not?

We made our reservations today at Fontana. This will be year two so I'm excited to not be the overwhelmed noobie. Last year I was too busy furiously driving the Dragon to meet anyone but hopefully I'll make some new friends this year.

I'll be there, staying at Fontana as usual.

Hmmm Maybe this will be there year...

It seemed to me that Fontana was a bit pricey for one maybe two people. If I KNEW I was going to meet trusted friends down there I would have popped for a two room cabin or something in Fontana, but for my first event I figured I would just do the conventional thing. It's only a short drive away.

Im going to ask off work tomorrow so I can go, maybe we can split a cabin?

Every year I say the same thing. I have been into miata's for 10 years meow and live on the east coast, there is absolutely no reason for me to have not been yet.

I havent been either, but I havent been into miatas for that length of time. For shame.

I don't go because it's during the hottest time of the year. Why oh why not schedule the meet in Spring or Fall?

I do a run that usually lands first or second weekend in October. It's a blast, 75% heavy driving 25% partying.

If MATG is anything like the pictures and videos i've seen online, i want nothing to do with it. Honestly, if i did go, it would be for the party and not so much the driving.

I hear you, but, I had an RX8 and went to the Deals Gap Rotary Rally which is in late April and the weather in the mountains is shit that early. Daytime highs of around 20 celcius dropping to 0 at night.
I've been there late May and early September which is nice but I'll take the July heat over the April cold anytime.
Also, I've been to Miatas at the gap twice and it is a much better event than the Rotary Rally. I would never go back to that.

Dude, you're from Canada and you're complaining about cold?

:)

Hahaha. I know. I hate the cold. If I could swing it I would live in Florida during the winter months.

It just sucks in the mountains that time of year because I was running 140tw tires so at night when it's at or near freezing, traction isn't the best.
Plus there is also the risk of snow which I definitely prefer not to drive in with summer tires.

It's nice in the evening at Fontana Village to sit outside, drink a beer and smoke a cigar. Not freeze my balls off.

Ben you really need to check out MIB and/or MIM this year.

Miatasinboone.com

Miatasinmay.com

That Miatas in Boone event looks pretty cool too. I may register for that as well.

This is why I have a/c! Everything else in my car is gone except the good old r12 a/c

I'll look at it.

The car i would take has no a/c. Or heat. Or doors. Or a windshield.

Miatas in Boone looks great and is right by the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park, which I'd like to visit this year. Might be a good 2-in-1 type trip. I'll need to figure out logistics as I can't fit my family in the Miata or Exocet.

I'll be going. Third year in a row, third different car in a row.

Let's go! We can split a hotel or whatever

I'll be reserving a 3or 4 bedroom cabin this month. Buddy of mine from OH stays with me and i have an open invitation to some of the west cost guys. The more the merrier, you can come with. :) We usually caravan down on Thursday morning, i may head down wednesday this year because i want to check out the Georgia loop and Devil's Triangle.

Maybe I should trade a room in your cabin for a VVT actuator?

Having done the Devils Triangle, make sure you and or anyone you go with isn't very low.
I came into contact with the bump stops a number of times while going pretty quick(r package suspension). A 240 pretty much destroyed it's front bumper (because240)
Though there are a few driveways and some spots with a good amount of dirt on the road you can drive it pretty dang hard. Also, do it more than once, it's not a big loop and pretty far away.
One of the switchbacks. RWD open diff cars WILL roll back down (because240). Pictures don't do it justice. I was amazed how well the torsen in the Miata handled this. It's a first gear turn for sure.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1421702070
We all got bunched up, there is about 3 or 4 of these quick steep switchbacks in a row.

Georgia loop is okay, it's a good one to do if you're looking for Saturday stuff. Since the Dragon is packed it's a decent time to go, but don't expect to blast it. The "fun spots" are pretty few as well. Good "scenic" trip.

I've been there so many times there isn't a single road that i haven't been on.

Nothing says we can't meet up at the official event and pick a part of the event that we don't mind missing and go off on our own...

Like I said before, I already booked a non-refundable Microtel stay but it's not that far away and I don't mind hanging at Fontana and only going back to hotel to sleep.

Oof i need to ship that one back to you don't i. :facepalm:

Get me a good one and i'll definitely do that. :party:

Ben, are you saying you are renting a cabin for the MATG event or another weekend/date?

Matg event. At least a 3 bed, 4 if it's aviailable.

Sweet. Looks like it will be a pretty good party then. When we get a little closer we should get a list together and a place to meet.

Matg is definitely a party. Bring your party pants and lots of booze.

Can't pack much booze in a Miata. We will have to go shopping when we get nearby and stock up for the weekend.

Dry county. :giggle:

You can fit plenty in a Miata. I usually bring a few 6 pack of local stuff then two bottles of gin for saturday night when i get ignorant.

True about the county. It all depends on wither or not I have a co-driver.

I can handle overflow. Wife has school and work.

Chance of mx6 making appearance anyways, and that car holds all the things.

Too bad I didn't know about that last year, a group of about 8 of us went down to 6 Gap on Saturday of last year's MATG.

I'm surprised to hear you say that, I always have an awesome time on that loop and never thought of it lacking fun spots. Climbing the hill from Turner's Corner to Neels Gap in a boosted car is crazy fun.

Are radar detectors legal there?

No, you invited me Friday night over beers on my porch :party:

I just didn't have a car i trusted and already had lined up some rides. You were staying at a cabin within seeing distance of us. I had the red turbo na with the hardtop and my buddy had the white nb2 with the silver hardtop. We were right on the corner of the main loop and the road your cabin was on. :)

Yeah, but not super useful.

Won't do you much good. The Rozzers always sit in the same spot anyway.

I totally remember driving past this about 2,356 times back and forth from our cabin.

But UDRV2SLO

:giggle:

Hah! Yeah that's right you guys were hanging out with Gio, now I remember. I doubt I'd turn down another trip down there this year to get away from the road hogs crawling around the dragon.

Yep Gio and Austin stayed with me. Maybe we'll get another loaner dog this year!

What day are you guys going to get in? I kindof like the idea of a Thursday Georgia trip.

I am pretty much up for whatever. I have enough PTO saved up to (technically) take 6 weeks of vacation off. Realistically though, i'd be comfortable burning up to five days (9 days away from home if you went Friday after work until Sunday night a week later).

You gays figure out dates, and shit soon. Then tell me when and where to book places to sleep. Then I will come out and show off the MKTurbo setups and hand out stickers.

Probably Wednesday or Thursday.

So arrive Wednesday night if you are coming a long distance or be at Fontana village at 8:30am for breakfast then drive on Thursday? Just throwing it out there.

For the Indianapolis "caravan," what time would you leave Wednesday with the above plan?

For me that would be:
3:31 from Gilberts to Indy
6:41 from Indy to Fontana (abouts)

Honestly 10 hours of driving in one day is a haul if I am by myself (no co-driver). When you guys caravan is there anything cool to stop at along the way? Good restaurants for food or cool pit-stops?

If we want a small MT.net gathering on Thursday to go a little farther out than normal, then yeah i'd say we should plan on getting there Wednesday sometime.

There's not really much cool along the way. I would definitely suggest getting late lunch/dinner before we get there on Wednesday, just in case we get in after the stuff closes at the resort.

I'd like to leave before noon. Probably 10-11 if we're going to stop in Cincy or KY to pick anyone up along the way. Most of those guys head down Thursday, though.

If you don't want to do 10 hours in one day, you can come down and crash at my place Tuesday night. :)

Sounds good. So plan for 10-11am in Indy on Wednesday before event.

Stop in Marysville for dinner before you arrive. Cruise 411 to 129 after dinner to get to Fontana village.

Ok, took me a minute to find it. Maryville TN.

Any favorites for dinner?

How many people are planning on getting in on Wednesday for a smaller group longer run on Thursday?


paNX2K&SE-R and Sevan, are you guys up for leading a GA run on Thursday? It's pretty likely i'll have at least one other person with me, two counting Stephen. Everyone will probably be faster than myself, both in area of car prep, and driver. I'm going to see if Marcus wants to show up a day early as well.

Also, for planning purposes, what's the Georgia route you guys take? Is it just down to Six Gap Loop and run that? Or is there more to it?

My car may be faster, but i'll certainly be too es'cared of pushing it with as much time and money I have in it now... lol. Yeah - I'm in for leaving Wednesday.

I come from a long line of FWD econoboxes. My real RWD car control skills come from driving my Cherokee around in rain and snow in 2wd mode until i chicken out. :giggle:

I'd honestly be way more likely to keep up in the MX6 than the Miata, and not just from a power perspective.

Yeah that sounds like fun. Don't worry about keeping up, we follow Boone rules so nobody will get left behind. I've only ever just gone down and run the standard Six Gap but I'm sure there's more roads around there that locals would know about. Turner's Corner cafe is a great lunch spot to stop at too.

Ok awesome!

I'll go ahead and plan on arriving on Wednesday, then.

I'm going to try for Wednesday too. Still working out scheduling details

I plan on being up there at least on Thursday. I'm up for a mt.net meet/run/whatever :-D

If you haven't ever been, it's worth making the trip at least once. It is a fun party more or less. If you wanna go on a shitting-your-pants run I can arrange that as well. I favor good beer over shitting pants, though.

Good news! David Calzada and the kMiata is going to MATG!

What is still up in the air is wither or not he will be joining us for the drive down there. I floated it by him today and he seems amenable to it. We will see. It would be pretty great to have one of the coolest Miatas head down to the event with us, in my opinion.

Whatever. My car is way cooler than the Kmiata. :giggle:

I thought you were not going to be driving the Miata?