Monday August 18

Morning folks. The work week is upon us and many are back at the grind. I hope this finds you all well. Weather looks good for the next few days until the tropical storm that FL is bracing for comes this way. We are expecting to see rain starting Wednesday night or the following am.

Well, chalk up another weekend on the mountain. There were plenty of bikes moving around and sharing the road with a couple of car groups. There was a Porsche collection at Fontana that was pretty nice, and for the most part they were good drivers. There were some small wrecks that occurred over the weekend but everyone came out ok.

Sadly, I must say that the "system" for responding in this area is slightly messed up. Seems that there is a private corporation within our responding community that has dispatch powers over public service volunteers, which makes absolutely no sense at all. I will break it down for you. Calling the county dispatch on a wreck, I clearly stated the riders incident, and that all was well other than him needing an ambulance and an officer. Dispatch says got it, and has to dispatch an officer and an ambulance. The ambulance company then gets to decide what is needed at the scene including the local county volunteer rescue squad. So here a guy sits, patiently waiting for an ambulance (which should be much closer than town on a weekend day anyhow) and here comes the cavalry like he was off the side of the mountain and on deaths door. In my eyes there are many reasons that this is wrong. First off, a private corp should never have the ability to dispatch a public service. That should be the job of the 911 dispatchers. Second, what message does all those "rescuers" convey to the visitors that are in the area. Thirdly, how does the communication get so convoluted from talking with just one person. Lastly, the powers that be in TN think that the Gap is dangerous enough to warrant as many as 6 officers on any given weekend, then how come there isnt an ambulance closer than 25 minutes from the "danger zone". Inquiring minds want to know. If you have any insight into this situation at all, please email me.

MotoGP. WOW !!!  Now that was a good race yesterday. Sorry for my misinformation regarding time, but Im sure you all saw through that. Although we were unhappy to see the wreck that occurred, I personally was very happy with the outcome. Great race. Indy is coming up, so if you have any interest, we are raffling tickets off in a couple of weeks. buy many and buy often. Details are at the top of this page.

Special Mention today goes out to all that helped do the volunteer clean up over the weekend. Thanks to you guys and gals, we collected over 80 bags of garbage on the Dragon, and the place looks much cleaner. A special thanks goes to you all.

Enjoy the week folks, because I plan on it. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Sunday August 17

As my friend Phil says " Howboutcha " folks. Hope all is well with our readers today. This am is gearing up to be the start to a perfect day, with the sun shining and all well on the western front. Weather should hold just fine, especially after the showers we had late in the day yesterday.

Man, the road was so clean this am coming in from the TN side. A real special thanks to all that helped in cleaning up our little slice of heaven. As always, there are some strange things found on these clean ups and this one was no exception. Clothing, beer, money, credit cards and a complete motorcycle were gathered up on this trip. All went well and we collected over 60 bags of garbage over 14 miles. Again, thanks to all the volunteers that make this as much fun as it is, as well as the success it is. 

I managed to see quite a bit of wildlife yesterday as well. We saw a black bear, 2 dear, a mountain rattle snake, wild boar and a beautiful black snake. Pretty cool for a day as busy as a Saturday on the mountain.  

Seems everyone got along well with others, and there wernt any serious incidents I have heard of. The LEO's were out and even they commented on how well everyone was playing with each other. Thanks to all for making it a great day at the Dragon.

Todays GP is coming in on CBS, so be ready for some crappy commentary. I think the race is at 3 pm, but Im not positive. If anyone has that info, can you please drop me an email. It sounds like Stoner is back on his game with pole, but the Doctor is right there next to him, and like the Laguna race, I envision a pretty good battle between the Yamaha and the Ducati. Stoner is fighting a bug, so lets hope that Rossi can use that to his advantage. Can you tell Im a Rossi fan ?  :)

Quick mention today goes out to all the NOLA RIders down in New Orleans. Got an email today from a good friend Chris of the NOLA Riders just saying hello. Hey Chris. Hope all is well with you, yours and the boys. All of us here are counting the days til the NOLA's come back.

Todays the day to live. Get out there and do it. Be safe, hav fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday August 16

Its Saturday and its been a long day already. Todays weather is partly..... partly sunny, partly cloudy. While they say no rain, it feels like it. Thankfully the Weathermen and women know what they are doing.

Today was volunteer trash clean up on the Gap, and we did just that. With just over 80 bags of trash picked up, you can see the difference. Thanks to all that were selfless with their time. Its volunteers like you guys and gals that make this a fun event.

This weekend is all cars and cruisers. It seems like a large group of Porsches and a couple of others, but the Harleys are out bigtime today. THP and Blount County are also here, and being very nice about all they see. Thanks to all the officers/troopers that watch out for our wellbeing.

Tomorrows the big GP race, so come out and make some noise with us. I believe that its on CBS(Boring) again tomorrow because SpeedTV doesnt show it on their roster. While few are happy with the commentary from CBS, they are still bringing the GP's to the mainstream. Yay for that....

Thats it for me. Be safe, have fun and respect all you meet. --- Ben

 

Friday August 15

Friday is here, and so are we. This am, I came down the hill to the store and all I could smell was bacon.... which is the way most everyone should wake up. Chance of rain today, but none through the weekend so get out and do something.

This weekend should see a couple of smaller car groups, but I dont have anything on the schedule for motorcycles. Enjoy the weekend, and if you are coming this way, make sure to have you and yours legal and in check. You never know when you might meet an LEO up here.

Volunteer Clean Up is this weekend. Please be respectful AND mindful of all the volunteers that are giving of their time to make the place a bit cleaner and a lot nicer. Slow down, and if you appreciate them, honk your horn and wave too. It makes them feel good.

GP is fast approaching and we still have a few tickets available. Get them while they are hot. Tickets are available online or at the store. Just follow the link at the top of the page.

VERY SPECIAL MENTION: Todays "very special mention" goes out to my illegitimate girlfriend Jen in PA. The only EMT I would have work on me if I was up there. Love and kisses to you Jen. Enjoy your day.

Lastly, Dennis the painter is here again, and doing his thing. Man, what good work too.... come get some. He will be here all weekend.

Thats it from here. Enjoy the rest of your day. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Thursday August 14

How about it folks. Its Thursday and I dont for the life of me know where the last 2 days have gone. Well, in all honesty, I do know exactly where they went, but Im not proud. With friends in from up north, there has been some debauchery going on and we managed to close down our most favorite Mexican restaurant down starting Monday night.

Weather is looking good .Get out and do something. Weve actually had a cool front through the last few days, and its made for perfect weather. Get up, get out and enjoy it.

This is the last weekend that I dont have anything on the schedule so it should be pretty clear up here. Get out and enjoy.

Thats it for today. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. ---Ben

 

Monday August 11

Here we are. Monday is back. Morning everyone and thanks for tuning in. Its a bit foggy here this am, but all is well on the mountain this am. Chance of rain increases through the week, but it still doesnt look all that bad.

The weekend went great right up until late Sunday. We had a wreck late in the day on the Dragon at about 9.5 with some serious ignorance shown by the rider to cause it. As well, there was a fatality on 6 mile road about 15 miles north of the Dragon where a local man passed on form his injuries. Info can be found here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20080811/NEWS/333239597  Special thanks goes to Trooper Dalton that worked both wrecks. We really appreciate you man.

As with every Monday, so comes the local folks for breakfast, so I am going to hang out for a while and get me some pancakes.

Special Mention: todays mention goes out to Tank of www.ridewithtank.com fame. The Tank family recently went over to Canada for ...... well, its at the bottom of the page on his site. Check it for yourself.

GP tickets need to be sold. We have a few left for the raffle so get that money out of your pocket and give it up for charity. Winner gets a great prize. Info is above on the homepage.

Thats it for today. be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

 

Sunday August 10

Hello and welcome to Sunday. Its another beautiful day so hopefully you wont be reading this during daylight hours. Weather is fine, wish you were you here.

I seem to find all kinds of things to do except this update on Sunday mornings lately, and today was no different. A broken down and stranded motorist, friends from OH-KY-NY-MS-FL-MN and Canada are all floating around, a broken biker and his bike, and of course all that goes with the store. Its a busy day, and I am just now typing senseless info on the daily at 3:30.

Well, we have 6 LEO's on the mountain today, and they seem to be doing very well with the bikers. At one point they were driving through(north and south) the Gap at a whopping 28 mph and attempting to control traffic in this manner. If Im not mistaken, TN code states that if you are holding up 5 or more vehicles, you are supposed to pull over and let them by...... just a thought. Be kind to our visitors folks.

Special mention: todays mention goes out to my 3 bestest friends back home in Toronto. Moe, Shayna and Chico are the bestest friends you could ask for. Love to you guys.  Congrats on the new truck Moe.

Thats it from here. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

 

Saturday August 9

Howdy everyone. Hope this finds you well. Weather is perfect and we wish you all a great day.

Nothing to report. All is well in the land of excitement. Get out and enjoy. Be safe, ahve fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

 

 

Friday August 8

Howdy all. Its a beautiful Friday am on the mountain and the weather is getting to be just about perfect. Sun all weekend so get some sunscreen on and go forth.

August is typically a bit slower than most other months because of the heat, but we expect that it should pick up here in the coming weeks as school will be starting back, and parents can travel again. Nothing on the schedule this weekend, but we do expect to be busy.

This coming weekend we are doing a volunteer garbage clean up. Saturday Aug.16 we will all meet early for breakfast and then off to pick up lazy peoples garbage. All you need is some energy, boots and some gloves. We can supply the rest. Email me if you can make it.

GP tickets are selling well. They are also available in the store, but remember to buy often as the charity is worthy. Thanks in advance for all your help with this raffle folks. Spread the word.

Special mention: today's mention is going out to Ralph and Bonnie in crappy(their description, not mine) Cleveland Ohio. Its been a while since we saw our friends, but rumor has it they will be down this way tomorrow or so, and that will make for a good time, as always.

Thats all I have. I hope you guys have a great day, and keep the emails coming. Be safe, try to be productive, and show respect when its due. --- Ben

Thursday August 7

Well, its an overcast Thursday, and all is well on the mountain. Radar shows a 50/50 day for us, but weve not seen any rain yet. The weekend looks great for riding or anything else you have planned.

Wow, I got a ton of emails from my little political statement. Honestly, some were very entertaining. Folks the point I am trying to make is simple. Safety first. That is the way things go everywhere else, so why not here. Any big production/warehouse/facility you go to, theres a banner that says think safety, or safety first, so why should this place be any different ? I did receive responses from the individuals that I was expecting though, which is good. In reference to the first question, my ISP got a threatening email from the videographer stating that this was a copyright infringement which is just rediclulous considering its on Youtube, and the final edit was done by someone else, not to mention they knew damn well who to email to, but they did not. The second question was responded to by an unnamed person stating mandate, and that if they were to actually escort a truck through and anything were to happen that the THP would then be liable. I can see that, but the driver still needs a ticket for crossing the lines, if bikers are getting that type of ticket as well. The thing that bothers me most is the lack of concern which is exhibited by the LEO's. I am now going to leave this topic be, and let all parties concerned know that I am watching and taking notes. Please play fair with everyone that crosses this mountain. This is my first and last shot at local politics.

Special mention: Todays mention goes out to George in PA. An avid reader, and one hell of a good guy, George doesnt get down here as much as he probably should... hint hint. All our love from Deals Gap George, and hopefully we will see you sooner than later.

GP ticket sales are going strong, but we still need your help. Tickets are available in the store, or online. Its a great cause so buy often,

Thats it for me. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Monday August 4

Good morning to all the loyal readers. Im sorry for my delayed posting today, but I had a bunch of things to deal with this am. Weather looks beautiful for the next few days so get out and enjoy.

The weekend was great. Many happy faces and beautiful bikes. Not much to report other than a couple of wrecks on the lake north of the Gap, and one bad wreck down by Fontana,  but otherwise the mountain was kind this weekend. There was a small inundation of LEO's on Saturday but they spent the most time on the lake dealing with speeders north of the Dragon.

Now I want to talk for a moment about local politics. I dont usually get involved in this type of crap, but it raises the hair on the back of my neck to watch stuff like this, so I feel I must say something. Anyone that knows me knows I rarely mince my words. I was forwarded a video found on youtube about 18 wheelers on the Dragon. This video is actually a compilation of audio feeds from other interviews and news reports with the video being filmed by a rider of local fame and fortune. The video is made following a Swift transport through the Dragon on a busy Saturday afternoon.  While I dont much care for the video, or the message it sends, I do feel it must be shared. Heres the link: << Link deleted at request of video's author, Tail of the Dragon. Video no longer on YouTube with note that 'video removed by user'. >>   < and before anyone asks, NO, there are no speed bumps installed on the Dragon.

I really only have 2 questions about it, and I am posting this here because I know that the people that can  answer these questions read my ramblings all the time. Q-1: If the video taping rider is concerned about safety on the Dragon, why is the rider behind the truck instead of being in front of it, leading it through so someone doesnt get hurt or worse ?? Q-2: If the State officers are here for "Safety" as filed in their grant, why is it that they are shown as not caring about the truck enough to lead it or even stop it ?? Enough said, or do I need do dig deeper. I hope that the concerned parties are big enough to get with me so they can answer these questions directly. Thats enough on local politics for me, and I am sorry if I have disappointed anyone.

GP raffle is going well. Please kick in folks... because in the end, it all goes to a good cause.

Thats it for me. Im out til Thursday. Please be safe, have fun and try to respect all those other folks. --- Ben

Sunday August 3

I cant believe it Sunday already. Yet another weekend has passed with little incident and all is well at Deals Gap. Weather looks perfect for the next few days, but dont be surprised to find an occasional thunderstorm if you are out in the afternoon.

The weekend went well. It was busy and there was a lot of bike traffic. As well, there were a couple of car clubs out so the traffic was steady. Everyone seemed to share well, and no one had anything bad to report. We did have one go off Wheelie Hell in front of the store, but that rider was very fortunate to not hit a single rock on the way down. We ended up pulling the bike up and it started right up and drove off. How lucky is that rider ???  Pretty darn lucky.

Computer update: well, Im finally going to the dark side. I have a new Mac on the desk next to the PC, and as I get more comfortable with it, I will start doing the podcasts and videos from Deals Gap, so keep it tuned here. I think this will be fun.

Brad and MG are up at Sturgis this weekend, and from the occasional check in phone calls, it sounds like all is well in Sturgis. Brad was laughing about the pickle eating contest and the fake orgasm challenge. If youve never been to Sturgis before, you really owe it to yourself to give it a go at least once. It might not be your exact cup of tea, but theres never a dull moment, and it is a part of motorcycle heritage in the US. Hope you are both having a good time guys.

Wheels through Time is closing the end of the season folks. If you havent made it over to Waynesville to see Dale and his absolutely fantastic collection of vintage motorcycles, you need to take an afternoon and see them all. We will miss this group a lot as we hear they are traveling west, but everything happens for a reason. Hope all goes well Dale !!! www.wheelsthroughtime.com

GP tickets are still available, so get them while they are hot. Top of the page for the details....

Thats it for me. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday August 2

Saturday is upon us, and the weather looks great. Todays highs should be into the 90's and nothing but sun is expected for the next few days. Make sure to have sun screen and fluids folks.

I really have nothing to talk about. Everyone seems to be getting along well, and Ive not heard of many, if any, issues. Thanks to all for making this place as good as its been for the last little while. Im not sure why, but quiet is good sometimes.

Folks, please stop sending me emails asking if the cops are bad or not. They police are not bad, and they are doing a pretty good job of taking care of the area. Whats really funny to me though, is the fact that all that ask, more than likely dont need to worry about police. More often than not,  you are a good, safe and reliable rider. Its the hooligans that never bother to ask.....

GP ticket raffle is going strong. Please pass the info along, and let as many people you can know that we have a killer set of tickets, and want to give them to someone...... all for the cost of $20. You even get to take a lap around the track with that wining ticket. They are available in the store, or online. Just follow the link above for more info.

Volunteer Deals Gap clean up is the 16th of this month. If you want to come out and help, bring a set of gloves and an empty stomach to the store for 7 am on the 16th. I will supply you with breakfast, a work  partner, a very cool orange vest, and garbage to pick up. Thanks in advance to all that come out for this, and if you can make it, please let me know ahead of time, so I can count heads and be better prepared.

Special thanks: Special thanks goes out to THP Trooper Canaster. We had a little issue up here last weekend, and unfortunately there was some miscommunication that went along with it.  Thankfully because of Canaster and I talking, we worked it out, and I dont think we will have the same problem again. Thanks for being a stand up guy, and for working with me to make it right. You sir, are a good man.

Thats all I have folks. Enjoy the day. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Friday August 1

Its Friday folks, in case you hadnt figured that out yet. I have to remember that I am not on the same schedule as you are, and I am only on my Tuesday, but all is well on the mountain and we are here looking forward to the weekend. Weather today looks good, but hot. Highs in the 90's are expected all weekend with chances of thunderstorms tomorrow.

We had some crazy weather come through on our side of the mountain last night, and let me tell you it was cool to watch. The rainfall was so heavy that I had a river coming through my front yard, and half of my driveway washed out onto the road. Thats some serious water.

Cars are here again this weekend, with a couple of smaller groups, but nothing significant on the schedule. Im not expecting a crazy weekend, but it should be pretty "business as usual" regarding traffic.

GP raffle is going well. Thanks to all that are buying tickets. I also have them for sale at the store, if you want to get them here. Buy often, because it all goes to a great cause.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Thursday July 31

Welcome to Thursday and I hope this finds you well. Weather today is 70% chance of rain, so I guess its going to rain a bit. After tonite, it looks like it will all be gone, and the weekend should be very hot with 90's expected all weekend. Sounds like a great weekend ahead.

Well, though I have been off, I was through on Tuesday on my way for some business south of us, and was fortunate to see the www.sportbikegurls.com group getting together for their first annual shot at the sign here in the parking lot. Sounded like everyone was having fun and all went well with their first Rally. Thanks for making our place your destination, and we hope you all had a good time.

Once again, I dont have anything on the list but we should see some car groups coming through. Remember to share and play safe with everyone on the Dragon.

Special mention: This one goes out to all the local riders that come out to help clean up the Dragon, that help fallen visitors, and basically are the unofficial helpers of the area. Ive heard many time of a local that helps someone out, and I personally try to get thanks to them, but I cant always do that. Thanks guys and girls. You are the reason people always come away from this area with a smile on their face saying how nice the locals are. 'Preciate ya.

Clean up is coming JT. We plan on doing a Dragon clean up on the 16th of this month. If you can make it please send me an email. I will buy you breakfast, and you can in turn, pick up garbage. You only need boots, gloves and a smile to join. I can take care of the rest. Let me know...

GP Raffle is at the top of the page. Get them while we still have them, because raffle tickets are going fast. Its only $20 a ticket and it all goes to a great cause so buy many and buy often.

Thats it for the day. Be safe have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Monday July 28

Monday is here, and its beack to the grind for many. Howdy everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. The weather for Monday islooking good, so I hope you get to enjoy it in some form or fashion. The rest of the week is kind of sketchy. Typically, with all this heat, storms will build, so dont be suprised to find afternoon thunderstorms from time to time.

Quick recap of the weekend is everyone had a good time. There were a couple of smaller wrecks with little or no injury and a couple of new skid marks in places where people should be paying more attention, but overall.... everyone did fairly well this last weekend. This weekend wasnt without LEO presence either. Being that there were as many autos in the Miata gathering at Tapoco Lodge, it was only reasonable to think that the police would be around a bit thicker than normal. Saturday peaked with about 6 in the Gap, but I still havent heard much from anyone about bad treatment or harassment. Thanks to all the TN LEO's for keeping it real.

As well, there was a NCHP motorcycle detachment here from Charlotte to assist the local HP in NC. These guys are above and beyond folks. I heard of a couple people trash talking these guys, and let me tell you something, if you ever actually get pulled over by these guys, not only will you be treated with respect, but you will more than likely come away with a smile on your face for meeting such a cool group of officers. Tickets will be given to those that deserve it, but man are they good for the rapport of the NCHP. Good job gentlemen, and we appreciate you being here for us.

You know at the end of the day, Im not sure how many of you actually read these ramblings, but I occasionally get emails saying thanks for reporting the police presence from a more reasonable position than some of the others. If you think about it, its all in the approach taken, and in my opinion if people could control themselves more and had a bit more respect for others none of this would even be a conversation. We are all accountable for our own actions folks, and if you think about it, there seems to be a need for some presence up here be it because of increased traffic flow, and the occasional stupid person. Bottom line is treat people the way you want to be treated and all should end well. - end rant.

www.sportbikegurls.com is here. Get ready for hell on wheels as the lovely ladies of motorcycling take over Fontana for one of the first ever, through the week rallies. Good thoughts on the timing, as weekdays are typically much quieter around here than weekends. The Gurls will be down at Fontana the beginning of this week, and they have vendors too, so get down there and say hello. Welcome to the area ladies.

Special mention: todays mention goes out to all the Miata owners. Thanks for making this a fun and enjoyable weekend. Super special thanks goes out to my brother from another mother Scott, and his better half Laura. Finer people I have never met, and I appreciate you both as good friends. Much love to you both.

Thats it for the day. Remember to treat people the way you want to be treated, be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Sunday July 27

Welcome to another daily in the world of enjoying motorcycles. Hello and welcome to Sunday everyone. Weather looks pretty good, so get out and do something.

Well, the Miatas are heading home and it seems all had a fantastic time here in the mountains. Something typical with larger groups are the big headed people that think they can come up here and lay it down for all to see, even the locals. The nice thing about the Miata group is that there is little of that, and we are all thankful for it. We all look forward to seeing your group back next year.

This week we are graced with the presence of the SportbikeGurls.com group from all over the place. I believe theres about 60+ and their bodyguards, so be ready to see many happy women riding some of the best twisties on the eastern seaboard. More to come on this, Im sure.

Special mention: Todays mention goes out to the oldest young man I know. Jim Troutman. Hey there Jim. Saw your purchase of the GP tickets this am. Thanks for the support, and I hope we can have a beer in Indy if you win. Our love to you and Shelia.

GP ticket raffle is going strong, so hit the link at the top of the page. Buy often, and buy many. Its going to be monumental.

Thats it for the day. Its been a great weekend with minimal issues, and we are extremely appreciative for that. Be safe, have fun, live long and prosper, and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

Saturday July 26

Hey hey everyone. Hope all is well with you and yours. I was graced with some much needed time off and I enjoyed every moment of it, though I didnt go far. Ironically, I found most of my off time was spent fishing on Chilhowee Lake which is the lake you find when you come off the north end of the Dragon. I had a great time relaxing, even after watching all that was going on up here, from my vantage point on the water, but more of that in a bit.

Weather is wet. Its supposed to be wet/dry all weekend, but I would think that the further we get from this am, the better we will all be. Dont ever let the weather stop you from getting out and enjoying the beautiful area we are so spoiled with.

Last week we had 2 diferent 18 wheelers stuck while I was off. On Tuesday, around noon, I saw the first 18 wheeler wrecker head up on to the Dragon to get the truck unstuck, but that wrecker broke a driveshaft, and they had to call another truck wrecker out to get the first one out of the way, so he could then get the big truck unstuck. Then on Thursday, there was a second 18 wheeler stuck and it needed assistance as well. In both cases, all this could have been avoided if us bikers tried to stop and tell them whats coming up. I know that its easier to think that many of these drivers have fun on the Dragon, but reality is many just dont know what they are getting into. Go look at any map and it will show a straight line, not 300+ curves. Be polite and respectful, but if you find a big truck heading towards the Dragon, get the drivers attention and see if they will stop to talk. If you can turn them around, it saves them a big ticket, and possibly keeps someone from getting hurt.... or worse.

Having said that, I want to touch on the Police Presence everyone has been emailing me about. I get all kinds of emails from all walks of life. Some are one sentence and all it says is "Are the cops bad?" and others go off on a tangent. Bottom line folks is that there are police everywhere you go, and this place isnt any better or worse. Some other Dragon related sites make it out to be real bad, but reality is that yep there are a few cops around every day on the Dragon. Theres good reason too, because it seems some just cant help but push the envelope up here, and this is not the place to show your ass. There is little room for mistakes here, and more importantly, this isnt a racetrack. Mistakes happen, but to push your luck here could have more repercussions than just a ticket. Not only do you endanger yourself, but others too, and thats not fair to anyone else. The police are here because it seems some cant keep themselves in check, and if you look like one of those people, you will more than likely get a talking to, at the very least. At the same time, they are not here to make your life terrible either. Take the time to stop and talk to them if you see the law hanging out. I think you will find they are human just like you and I, and would much rather be fighting real crime instead of hanging out here with a bunch of people having fun.

This is the big Miata weekend that typically happens once a year around and on the Dragon. MATG is a reoccurring thing with more than a few hundred Miatas overtaking the area and having a good time. These are also the same people that get together to voluntarily clean the first/last 2 miles of the Dragon a few times a year. Always a great group of people, we welcome the Miata groups from across the US. Thankfully, everyone is doing well sharing and no one seems to have gotten hurt. Their home base is Tapoco Lodge and you can always fins some of the Miatas here too, so stop by and get a gander. Theres always something to go "oooh, ahhh" at.

Special mention: Todays special mention goes out to a couple of the best employers to be found. I am speaking of Brad and Beth Talbott. I consider you both friends first, and employers second, and  I love you both very much. I dont know that I have found better people to work for in my life, and for that I thank you both. Im also thankful because I get to be part of their kids growing up, and I enjoy that very much. Both Connor and Hailey are beautiful, and Uncle Ben is very happy to be part of that.

Lastly, tickets are going quickly on the MotoGP raffle. Get your tickets while they are still available. You can get them here at the store, or online. Either way, theres a link at the top of the homepage of this site. Buy often and buy many, because its all for a good cause.

Thanks to all for the many emails I got while I was away. Keep them coming, and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion. There are some interesting topics, from all that I ahve seen so far. Thanks for all the emails.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet..... even if they dont necessarily deserve your respect. It makes you a better person. --- Ben

Tuesday July 22

  Good Morning everyone.

  I feel like the guy filling in for Paul Harvey this week as Ben is on a much needed vacation.  Yesterday's weather was great but alittle on the hot side with a wicked storm around 7 that knocked out the power for a few hours.  Looks like we have a cold front moving in that shout put us back in the mod to upper 80's by wen.  We will see our anual Miata invation this weekend but with our parking lot extention a few weeks ago we do not see a parking issue.

  Want to thank everyone for the cards, gifts and emails on the birth of our little one Hailey.  She came 3 weeks early......Beth was doing the happy dance lol.......but she was already well over 7 pounds so we had no issues. 

  At the store we want to welcome back Vance who decided to move back to East TN from upper MI....like that was a hard decision, but we are happy to see him back at the Gap.

  Special Mention:  Thanks Tina and Harold from Deals Gap, in last night power outage they came to the rescue and allowed folks from the comunity to invade their house with a generator.  This is why living in the mountains is great......Thanks again

  Well folks, hope everyone has a great week and please be safe.

 

Brad

 

Monday July 21

Monday is here and we are all still doing the Rossi dance after yesterdays GP race. Howdy folks, and welcome to the work week. Weather looks perfect, and I wish you were here.

The weekend went off without a hitch, and everyone had a great time. I was told the LEO's were on the Foothills pretty heavy over the weekend, and let me tell you, its much better to get caught speeding in the Gap instead of the Foothills. Foothills is on FEDERAL LAND, and that is nothing to mess with. Please people, slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery. If you do get pulled over, remember to be polite and respectful.

Yesterdays GP race was some of the best racing we have seen from the boys in a while, but the commentary from CBS is another story altogether though. Kevin Schwantz and Greg White take care of the conversation through the race, and thanks to Greg White, I now know what side the clutch is on, and that racers wear cowhide leather along with hard plastic attached via velcro to the knees of the suit. Actually Greg, many of the riders are wearing Kangaroo leather because its stronger and weighs less than cowhide, but what do I know. Either way, both guys were quite dry compared to the Euro commentators, and compared to the DORNA coverage it was like sitting in your grandmothers living room(Sorry Kevin) watching the price is right. Good thing the riders didnt disappoint us, because that was some good racing.

This weekend you can expect to see tons of Miata's up here. Its MOTD and they always come out in large groups for that. many great drivers too, so expect to see more Miatas than you can shake a stick at. Thanks goes out to the RAGS club for their volunteer group that come out to clean some of the road up .Good job.

Special mention: todays mention goes out to Bob at Empire GP. Bob, you are consistently one of the best painters/body work guys I have seen, and I got to see more of your work this last weekend form some guys out of Jersey. www.empiregp.com for all the info, but you wont find much better than Bob !!

Dont forget the GP raffle, that can be found at the top of the homepage. Please spread the word on this folks. Its all for a good cause and when its all said and done, someone gets tickets to the GP.

Enjoy the day. Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben

 

Sunday July 20

Sunday is here and today is the day for the USGP in Laguna Seca, Ca. Sound like I wish I was there ?? You betcha !!! Its ok though, we are going to get some bodies together up here and have a good time, so if you can make it, come up and cheer on your favorite rider.

Weather today is perfect. Nothing more to say there. Get out and do something.

Yesterday was great, with many riders cohabitating and no real issues to be found. Seems everyone was enjoying their day, and having fun. We have the Dixie Dual Sport'ers here on their twice a year journey, and what a laugh these folks are. I know I say this a lot, but another great group of people that love the area, and come back often.

It cleared out pretty good last night which gave me an hour or so to enjoy the road for myself before the daylight was gone. I had an issue with my Honda and I wonder if any of you can help, or have heard of this before. Its an 05' CBR1K, and occasionally the FI light would come on and the motor would crap out, then as fast as it came on, it would go off and the bike would return to normal. Total elapsed time would be a second or two, but nothing more. Obviously I am oigng to take it in, but if anyone knows what it might be, please let me know. Ben AT dealsgap DOT com.

As is typical with Sundays, its the exodus home for many. To all that were here all weekend, thanks for making it a great one. To the butthead that gave the big nasty burn out/drift southbound through Picnic tables... thanks for nothing. You are not helping us by pulling crap like that. To make matters worse, you started AND finished your stupidity in the wrong lane. Butthead.

Special mention: Todays people of mention are Bonnie and Ralph in Crappy Cleveland, OH. Big kisses to you both, and I hope your Sunday is uneventful. Hope to see you sooner than later.

Be safe, have fun and respect all you see and meet. --- Ben