It’s finally time! Miata’s at the Gap is nearly here. Today is my travel day. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m excited to head out. My plan was to leave at 10am. This would give me plenty of time to pack in the morning. It would also put me there right at 4pm, Check-In Time. This included a stop for lunch and gas.
Packing Up!
And my plan mostly worked. I left at 9:55 which was early. My trunk was filled to the brim with all the stuff I would need. I also had a few Miata parts to offer up for sale if anyone is interested. I wanted to pack everything in the trunk. Even before I added the extra Miata parts, I knew I would need to use the cabin too.
I was very proud of my packing overall. It was stuffed, but it was also nice and neat. As it always goes though, about 20 minutes down the road I realized I forgot something. Ok, some things. I left my two-way radio, my rain jacket and my copy of Keith Tanner’s new Miata book that I wanted him to sign.
Now I could have turned around, reader. However, I was already 20 minutes down the road. Going back would be at least an extra 40 minutes added to the trip. What did I do? I did what any red-blooded American would do. I went to Walmart.
That added extra time but I was able to retrieve at least two of my three forgotten items. While I was stopped at Walmart, I also took the time to grab lunch at Rush’s. It’s my favorite Columbia, SC only fast food chain. It is also one of my favorite fast food places in general. Items acquired, food eaten, it was time to get back on the road.
Next Stop…gas?
Back on the road I was ready to drive straight through to Fontana. I could have easily made it on the one tank of gas. I decided to fill up anyway. Fontana does have a gas station. However, I didn’t want to be fighting against 1500 other Miatas also trying to get gas. I filled up about 60 miles out. This should give me plenty of gas for the weekend. I say this confidently, having never attended this event before. We shall see.
Those are just some shots of I-26, I-40 and 74. Exciting huh? Not really. But when I finally got off the interstate and onto the local roads things suddenly got a lot more fun. I’ll have video of that in the coming days assuming my plan comes together.
But after about 5 and a half hours of driving I finally arrived. It’s Wednesday and the event technically starts Friday, though there are some planned events for tomorrow. That said, Fontana is pretty much empty. The cars that are here are mostly Miatas though which is awesome. Everyone is friendly so far and I’ve had a lot of waves from other drivers.
Also, as this was my first time here, I had no idea where to check-in. I followed the signs, but then they just stopped. So I ended up driving the loop around the resort twice. I finally just stopped and walked into the general store to ask, and that turned out to be where you check in. So. Result!
So what are the roads like?
The roads around Fontana are fantastic. I have not driven the Dragon yet, that’s for later. But the roads I have driven have been great fun. Unfortunately my car was weighed down with stuff for most of the drive so it felt…what’s the opposite of sure-footed? That’s how it felt. It wasn’t hard to drive at all while weighed down, but you could feel the weight.
I unpacked my things. Then I immediately went back out to a scenic overlook turn-off spot that I saw on the way in. Unloaded, this car is amazing. Now look, this is a Miata. Curvy roads are kind of it’s thing. It was made for this. But this was the first time I’ve ever driven this car on roads like this. There wasn’t a single stretch of road longer than 20 yards that was straight. It was all curves, some banked and lots of elevation changes.
The car from factory was designed to be fun on roads like this and handle predictably. My car was sporting a brand new suspension and alignment that turned it into a car that just eats corners. I am not a professional driver so I can’t explain on a technical level what I was feeling. But I never felt like I was in over my head or that I couldn’t handle what was up ahead. That kind of confidence can get you in trouble. I’m making sure I dial my confidence back. However, this car is really set-up perfectly to offer me the type of driving experience that I want. This is kind of tooting my own horn since I chose the parts and I installed everything but I really am very proud of how the car felt when pushing it.
The alignment is also spot on. The technician set up the car according to my weight. So when I’m in the driver seat the alignment is bang on Flyin’ Miata’s specs. That is kind of cool and something I never considered.
Here are a few shots of my car out and about.
And a few shots of Fontana before it gets crazy…
And because I’m an adult, I ate chicken tenders.
I’ll see you tomorrow. 🙂
Supergoat Garage 