Never Stop Driving #114: The Tail of the Dragon Never Gets Old

Last week, I had an unplanned reunion at Tail of the Dragon, the Tennessee road famous for its scenic curviness—there are some 300 bends along an 11-mile stretch through the wilderness that divides the Great Smoky Mountains from the Cherokee National Forest. A destination road for anyone who loves driving, the Dragon is cherished by locals who often call it “Deals Gap.” The road is officially known as Route 129.  

I first visited back in 1990 and, naturally, have returned dozens of times. During one stopover in 2014, I learned about an underground competition to drive the Dragon the fastest. I’d long heard rumors that a good finish time was about ten minutes to cover a nine-mile stretch from the Calderwood Lake lookout to the North Carolina border. Nine miles in 10 minutes is about 54 mph, which seemed impossibly fast for those tight turns. Ten minutes, I assumed, must have been just another BS rumor.  

But during that trip a decade ago, some locals told me that 10 minutes was legit. They also spun tales about a mysterious driver who’d show up at night, set a faster time than anyone, and then disappear. The idea of this unnamed driver immediately captivated me, and I knew I had to find a way to tell one of the most compelling car stories I’d ever heard. I became obsessed with tracking down this mystery man. After dozens of calls, I made contact—through an intermediary—with him, and he agreed to let me follow him on the Dragon to see if I could keep up. I arrived in Tennessee in June 2014 with the fastest horse I could find, a Ferrari 458 Speciale.

The driver didn’t want his name revealed, so when I wrote the article for Road & Track, I called him Mr. Davis. He was not only a very capable driver but also a teacher who’d informally show others how to properly control both cars and motorcycles on twisty Appalachian routes. During my time in Tennessee in 2014, I got to know a small group of hyperenthusiastic car folks who were lucky enough to live near some of the world’s best roads. While I haven’t spoken to Mr. Davis since then, I’m in regular contact with others and find my way back there every so often, like I did last week.  

After finishing dinner at the remote Tapoco Lodge, we had to take the Dragon to get back to our hotel. I drove cautiously because it was incredibly dark and even the high beams of my 2017 Corvette did little to illuminate the curves. We pulled onto the Calderwood Lake overlook at around 9:30 p.m., joining a pair of motorcyclists. Their bikes were sportbikes, essentially racing machines for the street, and the riders were dressed in one-piece protective leather suits. They were not there to cruise. Of course, I was going to talk to this pair and when I did, imagine my surprise when one of them turned out to be the one and only Mr. Davis. 

Yup, he’s still at it. Mr. Davis recently retired so he has more time for driving and mentoring. The other rider, much younger, was a protegé who addressed Mr. Davis as “Jedi,” which is the honorific title regularly used. I loved that. There’s a code among the locals, an informal set of rules to avoid accidents that attract more patrols. They run at night and stay in their lanes, for example, and they respect their elders. For all the details, listen to this week’s Never Stop Driving podcast on Apple and Spotify. Please share and rate the podcast—I’d love to reach more folks.

That fun unplanned meetup capped an intense week of gathering material for upcoming issues of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. If you’d like the magazine and support all the free media we produce, please join the club via this link.  

There was also plenty of terrific news and stories this week from Hagerty and the rest of the car world. Here are some highlights: 

• Rare cars stored in old grocery store stun the Barn Find Hunter. 

• Long live the Mustang: Sales are up 54%. 

• The hyper Corvette, which Hagerty contributor Don Sherman predicted four years ago, was spotted testing on the Nurburgring.  

• Speaking of Corvettes, our data suggests C7 values remain strong. 

• Four things silently killing your classic car. 

• This week on Hagerty Auctions, some lucky bidders bought a Honda CT70, a Bullitt Mustang, and a Datsun 510. Go shopping and have fun.  

• Top Gear host and automotive journalist Chris Harris revealed to Joe Rogan what it was like to replace Jeremy Clarkson and the accident that ended the show.  

Tonight, and tomorrow, it’s Radwood in Motown! I’ll be at the car show in front of Ford’s fabulously restored Michigan Central Station Friday night, so come say hi if you’re there. I hope to see you.  

Thanks for reading! 

Larry 

P.S.: Your feedback and comments are welcome.   

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