gbelnap78

This was a write-up of the event by an attendee. I do not think it could have been said any better than this. Pictures will be available later this week at killboy.com and zdayzevents.com.

Regards,

Glen
78 280Z
94 300ZX 2+2



ZDayz Summary

Anyone who couldn't go missed an awesome event!!



There were close to 200 cars that represented a spectacular display of every generation Z car. Some participants traveled over 1000 miles to be a part of this event.



This weekend was so much fun, I don't even know where to start...so I'll just go chronologically.



Friday: My wife and I had a nice leisurely drive up late Friday. Stopped in Bryson City for dinner and checked out The Great Smokey Mountains Railroad. The drive on route 74 was wide open with very little traffic and then the last leg on route 28 was just a tease for things to come. Check in at Fontana Village was a breeze, however, the couple in front of us was complaining about their room...no sheets, no pillows, etc...turns out the husband reserved a "camping cabin" and the wife wanted "The Ritz". Found our cottage on the first try...dumb luck. The resort is a lot like the summer camps our parents would sent us to for two weeks every year. Lots of things to do and we could walk to almost everything. Calling Fontana a "Resort" is really for the imaginative people, it's really a camp in a very remote and beautiful location. The first thing you notice is how quite and peaceful it is. Lots of frogs, crickets, birds and the sweet sound of a Z exhaust every now and then... We walked around a little and then hit the sack in anticipation of the day to come.



Saturday: Woke up much later than normal (slept great), went to another CZC member's cabin for a cup of coffee at 8:00...finding his cabin was more like a road rally. The "resort map" (a real oxymoron), was more of a rough trail map and not even close to scale. We eventually all found our way around. As for this cabin, we all wanted to move in with him it was in new condition and very roomy....



All the club members and I all headed to the General Store for breakfast...cookies and soda..... We all tended to meet at the General Store, probably cause it was hardly ever open and the parking lot was always empty. As we hung out at the store, other CZC members started showing up and we were all getting the itch to "run the Dragon" but knew we didn't really have the time with the show beginning at noon. So one of the members said follow me and we all took of down route 28. I think we only exceeded the speed limit once, primarily because once we broke it, we never went back below the speed limit until ending at Deals Gap and the beginning of the Dragon. Just kidding, we had to stop once because one member blew one of his intercooler hoses off. I'm sure it was a bad clamp and not the jillion pounds of boost we were all running... We all hung out on the hairpin turn watching the cars and bike scream by as we worked on his car.



We all than calmly raced back to the village and began the car wash routine. It was something to watch 200 cars trying to use one hose...it actually went quit smoothly... Of course, I went to the gas station where the sign said "car wash" and figured I'd avoid the rush. Went in to pay and the guy laughed and pointed to the hose...



The car show started promptly at noon and it was packed. Great Zs everywhere you looked!! The ZDayz staff worked their butts off ALL DAY and I'm sure missed most of the fun. THANK YOU TO ANDY...what a great event. The registration group spent the entire afternoon handing all the registrations and logistics. Their typing must be over 70 words per minute after all the practice Saturday...THANKS GUYS!!!



So many people, so many cars, so many give always, so much fun... Took so long and had to postpone the trophy presentation until dinner... Actually, it took 3 hours for the guys to count all the votes. The BBQ dinner was an event in itself...lots of good conversation with fellow Z enthusiasts from all over. Met lots of people, Bob Bell publisher of Sport Z Magazine, a factory Nissan executive, several people from Z1, lots of the car owners...could have talked Zs all night.



Award highlights (I'm not sure I have these exactly correct):



Mike Jr. wins 3rd generation Modified - Best in Class

Mike Sr. takes Best Dressed Engine



Mike Jr gives is dad some grief because his trophy is bigger than dads.....



Then....10 minutes later, Mike Sr. wins Best in Show!!!



CONGRATULATIONS!!



After the awards and trophies we had cake...not just an ordinary cake, it was a 4 foot Z decorated to look like the tail of the dragon. Covered with Z cars racing up the Dragon..I particularly like the cop car in the ditch...



Most of us called it a night but the poker game went well into the evening.



Sunday: Met at the General Store at 8:00AM. Not that we were anxious to run the Dragon but a few guys never shut their cars off while we gathered... We all took off down rout 28 to Deals Gap...wolfed down a sausage egg and biscuit, a few people gassed up, talked with a few other Z guys and bikers and then got "the report"....NO COPS out yet today...so we take off with Ron driving Dave's 300ZX and Dave operating the video...they set the pace, so you know it was fun...



WORDS CAN NOT DESCRIBE THE NEXT 15 MINUTES!!!



No one in front of us the entire way. Tight left and right turns, hairpins, decreasing radius, smooth S turns and the surface conditions were perfect and dry. The road surface was smooth and well marked with double yellow in the middle, with a white line on the right edge. The single and double black strips leading to the woods usually meant slow down. I'm not sure it would be possible to have more fun in your Z car than running the Dragon.. We got to the other end way too soon...pulled off by the bridge and shot the breeze with the group and other Z enthusiasts that pulled in. Had never seen my car "launch" from a dead stop and asked if someone wanted to launch it up the ¼ mile straight section we were hanging out at...Yup, Ron volunteered for the job...just didn't here what the "job" was...took the keys an blew out of the lot across the bridge. Not a sound of him for 5 minutes and then he comes screaming across the bridge...I heard the shift into 4th gear and if he shifted at the redline I told him to shift at it's probably best I don't say how fast he was going. He went up to the turnaround and then came blasting back past us and over the bridge again and out of sight, then screaming over the bridge and past us AGAIN...Thanks to one of the members for throwing the "black flag" to him on his way back for his 5th pass...he never did get the drag race launch in... O well, I guess there will be another day... At least he left me enough gas to get back on...



We ran the Dragon again going back and we were all grinning from ear to ear...



You have not lived until you "Run the Dragon". Anyone who has not been able to make the ZdayZ event really needs to find a way to make it happen next year.



It was great to see everyone from CZC!! What a great weekend...



Randy