Mustangs Outrun Hurricane Dorian and Head to the Mountains

With Hurricane Dorian forcing the early cancellation of Mustang Week 2019, hundreds of vacationing Mustang enthusiasts scrambled for higher ground. About 500 or so of those Mustangs found their way to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. With the area already being known for its car events and epic driving roads, it was a natural place for the Ponies to stretch their legs. As the Mustangs rolled into town, it did not take long for impromptu events to be set up all around the area, creating quite the unofficial event in the Tennessee Mountains!

The Tail Of The Dragon

Any red-blooded car enthusiast can’t take a trip into the mountains of Tennessee without a trip down the legendary Tail of the Dragon. With 318 curves in 11 miles, US Highway 129 provides a thrill ride for cars and motorcycles alike. The road is no walk in the park though, and the legendary “Dragon” claims several lives on average each year, making it one of the most dangerous roads in America. There is even a “Tree of Shame” located at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort at the beginning of the “Dragon”, full of motorcycle and car parts from various crashes and mistakes made on the road. As the Mustangs headed into the infamous curves, the guys from Mustang Lifestyle were there to capture it all for their YouTube channel. Check out all 318 curves and more below!

English Mountain Dragway

The gang at English Mountain Dragway opened their doors to those fleeing the hurricane on Wednesday. English Mountain Dragway is an eighth-mile track located just up Interstate 40 in Newport, Tennessee. Nestled in the Tennessee hillside, English Mountain is the perfect spot to have some low-key racing fun. The track has an amazing old school feel to it, and the crew there make even the most novice racer feel right at home. Plus, the track surface was prepped well enough to handle all the Ford horsepower the Mustangs could throw at it. Check out all the dragstrip shenanigans!

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Down Under At Quaker Steak & Lube

Maybe one of the most iconic stops for Mustang fans in Pigeon Forge and Sevier County is the #PITS Wall. Located in the parking lot “down under” behind Quaker Steak and Lube, the wall features unique graffiti and the logo from PITS (Ponies in the Smokies). People from around the country have taken to social media posting their Mustangs (and even family haulers) while on vacation in the mountains. The parking lot itself makes for an awesome cruise-in location with its “underground” feel, thanks to the shade of the bridge that runs overhead. The environment made the perfect scene for Long Tube Headers to host their Friday night get together in Tennessee.

It did not take long for the parking lot to be at full capacity with over 300 Mustangs in attendance, and seemingly that many more cruising around looking for at least half of a parking spot to stop in. With adult beverages for sale thanks to Quaker Steak and Lube, and several vendors on-hand talking to participants and showing off their products, the party lasted well into the night. But don’t take our word for it, check out the video action below!

Other Nightlife

With Dave and Busters on Wednesday and Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday, the action was literally nonstop from the moment the first Mustang rolled into town early in the week until the weekend was over! On top of all the Mustang events, there was also another huge local show in town – The Shades of the Past Hot Rod Roundup. The event filled strip with stunning hot-rods 1972 and older, and gave the Mustang owners a taste of Rod Run life in Pigeon Forge, and plenty of cool cars to check out. The strip provided an appetizer of the Sevier County/Pigeon Forge car scene to all the Mustang owners displaced by Hurricane Dorian.

Check out our gallery below for all the photos we captured in Tennessee!