Drug Delivery

I'm going to VIR in June and am wondering if I should drive my car there or trailer it. It's about 9 hours, one way, and while I'm not concerned about getting there, I am concerned about getting home. You never know what might happen. I figure I could put some brand new tires on just before going so I would have plenty of tread.

Any thoughts/advice? I don't own a trailer so that's a problem.

John Shiels

It is nice not to worry about getting home. I went to VIR twice and it is great. Unfortunately my luck there wasn't. First time torque tube next time transmission. 13+ hr. each way. Not fun at all. I was trailering at the time thank God!

CJR2

I assume your tracking the car so if you have access to one it gives you peace of mind. An electric winch is going on mine this spring just in case.

I went to Mid Ohio last year, drove my truck and my wife drove the Z the 175 mile drive(one way). Not to be negative but a friend of mine that trailered his Locust 7 drove it off track, severly bending the frame and after he changed his pants he loaded her up, trailered her back home to Lexington, KY.

A young man with his dad put their new Z06 into a tire wall and had to have a tow truck take him home. Not easy when your 9 hours away.

Good luck and have fun

Snidley

I have access to a trailer, so I trailer it to the track that is only 1.5 hours away. Just never know when something will break, and I can't get enought tools and tires in the back of the Vette.

JDIllon

If you can borrow a trailer, do it. Nothing worse that being 9 hours from home and no transportation. Like Snidley I trailer to all track events. And being 9 hours away, it isnt like you just catch a ride and come back the next day and get the car. Just my .02 JD See you at VIR in July.

C5 XTC

I agree with JD. I only live 2 hours from VIR but plan to trailer my car. With an extra (backup) set of wheels, tools and gear, a trailer is essential. I bought a trailer toward the end of last season and plan to trailer to all events.....close or far away. Gives you piece of mind that you can make it home if something untoward occurs.
The extra tires I carry are my street tires but they are along in the event i blow a tire.....where do you find our size tires in Danville on short notice?
Trailer it.
C5 XTC

c4cruiser

Getting a trailer is one thing, but also having access to a suitable towing vehicle is another. You could rent a truck and trailer at the local U-Haul as long as the car will fit with no problems.

The 9 hour drive to and from the track is not the problem; the real problem is breaking something at the track with no easy way to get the car home. Mechanical breakdowns could be handled at an area auto repair shop or dealer, but crunching the car to where it's not driveable is something else.

In most cases, you can do years worth of track days and HPDE events and never have a problem. But it only takes one time when something burps and you are stranded hours away from home......

I had owned my pickup for a number of years and I finally decided that having a trailer might be a good idea. I have an 18' open trailer that cost me $2400 brand new and now I can take tools, extra tires, and such with me. I can also prep the car a day or two before an event and just load the car up and leave.

lbarnard

Trust me trailer when you can. Gives you options to bring extra parts and tires; if the car has a failure you're not going to have a lot of options to get it home.

John Shiels

I borrowed a trailer when I was waiting for mine to be built. First time I used my trailer the engine blew up

Drug Delivery

I have an F150 so I got that covered. I'd rather buy a trailer than rent, but renting will get me by for a while.

I like the rollback trailers but I can't seem to find anyone in Ohio selling these.

jaybar

Or, just for insurance you could drive your vette and have someone drive your tow vehicle (which could also carry your track tires etc). If you damage the vette rent a u-haul trailer and tow it home. I would line up the trailer ahead of time.
Best thing is to buy a trailer. I have a box which is a PITA getting in and out of in the FRC. I borrowed a flatbed for my last track event. It had a solid floor. I would prefer a trailer with an open bottom, because it will be lighter and can serve as a lift for making repairs and adjustments at the track.

2000BSME

I have never once been to an event other than autox without trailering. To much can happen.

I'll tell you what did happen though... Once my friend (who never trailers his car, but always drives it) broke the hell out of his car and I had to tow him home while he drove my car back home on my racing slicks.

I keep telling him to get his **** together, because that would've been seriously uncool had we both needed trailering.

GettReal

Are all of you using open or enclosed trailers. I know there are a bunch of threads on trailers.. .maybe I should go read them all. Im thinking about this same question. (in case stuff breaks)

0corvette pilot

I was dead in the water in October with my 240z (with borrowed trailer) and then in my C6 in November (without borrowed trailer) both 3 hours from home. Now my friend who lent me his trailer the first time (he is a show car guy) and rescued me the second, insists that I use their trailer every time I go. Still looking for a deal on an enclosed one so I can use it as a garage for my 240z that I never drive anymore. It was supposed to be the track car, but the C6 is way more fun!!!!

c4cruiser

I'm using an 18' open trailer to haul my 87. Open trailer cost much less and you can use a 1/2 ton pickup to haul the car and trailer. My 87 and trailer weighs about 5400 lbs and that is well within the towing weight of my 99 Silverado Z71 with 4.10 gears.

An enclosed trailer gives you security and it's great for storing the car or anything else when not in use. But they cost a bunch more, and you really need a 3/4 ton pickup with a good=sized motor like a Chevy 6 liter gas motor or diesel power. A good enclosed trailer will be at least 24' long which allows for cabinets and storage (yes,you will need that )

With an enclsoed trailer, you may have issues getting out of the car (think NASCAR style entrance and exit) Open trailers can have removeable left-side fenders that will allow you to open the car dooor to get out. Some trailers (like mine) that have fenders low enough to allow the car door to open without removing a fender.

Then you need a place to park a trailer when it's not in use.

DALE C

Give me a call I have a friend that is thinking about selling his rollback trailer. He lives about 10 minutes away from you, there is also a local trailer dealer that sells corvette freindly open trailers at a very reasonable price.

Poppy's Vette

I have to admit I see many more vettes (and other cars) drive in to open track events than those that are trailered but I can't see doing that unless there is no other way. I would hate worrying about what if's. Also, I would hate putting all the gear in the car for the drive and forget an extra set of track wheels/tires! And no way I'm driving 3 hours (my closest track) on R-compound tires!

My vote is to rent or borrow a trailer. You will be very glad you did.

woohoo, load her up and let's go racing!

95jersey

Man, I have been towed by AAA twice over 100 miles. I can't IMAGINE how much it would cost you if you did break down to get a tow. You would have to leave the car with a local unkown dealer who may or may not fix the car based on what you did with it. TOO risky to chance. I love my local dealer and will not have anyone else do warranty work.

You can rent a U-Haul trailer very cheaply if you have your own tow vehicle (something like $24.95 a day). It's renting a tow vehcile where the money is involved. If you are not planning on towing often, just rent the trailer this time.

I also beleive that the miles I save on the vette will pay for the trailer down the road. So, when you drive 9 hours each way, do a couple hundred track miles and 9 hours back, you have some serious miles on your car. If you trailer, you only have the track miles. When it comes time for resell, you can cut your mileage down significantly. I bought my used trailer for $1900 and figure with mileage I save, it will pay for itself when I sell my car and I can use it for the next car.

wurk_truk

I couldn't find a roll back in Ohio either.

So, tonight, I just purchased an 18ft featherlite. Adding a spare tire and winch.

GOOD TO GO!

I'm going to Track Attack next month. First time EVER on a track.

My luck......... It's worth the money to me to NOT worry about getting three states away to home, you know?

Heck, we can haul scissors lifts and such with it. haha!