mitch236

get a cheap truck and trailer. You will be better off. When I began, I tracked my 996TT. On turn 10 at Sebring, one of the vario-cam actuators cracked (although this was diagnosed many weeks later) and the car wouldn't go above 3000 rpm. Now I had the choice of limping home not knowing what damage I might be doing, or call in a flat bed for the 130 mile tow home with me in the passenger seat. Neither choice was very good. Now I tow. I can drive home in comfort.

The other consideration for you (because I understand your spousal predicament) is to get an enclosed trailer. If you ever have an off with damage and your wife sees the car, it could be the end for you. At least in an enclosed trailer, she won't see it and you can say the car needs some more mods!

sjanes

Younger maybe, but better is debatable. But since I'm coming from Ottawa, I don't have to deal with the Montreal traffic. I take the twisty Quebec secondary roads (not the smoothest, but OK) to Tremblant. Targa top off, the sound of straight cut gears filling the cabin, it's a good way to start a track weekend.

Although, the times that I get caught in rain storms in May (in Canada, brrr) with no heat and defrost that only blows more moisture on the windshield, I start thinking of the kind of truck and trailer I'm going to buy when I get home

JackOlsen

A dedicated track car is a great thing, don't get me wrong. If I had the money and the space, I'd probably have the full set-up. But given my limitations, I try to maximize the run-whatcha-brung approach.

1) It's probably 15-25 minutes to get the wheels and rack off the roof, and then unmount the old wheels and re-mount the good ones. It's five minutes to get the wheels and rack off of the car. I use three straps to hold the wheels together, in addition to a wooden dowel rod through the centers, strapped down on each side and in the middle with a rubber tie-down. The center dowel rod is also used to thread the three straps through the centers of the wheels.

2) I'm (slightly) exceeding the rated capacity of the Thule rack. But I honestly don't see anything to worry about. The rack is a pretty simple structure. The connection between the wheels and the rack is probably a more-likely failure point.

3) Yes I have. But again, I have the old style drip rail, which the rack is clamping over. If I took more care in attaching it, I could avoid any gouges -- but the car gets a lot of damage from track use anyway. Touch-up paint and taking pictures from 20 feet away solves those problems.

4) No. My bigger concern is wind resistance from running the wheels upright. My next project with the rack will be to construct a diamond-shaped structure do sit on top of the crossmembers that will allow me to set the wheels on their sides, with four center uprights to hold them in place. This will significantly decrease my frontal area, and also lower my center of gravity.

ColorChange

Thanks guys, I'm going for the P roof transport system and I will see if I can add a deck to lay the tires down as Jack suggests. I just want to be sure there isn't an angle such that it creates lift.

DrJupeman

Unfortunately, depending on the damage, the wrecker crew likely won't be able to get your car into your enclosed trailer. Often they have to drop the car onto the trailer.

It was our 914 that pushed us to towing. We happily journeyed to/from the track in our 951 but once we "upgraded" to the 914 we quickly realized a tow vehicle and trailer were "required". We have since upgraded to an enclosed trailer so that the kids have a refuge and playroom at the track.

Mike in Chi

I'm an enclosed trailer guy, it also functions as a rolling garage for the race car. I learned the value of a trailer after seeing some die hard run-what-ya-brung guys whimper and beg a ride home for their broken cars.

But I got a question for the roof rack guys. The racks are rated for a certain pound load. If you are loading a high frontal surface item on there like tires, how do you figure the wind resistence loads that it places on the rack and roof?

CC You can run the numbers or Data on this, maybe there is even a G sum in there someplace.

ColorChange

Mike:

That's why I prefer to lay them down. The rack is rated for 165 lbs. When I see it, I will be able to assess how conservative the rating is, or if I need to do some engineering.

Mike in Chi

The other great thing about an enclosed is you don't have to load it before you leave for the track, or unload it when you get home.

Plus, you're the most popular person in the paddock when a storm comes up.

But tow vehicle mileage absolutely sucks.

JackOlsen

I don't know math, but you can definitely feel it.

I suspect the load ratings are conservative for that very reason. Somebody mounts a grandfather clock vertically with some elastic tethers, and the load has a lot of leverage on the rack and roof.

RJay

Not to dissuade you from joining the Porsche Support Vehicle crowd, but I do have the defroster thing nailed...well gaffer taped. My front oil cooler vents into an aluminum box we fabbed into front of the trunk. It's got a little flap on it which normally vents up through some holes we cut in the nose. If its cold, pull the flap down and the heat off the oil cooler winds up coming through the vents under the windshield (and every other hole in the dash as well). Not toasty, but it does make the 40 degree bearable once the engine's warmed up. Don't have a photo of the box handy, but heres one of the holes in the nose.

Eric in Chicago

Tim, why not call Midwest Eurosport. They transport, mount and dismount your R's and put your streets back on for around 100.00 per event. I think they will even store them for you between events. I did that a couple of times before the invention of MPSC back in the DE days.

Mike in Chi

Eric

As to you location as stated under your avatar -- you expect me to peacefully co-exist while enduring inflammatory statements like that?

Eric in Chicago

My dear friend, a picture is worth a 1000 words!! Co-exist, yes. Peacfully? not likely.
Scrut: Why does the in car video show you bumping in to the red S2 over and over again?
Mike: I was just trying to improve Eric's lap times
Scrut: ???
Mike: You know, bump draft

Mike in Chi

Hmmm good idea.

Maybe I'll paint my nose red so that your paint scuffs don't show...

Greg Fishman

Mike,
Wasn't this as you were lapping Eric.

Eric,
That is a good idea and surely worth the $100.