chrisp

Do you know what his actual MPG was there and back (not inc the racing of course). Just curious how well it did compared to a SUV with Aluminum trailer that can get 14mpg.

Fast82930

Great story!

This is just one reason these 944 Spec / Cup / IT cars are great racers. You can carry everything needed for a race weekend in the car, including a set of wheels. But be careful, the slope is slippery...

At the beginning of this season we had three new 944 Cup racers out of Seattle. First race in Portland - two driven while one relaxed in the trailer. Second race in Portland - #2 has a new tow vehicle (bling) and matching black trailer (BadaBling). After our July 4th Portland race, #3 picked up a new tow vehicle and trailer.

The trailer decision seems to have everything to do with your ability to park it at home or your willingness to pay storage fees. And, trailers take your mind off the trip home in a very big way.

Lyall
82 930, 2500lbs 430hp, Black
85.5 944 Cup / ITS / PCA4 racer, Black
87 Carrera, stock, GP White
00 Audi S4 - 340hp, Imola Yellow
03 Boxster S, GP White
http://northwest.44cup.com/

M758

Nobody ever said Norm was not crazy. It takes a special breed to pull that off.

M758

He said he got 19 mpg on the way up there. The route is nearly all 2 lane roads with 2 or 3 6000+ft mountain passes to get there. He said was dissapointed in the mileage, but going 90 mph may have been a factor.

Oh well his goal was to get there fast and get back fast. He achived that.


BTW... I had more issues on the tow up. Blow out in one of my trailer tires at about 1/2 way. Good spare, but I noticed the other tire on that same side was cracking and probably ready to fail too. So I kept going and finally found a place to get 2 new trailer tires.

amaist

Why would you be screwed? Are you racing in Tanzania?
They have these things called tow trucks in America. If **** happens you are out the cost of towing back home. Which if you call a few places you can negotiate something not overly ruinous. Much cheaper than owning a towing vehicle+trailer.

I tow to events but that is because I find it more convenient, not because of some fear of getting stranded.

aeshultz

Chris, et al;
Yes, $hit does happen when you do this, and yes, the flatbed drivers love you for it - it's happened to me once. And I don't drive long distances, al la Norm.
My mileage is something like 24 mpg to and from, 9-12 mpg on the track (I don't tow a tire trailer). And yes, Andrei, onei flatbed every so often, although not cheap, is still less than a dedicated truck and trailer. Not that I wouldn't use one, or won't add one in the future, but for now - hey- you do what you gots ta do!

993inNC

If the hassle, aggravation and cost of trying find a tow company willing to tow 500 miles is something you're willing to go through, then more power to ya. I'd be more than pissed if I was at a track without my trailer and something happened, the last thing I'd want to do, is go frantically searching for help. I already have a truck, so for $4500 I have a 20 foot enclosed trailer that I tow with, I grease the bearings, keep the tires checked and bring a mounted spare as well as a spare tire unmounted. If something happens to my car (god forbid!) I simply load it in the trailer and go home (like when I was at Daytona last year and last session of the day lost a CV joint), simply had a few helping hands push me in the trailer and dealt with the problem on my lift when I got home. Otherwise who knows what it may have run me to deal with it........$4500 well spent dollars if you ask me. Spread that out over years of DE fun and its probably a few dollars a trip to have it. Wouldn't have it any other way................but thats me, and like I said, to each their own.

Oh and as a side note, I don't know where you track in good 'ol Canada, but here in the south, you couldn't be to much farther away from civilization at some tracks, certainly not places where you get your P-car fixed!

kc996

Great post! I love it when people say you shouldn't or can't do things and give you all sorts of reasons that you can't or shouldn't but then you do it and do it better!
K

dmoffitt

More power to him, but on the flip side the tow home from Calabogie when my engine went "boom" for no reason would have cost 1/5 as much as my trailer did

kurt M

Good stuff thanks for sharing.

Having a trailer is far more than just tires and bearing grease for many people. It is paying for storage, getting it before,loading it up, unloading it when you get back and taking it back after each event. Some are lucky and can keep theirs in the back yard or on the street many are not.

The other thing is that friends abound in this sport. You are trying your gritted teeth best to beat a guy on the track and then having a beer with him that evening laughing at the days events. I have seen long time on track rivals share parts to get the other guy back on track. Mechanicals on or off track, we don't leave our dead behind.

I bet over the long term one flat bed ride a year is far less than owning storing and upkeep on a trailer.

dmoffitt

Kurt, everything you said is right (both re: cost and camaraderie). I have other factors - storage of the car for example (city apartment) where having the enclosed trailer practically pays for itself - then, for me, there was the cost of rebuilding shocks more often from potholes etc, part of why I took the car off the street in the first place (that and imo a caged car is a no-no w/o a helmet nevermind legality).

Still - I don't doubt people would go out of their way to help a down car if I didn't have the trailer- ironicly, before my Z decided it didn't need an engine, I'd offered the driver of the M3 in my avatar to tow his vehicle all the way back to Boston (7+ hours out of my way - he declined and made it home fine on his failing clutch) and that he could drive my Z (with his plate, not entirely legal depending on your state) - so I know how that side of the coin looks

To me, its piece of mind (and knowing I have all the "crap" that I need, I can barely fit two tires in my car much less 4 wheels/tires, air tank, brake spares, fluids, tools, jack / jackstands, food/water, grill - do I NEED all of that at the track? Nah - except if everyone left their toolboxes at home for space considerations we'd all be SOL

nhamden

I just saw this post this morning after being told about it. First I am flattered by the nice comments from my fellow racers, there is no better feeling including winning than to read nice things from your friends who are also great drivers that makes this the fun hobby what it is.

All I can say about transportation to race weekends is no differant than transportation to work everyday, it all boils down to the money, my daily driver to work would be a helicopter and my ride to the races would be a lear jet with my crew delivering my race car. However, until that day I have a budget and to be really honest with you, after driving my 911SC to PCA DE's and races from 1993 to 2005 I really got a kick out of it, from the thumbs up from other cars to being pulled over a few times with no tickets because the cops liked what they were seeing. In 2005, I sold the 911 and bought this 944 spec car with no head lights, signal lights, wipers etc... so I had to buy a suburban to tow with, suddenly, I went from going a 100 mph getting 20mpg to going 50mph and getting 10 mpg. Miller was the first race far from home that I attended with the new gas prices and it was going to be a deal breaker for me if I had to take the Suburban, so I hooked up some lights, put a ball on the back bumper and I was back in the saddle again and loved it. I did look into a rental truck from Salt Lake to Phoenix in the case of a break and the cost was $511 one way, generally a tow dolly is a $100 or so, fortunatley that wasn't needed, it did come close when a NASCAR looking thing with 450hp needed to dive bomb me in a 100mph sweeper and hit my rear quarter, that can be seen in the photo. Repairing that damage will cost more than the entire weekend, FRUSTRATING!! 450hp vs 130hp why wait to a short straight to pass when you can crash at the apex and get all of that TV coverage? Oh, I forgot there were no cameras! Darn!

In all the 1000's of miles and probably more than 200 race and DE weekends, I have been fortunate to have made it home everytime!!! I drove my street car to Willow Springs, CA to instruct one time and my timing belt broke as I was taking the exit to the motel were we were staying and coasted into the parking lot after a 500 mile drive, talk about lucky! Andy Schermly a good friend who tows his 914/6 which is street legal, towed my car to the shop in Phoenix and I drove his 914/6 to Sedona, that is what really makes this sport so fun is the people that cover your back and are always there when you need them on or off the track.

This is getting long but I did enjoy reading were lots of you guys drive to the tracks, the longest trip I have seen is when another good friend, Bruce Barth who drove his 993 twin turbo from Arizona to The Glenn for the PCA 50th anniversary race and he finished 3rd in GT1 in the enduro and his car weighed 3000 pounds with A/C AM/FM/CD, cruise control etc...really nice car!

Cheers,

Norman (the nutty guy)

dmoffitt

Welcome to the insanity that is Rennilst - reading your post makes me glad to hear there are still plenty of us doing it on a budget!!

gottagofast13

Having a 24' enclosed trailer stocked with tools, spares, tent, etc packed is really nice, but it would certainly be appealing to do less packing and go the "drive it to the track" route.

20mpg instead of 8 (in the 2500 Yukon) is also very appealing.

dbryant61

Congrats Norman. There is a kindred spirit of yours on the east coast. Gregg Wilson from Delaware. On of the fastest F-Class (Euro SC) drivers around. Actually I guess that would be E-class now. Has a couple of buddies who tow, so if one of the three wrecks or has a mechanical, there are options. He has driven from Delaware to Sebring for a race. Lots of miles. Drove and raced on MPSCs.

Not my preferred method. I like the relaxing drive home without the worries of something breaking on my 28 year-old car, and in the comfort of my arctic-ac'd F150 with John Prine a'whinin. But I really do respect the guys who drive their race cars.

Aside - New 911s towing a tire trailer do look very odd.