How do you no-trailer guys handle the logistics of a breakdown at the track?

[mejohn50]

How far and how much?
Or was it AAA?

22 miles. No AAA. ~$300.

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[tosha]

Uhaul truck and trailer are all great as long as the car can drive itself onto it. But then you likely don't need to evacuate it with a tow truck.

If it's a mess like vette on the picture or you had an engine failure, you need one with integrated winch.

 

[MrMike]

I am 30-40 minutes away from my local track and didn't really even think about this sort of stuff.

I have friends and family that could help me with smaller vehicle disabling things like a broken half-shaft or a cracked brake rotor. Not that I expect to run into those things my first couple times, but just examples.

If the car is totaled, the cost of a tow is the least of my worries. Same for throwing a rod.

I'd still be more than glad to make friends with others at the track, especially other Mustang drivers.

You guys are not confidence inspiring. I'm about to drive 1,000 miles each way to a track event.

This would make me want to bring some spare parts lol. If I was meeting other people there or it was a group of cars going, I'd feel more comfortable.

 

[NightmareMoon]

You guys are not confidence inspiring. I'm about to drive 1,000 miles each way to a track event.

48 times out of 50 you’ll be fine.

 

[Johnny maverick]

Ya a 1000 mile drive each way that's crazy without a contingency plan. That tow would be expensive. Well don't worry so much. You'll cross that bridge when and if you get to it. Just drive the car on track day like 24hrs of Daytona and you need it to make it home.

 

[WCRookie99]

You guys are not confidence inspiring. I'm about to drive 1,000 miles each way to a track event.

You’ll be fine, it’s not like you’re driving to Daytona to qualify for the Rolex 24. Your time/speed on the track will be mostly at speeds less then the expressway.

It’s when you start thinking you’re Mario, when the problems creep up.

 

[GTP]

22 miles. No AAA. ~$300.

Gadzooks!

 

[VictorH]

You’ll be fine, it’s not like you’re driving to Daytona to qualify for the Rolex 24. Your time/speed on the track will be mostly at speeds less then the expressway.

It’s when you start thinking you’re Mario, when the problems creep up.

Totally agree, no trophies, no records or $$ prizes. I've driven from SC to Road America twice, both times for 3-day events (in another brand of vehicle) and was no problem either and it's an even longer trek. Nothing is fool-proof but most modern, unmodified cars are pretty reliable.

 

[bnightstar]

Been handling this by not running into a wall so far .

A trailer with a winch is the only real answer in my opinion. WGI has a special parking lot for crashed cars and keeps it there until you sort out track related repair costs.

good chance you jinxed yourself so be careful next time out.

This would make me want to bring some spare parts lol. If I was meeting other people there or it was a group of cars going, I'd feel more comfortable.

or at least 1 or 2 bottles of oil ;)

If you had a mechanical breakdown or accident at the track and your car is disabled, what do you do?

Overall I do drive my car to events but my 2 local tracks are close one is 140 km's away and the other one is 250 kms or so I rarely even have a jack in the car and with parts so hard to come by I don't bring any spares or so on. I would say last time out my lack of preparation was not ideal as the car burned through 1.5 qts of oil on the fast track in Greece (250 km's away) and I missed the second day of driving because no one was having 5W20 at hand. So I had to drive the car home without 1.5 qts of oil but it got me home no problem. Sad I missed the driving time though.

Totally agree, no trophies, no records or $$ prizes. I've driven from SC to Road America twice, both times for 3-day events (in another brand of vehicle) and was no problem either and it's an even longer trek. Nothing is fool-proof but most modern, unmodified cars are pretty reliable.

If the Mach 1 is stock you should be fine just make sure you have good brake pads to last the day nothing worst than driving 1000 miles without brakes you know. Also think about other consumables like oil, brake fluid and spare tires. I try to have 2 sets of tires when traveling long to track as 2 times in Greece (250 kms) I run through my front left tire and was a very dangerous trip back. So second set of tires on long trips is a must have. Not to mention so much better to drive long on street tires than on track tires.

 

[Brooski1]

Remember that trailering your car will improve your lap times by at least 2 seconds. No trailer = take it easy.

 

[tosha]

so be careful next time out.

Next time out is a full rain day tomorrow at the "fastest average speed track in North America", but I knocked on wood

 

[mindo389]

My wife and I went to watch a friend and his brother test their barely street legal car on a drag strip. The brother rode his motorcycle and had too many of a product out of St. Louis. I drove the car to their house with the passed out passenger....

 

[Baxter3221]

Dropped a valve last summer at Limerock. AAA got me home at no cost (under 100 miles).

This is one of the things that keeps me from going to tracks that are farther away. Good point above though; the one time cost of a long tow home is still significantly less than owning the gear to tow to the track.

I only track 5-6 times a year and they are mostly within 100 miles. If either of those changed, I would look into a trailer.

 

[mustanghammer]

Too much anxiety from worrying about getting home and back to work on Monday for me to NOT have a trailer. Whether I was autocrossing far from home or running a road race, knowing I had a reliable way home makes the weekend better. I've had the same 16' open trailer since 1991. I bought an enclosed trailer in 2018 to use for road racing. A modern 1/2 ton truck makes towing either a breeze.

Of course, when I started all of this in the late 80s, there was no such thing as a track day or street cars on a race track. So having a race car, trailer and tow vehicle was just what you had to have.

 

[GTP]

Dropped a valve last summer at Limerock. AAA got me home at no cost (under 100 miles).

This is one of the things that keeps me from going to tracks that are farther away. Good point above though; the one time cost of a long tow home is still significantly less than owning the gear to tow to the track.

I only track 5-6 times a year and they are mostly within 100 miles. If either of those changed, I would look into a trailer.

I wonder if I can use something like Hagerty Drivers Club for the first 100 miles, and then my daily insurance for the second 100 miles.

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