Back in the late 80's early 90's I did a bunch of traveling chasing Super Gas. I lived in rural Idaho close to Firebird Raceway which was my home track. After that it was 300 plus miles to the next one and from there on after that. We literally traveled 1000 miles for a divisional many of times.

We built the car and trailer at my Dads shop and learned to be efficient on the road and capable of fixing or adjusting anything along the way as needed. That's how you won back in the day.

Check this baby out. See if you can spot all the essentials.

Spare Wheels and Tires
2 Spare Transmissions - would actually hold 3
3 Spare Torque Converters right below them
Fuel Jugs
Counter with Vise
Jack and Fuel Jugs
Enough Oil and Trans Fluid for months!
rug for pits under car
scooter
air compressor sitting on generator box
spare engine
spare front tire by air compressor
lawn chairs of course
broom
Metal Cabinets FULL of parts
Spree scooter
another push scooter
spare trailer tire and spare dually tire.
and a bunch of other ****

SWEET.....And then we ALL went FULL STUPID...

I was once told by a very successful racer that a trailer ain't never won a race. Also if your the last one in eliminations and more than likely one of the last ones the leave, nobody ever gets to see your rig roll out the gate.

Let's go back to Mr. Ed's! Those things were cool.
But man it is nice to have the golf cart for the family. Geeze with the jr, the big car, golf cart, generator, tools, spares, fuel......it's about as busy in my 28' as that little trailer. We didn't get stupid. We got busy and comfortable.

99.99% of the problem(s) is keeping up with the guy pitted next to you......and it all started when an open trailer wasn't good enough.

I started out driving it to the track, then flat towing, with a station wagon, then a pickup truck, then an open trailer, then a BIGGER pickup truck, then an enclosed, then a BIGGER enclosed, then a motor home, then a BIGGER motor home, etc. I have now gone the other way, I have an open Featherlite trailer and a 36ft diesel pusher. Big old trailer now houses John Deere farm tractor and I should be selling old BIGGER diesel pusher, thats what they tell me anyway. Fern is 78 years old and has never had or even thought about another hobby. Maybe I am crazy but I am also HAPPY.

Any idea what that little trailer weighed??? Really cool set up for the day and still wouldn't be bad now. My 20 footer isn't that busy but it is starting to head that way. LOL

Curtis

Like Fern I've gone back to old school. Don't do anywhere near the traveling we used to do so I sold the 38' gooseneck and went back to using the first trailer I bought. Kept it all these years for local stuff. Put a scooter mount on the tongue and that's all I need.

How about cpl pics of dragster in one of those 16' trailers?

Curtis - not sure what the weight was. All I know is I built it out of steel and as light as I could on the box. 1" 065 tube and .050 aluminum siding. The frame was solid 2x6" x 3/16 and had 7200lb 8lug axles so I wasn't really worried.

Dan Davita was the 1982?? SG World Champ on a ramp truck...............simpler times.

Hey Charlie you are certainly correct on the simplicity. I remember the California guys were all over the ramp trucks because they could travel in the "fast" lane. No trailers except in the right lane.

Kids could see the cars on ramp trucks and open trailers. They have no idea about race cars today as we keep them hidden. We wonder why not many youngsters in the sport.

quote:

Originally posted by samchev:
Kids could see the cars on ramp trucks and open trailers. They have no idea about race cars today as we keep them hidden. We wonder why not many youngsters in the sport.

There are so many social media outlets today that show hundreds of different types of race cars that makes that statement useless.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hammond:

quote:

Originally posted by samchev:
Kids could see the cars on ramp trucks and open trailers. They have no idea about race cars today as we keep them hidden. We wonder why not many youngsters in the sport.

There are so many social media outlets today that show hundreds of different types of race cars that makes that statement useless.

Richard, I disagree with you on that. There is something visceral about seeing the cars in person that video will never capture. I used to tow my roadster on an open trailer and the amount of thumbs up I would get always surprised me. Stopping at a gas station was almost never without a few walking over and looking at it. Those emotions just don't come from a screen.

Curtis

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hammond:

quote:

Originally posted by samchev:
Kids could see the cars on ramp trucks and open trailers. They have no idea about race cars today as we keep them hidden. We wonder why not many youngsters in the sport.

There are so many social media outlets today that show hundreds of different types of race cars that makes that statement useless.

Richard, I disagree with you on that. There is something visceral about seeing the cars in person that video will never capture. I used to tow my roadster on an open trailer and the amount of thumbs up I would get always surprised me. Stopping at a gas station was almost never without a few walking over and looking at it. Those emotions just don't come from a screen.

Curtis

Then put a big mural on the side of your trailer and add a bunch of stickers to make it stand out. I would have no problem doing that to my trailer. I got the same looks and thumbs up too. But you couldn’t pay me to go back to an open trailer.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hammond:
But you couldn’t pay me to go back to an open trailer.

I sure won't argue that part. LOL

So should I surmise that enclosed trailers ruined the car culture in our country?

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:
So should I surmise that enclosed trailers ruined the car culture in our country?

Didn't ruin it. Just changed the outlook a lot. Enclosed is the only way to go if you travel long distances or in bad weather. It's also nice to be able to lock all your stuff up. But theway they are stealing trailers today it doesn't do much for security. Wet backs will steal a trailer for their gardener service, not knowing there is a race car inside.