Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Who is an actual racer that still drags their car around with an open trailer? I do. I load all my equipment into the back of my F-350, load the 4 wheeler and sprint car on the back of the 28' plywood decked trailer and head to the races. Sure, enclosed trailers are nice. Believe me, there has been more than once where I wish I had one. But then I remember that with enclosed trailers you have (usually) an increase in fuel costs. Less people seeing the car itself. Less conversations with interested parties about what it is, where you're racing, and how to get into the sport.

One of the most important thing (in my eyes) is the look on kids faces while driving down the road. Kids will, if they're interested enough, get their parents to take them to a race. If they just see the side of the trailer going down the road there's no way to tell what's inside. Yes, you can put a decal on the side of the trailer, but nothing beats actually seeing the car, and kids love it when you let them sit in the car when you're at a gas station, or stopped somewhere getting something to eat. I can't recall a single time where I told someone, young or old that they couldn't sit in the car. The worry that I've heard most is people are afraid they're going to break something, if only they knew how simple they were, mechanically speaking.

Remember folks, if you have a really nice trailer and a slow car, you're spending your money in the wrong place.

Sorry if I kinda jumped around a bit, it's 4 am and I'm just typing things as they're coming out. With all that said, what's your take on the enclosed/open trailer topic?

Racrguy,

You sound a little self righteous, but you make some valid points!

There are too many teams who are spending money on trailers, when they should be spending money on engines and tires, and or other fresh equipment.

How did our priorities get so mixed up??

You make several valid points.

We also pull to the track on an open trailer. My daughter will not have it any other way. Seeing the cars roll through town on thier way to the track is one of my fondest memories as a child.

The up side for us with regards to an enclosed trailer however would be not having to unload it at the end of the race night. We live far enough away that there have been nights that we have had to unload at 5am in an effort to beat inclement weather either occuring or on the way.

We pull a 16ft utility trailer with a tire rack on a 2007 Ford F-150. The quad in the back of the truck with air compressor, fuel, tools, spares, etc. etc. etc............ Needless to say my truck hates me!..

It is however really much easier for us to attract attention both for our sponsors and the track with the car out in the open. It is also easier to wash the car in a truck bay without having to unload it.

But boy sometimes a nice enclosed trailer would really be nice. And that is the truth!!!!!!

Never hit stationary objects!

Photos like that bring back a ton of memories and the points you make are very valid. I remember as a kid my buddies and i would absolutly stop and be in awe of the race cars as they rode through town on their way to the race track. It is what got me interested in racing and to this day ive got a life time of memories and experiences that i would not trade for anything...

A great point about open trailers getting talk going and making fans show up. That said, it's really not up to the racers to advertise their sport and bring in new fans, but it does kinda hurt their own sponsors when they're dragging an all white "what the hell is in there?" hauler down the interstate.

This year's California Civil War 360 Champion Andy Forsberg had an open hauler. I'll try to find a pic and post it.

Ron

Casey Minks from El Paso TX. has one of the baddest open trailers/truck combo's I've ever seen. Odd I don't have a picture of it as many times as I've seen it when he brings his non-wing to USA Raceway in Tucson.

Sean,

Tucson

!!SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRACKS!!
!!Get Well Shane!! 

Open trailers are awesome to see whether its driving across town or down the highway but the bad thing now a days is the honesty of the people. Its cause of them morons that ruin it for the rest of us who love seeing the open trailers.

I use my little trailer because after the races I can just pull the whole rig inside the shop until I get ready to wash and unload the car. I have access to a nice enclosed trailer and don't use it because my little one is easier for me to deal with when I am at the shop alone .

I feel the die hard (or budget) racers use open trailers, your points are agreed ,valid , although, if fast on a givin night it does salt the wounds so to speek, we simply use a enclosed because of the thought of my equipment sitting out under the moonlight in a motel parking lot (usually unlit because we got to the motel pretty late after a full night ) scares the bjesus out of me , I watched Six Pack as a kid and there engraved in my mind is nightmares of a stripped car sitting on my trailer, Mind you, ours is a little worse for the wear a 1993 well used goosneck, certainly not top of the line , and most enclosed trailers are pretty affordable now days , but sometimes its just nice to close the door , lock it, and forget about it..

Hahaha, Six Pack!! I remember that movie..ahh Diane Lane...anyways.

Sean

!!SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TRACKS!!
!!Get Well Shane!! 

see if you can find a picture of Chuck Hebring's open trailer. He brought it all the way from NY to Ia a couple years ago. pretty ingenious design.

The Late Billy Kimmel Towed to Williams Grove every week with this.

Anthony Simone, Ocean Speedway Taco Bravo 360 Driver, Esaclade and Open Trailer for Car TEN

This rig won a couple of races in 2010!

I agree that having an open trailer looks better going down the road. It looks better at the gas station. It looks better as you pull into the pits.

However, the enclosed trailer looks better at the motel. The enclosed trailer looks better during the rain storm. The enclosed trailer looks better during the wind storm. Finally, the enclosed trailer looks 1000% better at the end of the night when it is time to unload the tools and parts.

When I raced my stock car out of my truck, it took me 20-30 minutes to unload the bed of my truck. The last thing anyone wants to do at 1:00 in the morning is to spend 20-30 minute humping tool boxes, part boxes, spare tires, and everything else into the garage.

My favorite open trailer was Schraders late model trailer.

Posted By: againsttheworld on January 03 2011 at 04:16:13 PM The above pic is awesome. Simply because of the trailer next to it and his expensive fuel costs. Etc. Must be nice, let me admit. But I have an open trailer hauling our 360 around the Midwest. It feels VERY nice beating teams that pull up in those And is that pic took in West Burlington at 34 Raceway? If so..nice facility.

Funny you mention the trailer next to us. That is the fellow whose shop we store our car in. In fact, that trailer is where our wing is. I cannot lower the wing enough to allow my truck to pull it any easier. I can feel the drag on the trailer as I try to accelerate down the highway with the top wing on! Our 4.6L really does not like this program.

And yes, that photo is indeed at 34 Raceway in Burlington.

To the the balance of the posts.

As far as the enclosed trailer, please do not get me wrong. When the opportunity presents itself I too will have and enclosed. I hate unloading nightly. Actually, someone stealing our stuff is part of the reason that we make the trip back after every race night. But you do what you have to do to go racing. I sure would like to be able to stop some times. That 1 hour twenty minute ride back to Moline, Unload, and then the 3 hours from Moline to Bolingbrook really sucks!

And the other photos on this page are really awesome. It is pretty cool that the pits fill up with just about every walk of economic life. And yes, it is cool to run with those guys, and a feather in your cap when you do well. You know, the champion at 34 Raceway in the 305s this year comes in on an open trailer to. So it obviously does not hurt your track speed. In fact there are quite a few of them there. I guess we fit in rather well.

Never hit stationary objects!

slink51, let me guess ? the alky jugs went in the back of the van, with the case of oil,rearend lube,,brake gleaner ,carb cleaner, anything else potentially flamable, no AC , 70mph ,widows down ,and a cigarette lurking for excitement? LOL, and they proubly did it for years! anyway, thats the picture I was given when I seen your photo , "thats the way it was, and we liked it" god bless SNL, naw really, good stuff ...

Oe, I see the rig has found a way to my heart, theres a Hooters sticker in the rear window , there has GOT to be contingency rewards for that!

Very interesting topic racrguy. Nice to see the cars. Really does bring back memories and I agree with all your points. Too bad racers have to worry about theft.

I remember a Jerry Lepinski from the Minneapolis area pulling into the Minot,ND pits in about 1966 or 1967. Hot laps were already started and he crossed the front straight when the grandstands were full. People were really buzzing about this fancy car and hauler. The trailer had sort of aerodynamic sheet metal on the front in which spare tires were stored. I had never see one like it. The front sheet metal came back and covered maybe the front 1/4 of the car. The car was a little similar to today's cars, the era of "home made" sprintcars was ending. Minneapolis was nearly 500 miles away, but it was a sale trip. He kicked ass that night and the buyers lined up. Fargo's Wyman Wade purchased the sprinter that night and had success with it. Purchase price I forget, but it was a lot for the day, and of course people talked about how these costs would hurt racing.

You saw a race car on a trailer at a gas station or restaurant, you stopped to check it out.

 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.