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| Evolution
Of A Race Car Hauler by Norm Bogan |
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From
the beginnings of auto racing around the turn of the century,
most of the racecars were converted from some type of production vehicle.
Transporting them to the racing arena was done in the simplest way,
driving them! This method continued
up to around the thirties, when race teams began using a sturdy towrope, which
required a member of the crew to steer and brake the racer en-route to the
racing venue. This more than once
caused grief for the race teams, as the rope would break, excessive speed of the
tow vehicle and /or rough roads, would cause the race car to careen out of
control and crash before arriving at the track.
As the years went by, technology improved and solid tow-bars replaced
ropes and chains. A crew-member was
no longer required to ride in the racer. This
was the most popular form of transport until World War II. Starting
in the late thirties, some of the teams from rural areas, begin to adapt farm
implement trailers to transport the race cars.
Racecar technology had made the cars difficult to tow on a flat or
crowned highway, with the chassis adjusted for turning left only and gearing
combinations for tight bullrings and not the open highway.
After
the war, we had learned about moving goods and supplies through all kinds of
terrain and weather conditions and racers quickly adapted this knowledge for
getting their prized racecar to the track.
Since most racecars are light-weight, those early trailers were also.
Most of the trailers were single axle with no brakes and towed by the
family sedan or station wagon. I
recall a number of trailers constructed from war surplus aircraft landing mat
material. The toolboxes for these racing operations were pretty
lightweight also, consisting of a monkey wrench, screwdriver, a roll of baling
wire and a good hammer. As
the postwar racing boom got underway, the competition became more fierce and
teams started to travel more. This
caused a dilemma, because more spare parts were needed and this added weight.
The next generation of hauler was a much beefier trailer, with two axles
to accommodate the additional weight, incorporating toolboxes and a tire rack.
Some were also fitted with either an electric or surge braking system.
Pick-up trucks were becoming more popular as a tow vehicle.
This combination has been used by just about every form of racing to
commute to their race circuit for nearly fifty years.
You would find these haulers lined up at the drag strip, road course, any
dusty little dirt track and also at the paved super‑speedways like
Indianapolis and Daytona. Part of
the explanation for this could be easily read on the side of the racecar.
Many had only the driver's name and something like "Muldoon
Sprinter" or "City Garage Special", lettered on the car.
Muldoon was the owner and City Garage was the owner's business. These haulers were adequate and economical for teams
operating on shoestrings. In
the 50's and 60's, many sports car racers drove the Jaguars, Austin-Healeys and
MG's to the race course, taped up the glass and went racing. Peter Revson drove his Singer to Santa Barbara Airport to
start his racing career and James Dean was driving his Porsche to Monterrey,
when he met his demise. There
were a several unique haulers about 30 to 40 years ago. "TV" Tommy Ivo had an enclosed ramp truck.
The unique feature was that it had plexiglass side windows, which made
the racer visible as he traveled down the highway.
Lakes Drywall Racing out of Tacoma, had a similar truck, to haul their
Winston West stock car. A couple of
stock car racers, many times West Coast champ, Jack McCoy and 1972 Winston Cup
Rookie of the Year, Larry Smith, converted Highway Post Office buses into a
combination motor-home and race car hauler. In
the late sixties, some of the drag racers and NASCAR racers converted to ramp
trucks, which eliminated the need to tow a trailer.
Others still traveled on the national circuits, using a bobtail or
stake-bed truck and towing an open trailer.
Indy car teams towed an open trailer with a station wagon.
Some of the wealthier teams on NHRA, NASCAR and USAC even had car covers!
In 1971, Charlie Roberts towed his Dodge Charger from Anniston, Alabama
to the first stock car show at Ontario on a wooden farm trailer with an old
Chevy pick up. As
the seventies ebbed, many of the teams were converting to enclosed trailers,
which helped to reduce theft and vandalism. It also allowed them to carry more
spare parts and to better organize their equipment.
Most towed these longer enclosed
trailers with crew cab dually trucks, but soon a move was underway to design a
tow vehicle, which gave the crew more creature comforts; custom built tractors
with a cabin, that was equipped with TV, VCR, microwave, refrigerator,
comfortable seating and sleeping accommodations.
With racers travelling and running maybe, fifty to one hundred races each
year, these vehicles become their second home.
About
this same time, some of the name drag racers from NHRA like Prudomme, McEwen and
Bernstein, discovered the benefits of big time sponsorship to fund their racing
operations. Soon to follow, were
NASCAR and CART. Now most of your
major league racing operations, operate out of one or more 18 wheelers, which
carry two complete cars and probably enough parts for a third. They are fitted with a mini-machine shop, where many parts
can be fabricated. In addition,
many of the teams have motor-homes, which serve a "Hospitality Suites"
to entertain special guests and potential sponsors. As you pass one of these haulers on the highway, you note
that it is emblazoned with high tech graphics for some national product line,
which run the gamut from Budweiser to Texaco, Tide to Kellogg's Corn Flakes,
McDonald's to Skoal. All of this
relates to what the racers refer to as "CUBIC DOLLARS". This
is a far cry from the "City Garage Special", towed on a single axle
open trailer behind the family sedan. There
is a lot more money in racing now, but is it as much fun??
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