When you participate in HPDE or Time Trial long enough, you might find yourself either driving to and from the track on your good track tires or driving the track all weekend on your street tires. Neither option is optimal.
That will leave you looking for ways to bring track tires with you, having a way to change them at the track, then putting your street tires back on for the trip home. Depending on the car you drive, how you get your track tires to the track can vary.
Essentially, you have a few choices. If you have a sedan, you can try to get the tires into the back seat. Depending on your tire size, they may or may not fit. It also can dirty up the interior of your car, which will have you looking for large sheets to protect the upholstery. You also can remove the rear seat, which will give you more room for the tires and prevent soiling your interior.
If you can’t fit them in the car, you can use a roof rack to carry your tires. You probably won’t be able to find something off the shelf, so you likely will have to adapt something or make one yourself, but it keeps the dirty track tires out of your car. A roof rack will create a lot of drag on the way to and from the track, and it is something you’d also likely want to remove before going out on track, but it’s another option.
A third option, and one you see a lot at NASA events and even autocross events, is a tire trailer. The one shown above from Leroy Engineering is about as nice as they come, with tie-downs for the tires and a locking box to hold your jack and other tools. Of course, that means you’ll need a trailer hitch on your track car, but there are some nice hitch options available that aren’t visible when they’re not in use. Check the links at the end of the story to see what’s available.
Find a way to get your good tires to the track and watch your lap times drop!
