Must have tools for the track.

What tools does everyone bring to the race track? Over the years, I’ve always unloaded my tools from my garage to my trailer when I go racing. I’m tired of it, and going to have a dedicated tool box in the trailer finally, and thought this would be interesting to see what others bring to the track.

A full socket and wrench set, screwdrivers, and a selection of pliers is my mandatory list. I am trying to get mine where I don't take anything but a tire gauge and hand held inflater. I need to break free from the tools or get a little trailer, i don't trust leaving my tool box and stuff in a pile in the pits as much as I used to. Street car problems!

Everything I can fit in my tool boxes, overhead cabinets and lower cabinets and more in my bed of the truck.
Plus almost every part I can change at the track if it fails. Trying to figure where I can fit my mig welder.

It is very easy to haul around hundreds of pounds of stuff that you might need, when the room would be better served with a cooler and a microwave.

I take the basic sockets, wrenches and specialty tools for odd things on my car (like12 point sockets, for 12 point headed bolts) Meter and repair stuff for common electrical and fuel and water repairs.

https://www.montezumastorage.com/

After helping friends that had the triangle box, I just bought a one for the track and love it. I still use open trailer so wanted the smaller box to fit under bed cover. When I get enclosed trailer I will get the larger size and just leave in there.

You can find them cheaper then prices listed. I got a new 26x18 for $240. Menards sells that size also, exact same box just rebranded.

I guess I am superstitious, but if I ever needed it, I bring it. Lots of times my buddies helped me with a tool or spare part, so If I borrowed it I bring it now. My superstition is if you have it you won't need it, so if you have everything nothing will ever break. I will give you one example of my luck. Sitting in the staging lanes and I notice one slick is losing air, so go get a air tank and get it back to the pits. Pull off the tire and its got a small nail in it. I run tubes, and a buddy has a new racing tube, Take the slick into town and no tire shop will break the bead on the slick so I can install the new tube, they claim to much liability because it's a race car? Finally one of the workers overrides his boss and breaks the slick down, so I can fix my car. So now I have a harbor freight tire changer in my trailer, have never had another flat. I do draw the line, many years ago I had a swarm of bees land on my car and cover about half of it, I managed to get in it and drive to the tracks maintenance shed and wash them off with a hose, by the time I had gotten back, the car two spaces down had them on his car. The track actually called a bee keeper to remove the bees. I never did buy a bee suit to put in the trailer.

Full wrench and socket set, allen wrenches, various pliers, screwdrivers, duct tape, electrical tape, hose clamps, zip ties, feeler gauges, electric ends and crimper, nut drivers, spark plug socket, distributor wrench for a small block, timing light, jack, jack stands (I also have little wood platform for the bottom so they don't sink into the ground when used).

We carry a lot of spare parts and tools. Special tools and parts include valve spring tester, valve spring removal tools, leak down and compression tester, drive shaft for oil pump, gaskets, alternator, starter motor, distributor and wires, valve springs, rockers, pushrods, belts, and more. We learned the hard way through some of our travels over the years that you need to be prepared. It may not be easy to find someone with a spare rocker and a pushrod when you need them between rounds. When we were traveling with the dragster and the Avenger, we even had a spare powerglide and converter plus flex plates. When you drive 1500 miles to race for four days, you need to be self sufficient. The rule is to never remove tools from the trailer unless it is absolutely necessary. My shop and trailer have complete sets of most hand tools.

I have two enclosed trailers. Both have FULL large toolboxes, equipped as close to my large chest at home. I travel to race and nothing worse than not having a needed item 500 miles from home. Same for the heads up car, we have spare everything and tools to replace everything. Cant be 2000 miles from home at Norwalk and not be able to get something repaired because we didn't bring the tool. If you just run local bracket track a few miles away, then IMO just small socket set, some screwdrivers and wrenches should be enough. Anything major just take it home.

For those of us who still drive the car to & from the track, an absolute "must have tool" is a Visa card w/ enough credit line to pay for having it hauled home after you blow it up.

Sad, but true.

Just get you a Snapon franchise and tow to the track with the tool truck. Use the inevitable tool sales to subsidize the race operations and legitimize writing off the race car on your taxes.

Kevin

This is my track check list for what limited racing I do. If this won't cover the problem I may have, I figure it's best to put the car on the trailer and fix it at home.

( ) TOOLS - wrenches, screwdrivers, socket/ratchet sets, plier set, allens, hammer & pry bar
( ) JACK / JACK STANDS
( ) AIR TANK / TIRE GAUGE / TIRE PLUG KIT
( ) TIMING LIGHT
( ) CHEMICALS - oil, ATF, carb cleaner, WD40, hand cleaner & funnels
( ) FUEL SYSTEM - fuel, carb accessories, hose clamps & extra hose/line
( ) Shop towels, Large towels/Fender cover
( ) ELECTRICAL - ohm/voltage tester, test light, extra plugs & electric connector assortment
( ) Fastener assortment, duct tape & electrical tape
( ) Helmet / Jacket
( ) Drain pan & 1 gallon jug
( ) Flash lights
( ) Logbook
( ) Shoe polish

BASIC TOOLS,

but best thing to have....a PAD AND PEN

then whatever you need, write it down, eventually you have everything...lol

i bring every tool except for the one i need.

Bring the tools to fix the issue you have parts for. If you don't have the part. You don't need the tool. Spare parts are expensive. So is travel, fuel and entry. Weigh it out. The best thing you can do is keep up the car before you leave for the track. That being said no reason not to have sockets, ratchets, extensions, end wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, allen wrenches, hammers. Extras that I consider necessary? Weather station, voltmeter, test light, terminals, wire, bolts & nuts, duct tape, jack, jump box. Parts? carb parts, coil, cap, rotor, plugs, plug wire, line lock rebuild kit, starter, water pump, tire plugs, spare slick tube, valve springs, oil, brake fluid, trans fluid, water. If it needs more than that chances are I'm going home. If you have an enclosed trailer the Harbor Freight tool cart carries all you'll ever need for less than $200.
Doug

I don't want to work on the car at the track but I do have a lot of tools in my box for maintenance as needed, no welder or other shop only tools. I do have a small electric air compressor and a 5500 watt commercial Yamaha electric start generator that was mounted on the tonque of the trailer when I bought it, I use it now and then after installing a 100 amp alternator on this race car with two group 24 marine and RV batteries. I use to use it to charge the batteries at the lunch break and drivers meeting which lasted over1 hour, not needed now

hammer

No doubt. My Dad has a nice trailer he could come get me with but my driveway is steep and impossible to push a dead vehicle up. My plan(thankfully untested) has always been to have a rollback drop it in my garage if I tear it up too bad to drive home.

I should also add that I don't like to work on my car at the track. Short of changing tires I very rarely ever put a wrench to it that is not in my garage. That is one of the perks of EFI, it motivates me to do more tweaking and testing and I never have to get into the tool box.

Race something pretty new...... then you should be able to get away with a tiny portable air compressor and a tire pressure gauge.

That is my goal but with my old small block junk. I'm mostly there, I haven't needed to work on it at the track in a long time, i just have to let go of the safety net of the tool box. I feel it is pretty reliable for having 600ish HP.

Usually a tire pressure gauge, a jack, an impact, a couple of screwdrivers, a wrench for the bottle nut and a multi-tool that I keep in the console of the truck.

Everything is ready to rock when I get to the track and I avoid working on it there as much as possible! (I hate distractions and work alone 99% of the time.)

Of course, It's a slow street car so it requires nothing between rounds.

At this point, I'm usually one and done on test and tune nights. I know what change I've made and what to expect. My Virtual Dyno predicted 10.40 the other night and it ran 10.40. Time to go home.

It sounds like you need to work on your car some more so you can beat the normal Virtual dyno predictions, be the leader, not part of the pack

Just send it Jeff. LOL

Pretty much what everyone else brings. But I also take a lot of spares, gaskets, starter motors ignition stuff carb stuff etc. A lot of the guys call round for spares and i will let them have whatever they need, just ask them to replace. But for this next season I'm thinking of bringing a spare sump pan.

I do. At home. LOL.

It is coming apart today, in fact...

Besides, numbers don't lie..

what's the 60' on that pass?...…….For me tho. on the tools it's basic tmeing light , wrench/socket set ,few zip ties , carb cleaner, etc. I'm just a test and tuner.

A wheelstand usually adds about a 10th so around 1.44

Bout everything I can carry......

I try to have one of those magnet on a stick.