Tow to the track or not?

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donutbob

Registered Member
Joined
2 October 2006
Messages
77
Location
Mill Valley, CA
Hi all,

I'll be attending an event with my NSX for the first time this Friday and wanted an opinion on whether i should be towing it there or not.

Basically, do I have anything to worry about going wrong?

I do have my own truck and trailer, and I'm accustomed to towing to events, but it's such a pain in the ass... I'd much rather just drive there, get on the track and drive home.

What do you guys think?
 
What type of event is it?
What do you plan to do there?
How hard are you going to run your car?
Do you want to swap tires?
Will you drive there on your track tires?

etc etc.

It depends, is the likely answer.

Basically, though ... if it's just a HPDE, or a club day, or open track day, and you won't be full on racing, then if you are careful, nothing should happen to your car and you will be able to drive it home.
 
PaulL said:
Basically, though ... if it's just a HPDE, or a club day, or open track day, and you won't be full on racing, then if you are careful, nothing should happen to your car and you will be able to drive it home.
Click to expand...

This is what I wanted to hear... Thanks

It's a club event at Thunderhill. I plan on getting a feel for the car, I'll be driving there on my track tires and have a couple spares with me in the passenger seat if i don't tow...
 
There are many of us who only drive to the track and do many events /yr,The only risk you take is if something breaks,or you hit something.in 8 yrs I have needed to be flat bedded 3 times.
 
i've only had to be towed from one event (not in a honda powered product), so i'd say you'd be ok to drive provided that it isn't too far. the only real advantage to towing is that you can carry alot more shit. :)
 
bunta said:
Hi all,

I'll be attending an event with my NSX for the first time this Friday and wanted an opinion on whether i should be towing it there or not.

Basically, do I have anything to worry about going wrong?

I do have my own truck and trailer, and I'm accustomed to towing to events, but it's such a pain in the ass... I'd much rather just drive there, get on the track and drive home.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

If your concern is breaking down at the track I don't think you have much to worry about. As you've read it's very rare for a maintained NSX to break down on a track or anywhere for that matter. I would have no problem driving my NSX to any track event--in fact I do it all the time!

Ken's only breakdown after 15 years and 10,000+ track miles was due to a rare, isolated failure. If you don't plan on really pushing the car anyway you should have nothing to fear. If bad weather pops up you won't want to be on R-comps though.
 
docjohn said:
There are many of us who only drive to the track and do many events /yr,The only risk you take is if something breaks,or you hit something.in 8 yrs I have needed to be flat bedded 3 times.
Click to expand...

Why tow TO the track when you can have a photo op like this FROM the track.........

21639389-L.jpg
 
Wasn't that the fluid hose breakdown a few years ago? If so I remember that.. I was in it..:tongue:

x
 
It's also worth noting that, if you're going to a track event from your home in a big city not too far away, and in the unlikely event you need to be towed home, there's a good chance there are other people at the track who towed their cars, and someone can tow your car back on their trailer while you drive their car along with them.

(I couldn't do this last August because several other cars broke down before mine, and as a result all the available trailers already had plans.)
 
bunta said:
That's pretty harsh...
Click to expand...

I certainly did not mean it to be harsh. All I mean was that having a car that is capable of being driven on the road in a comfortable manner, and then on the track with a strong showing, makes life so much easier.

Perhaps it is more a statement around a dedicated track car, but once you're forced to tow your car to and from the track, many things change (and not necessarily in a nice way).
 
Thanks for all the responses!

I'm relieved, I'll not be towing, and won't worry about it. I'm about 99% sure if I asked this same question of my fellow rx7 owners, I'd get an emphatic "Hell Yes you should tow, just in case".

Well, we'll see if the NSX spoils me away from the rx7, wish me luck...
 
Years ago I used to drive to track events. I've towed ever since I got the truck and trailer, and I've never looked back. My decision to tow has almost nothing to do with reliability issues; all of my track cars have been hondas. It's so nice not having to change tires and/or brake pads at the beginning and end of the day. Plus, there's absolutely no way I could stuff all of my gear in a car, let alone an nsx.
 
Until I saw Ken's picture, I would never have thought 4 wheels and tires could fit like that.

For me, though, Ken's packing list is pretty barebones compared to what I like to take to the track. I also take an EZ-up, a large cooler, 4 jackstands, 2nd helmet, extra rotors, folding chairs, a large boxed craftsman tool set, assorted screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, all replacement fluids, breaker bar, portable power source, mallets, tq wrenches, etc, etc, etc. At last check I had my "essential track packing list" pared down to 63 items.
 
Batoutahell said:
Until I saw Ken's picture, I would never have thought 4 wheels and tires could fit like that.

For me, though, Ken's packing list is pretty barebones compared to what I like to take to the track. I also take an EZ-up, a large cooler, 4 jackstands, 2nd helmet, extra rotors, folding chairs, a large boxed craftsman tool set, assorted screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, all replacement fluids, breaker bar, portable power source, mallets, tq wrenches, etc, etc, etc. At last check I had my "essential track packing list" pared down to 63 items.
Click to expand...



Yes indeedy ................ :eek:

But some of us are really spoiled :redface: We just show up at the track with all the glitzy looking cool "image is everything" attitude - that Ted keeps needling us for, and rely on three fully equipped trailers to bail us out ....... Kip's, Don's and Steve's, and occasionally we even have Shad there too ........... :biggrin:

Did I say we were spoiled :wink:
 
bunta said:
Hi all,

I'll be attending an event with my NSX for the first time this Friday and wanted an opinion on whether i should be towing it there or not.

Basically, do I have anything to worry about going wrong?

I do have my own truck and trailer, and I'm accustomed to towing to events, but it's such a pain in the ass... I'd much rather just drive there, get on the track and drive home.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

For local events, driving has worked fine for me many times- so long as your willing to accept a few compromises on car setup. I've even fit in whole extra sets of wheels and tools. Worst case you can have it towed back home or to the race shop. I think once you start frequenting track events that are many hundreds or even thousands of miles away, or start club/pro racing and have to bring just everything... a truck and trailer is the only way to go for preparation or in the event of an incidental.


92 white 0650 said:
Or maybe, just starting. But as always, YMMV.
Click to expand...

I think what Ted means is you can always hire a truck driver for your new rig, then just fly in and arrive and drive... right?

Uggh, I see one in my near future, and for me- I absolutely hate driving trucks, so even a smaller super duty with a 20' trailer to haul a formula ford around will be a monster toke off the go fast crack pipe.
 
mystican said:
Always tow to the track...learn from others who have blown their motors at the track...talk to Ken Sax
Click to expand...

That list is pretty darn short for NSX drivers...:rolleyes:

Ken's failure was an extremely unusual, preventable failure. I'm sure that he won't be towing his car to the track any more than he ever has.

There are lots of cars that I would feel less confident driving to the track with than an NSX.
 
Re: Ha !! Good one John.

I think what Ted means is you can always hire a truck driver for your new rig, then just fly in and arrive and drive... right?
Click to expand...
I'm "Shoe String Racing"......so poor I haul on an open trailer and bought a dozen nomex socks on Ebay for $15. :eek: Fly in, my ass !! :biggrin:
 
NSXGMS said:
Ken's failure was an extremely unusual, preventable failure. I'm sure that he won't be towing his car to the track any more than he ever has.
Click to expand...
Correct.

After the engine was replaced, I drove my car to NSXPO 2006 in Florida (and put over 3,000 miles on it in doing so). I don't plan to start towing my car.

Certainly, there are pluses and minuses to towing - including, most obviously, pluses regarding how much stuff you can bring with you, the ability to track-prep the car at home and not have to drive a long distance on track tires, etc, and minuses regarding the cost of buying a trailer (and tow vehicle, if you don't already have one), the space for storing it, the inconvenience and slower speed of driving with a trailer, etc. I just think "the car might break down" is so unlikely that it is not a significant reason to justify a trailer purchase. Not with an NSX, anyway; the last-gen RX-7 is an entirely different matter... ;)
 

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