Author Topic: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?  (Read 2801 times)

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plovett

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Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« on: May 22, 2019, 06:14:13 PM »
Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?  Two wheels with some slicks in my trunk and a tool box, and some spare parts in the back seat. 

I am not averse to a trailer, just wondering.

paulie

edit:  Sorry if this should go in the non FE Forum.  I didn't think about it when I posted.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2019, 06:24:14 PM by plovett »

thatdarncat

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2019, 08:39:22 PM »
Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?  Two wheels with some slicks in my trunk and a tool box, and some spare parts in the back seat. 

I am not averse to a trailer, just wondering.

paulie

edit:  Sorry if this should go in the non FE Forum.  I didn't think about it when I posted.

Sure. I did three Drag Weeks without a trailer. I took my ‘67 Shelby on Drag Week 2015 and carried the slicks in backseat area. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that method mind you lol, but it worked. In 2016 I took my ‘78 Lincoln Mark V. In the Mark V I had the stock spare tire in the trunk, so only room for one slick in the trunk and one in the back seat. In 2017 I took my ‘96 Lincoln MK VIII, both 26” slicks fit in the trunk that year.

I don’t have any statistics, but probably half the competitors run without a trailer. Many people run some form of DOT drag tire, and don’t have change race tires that way. A couple deciding issues are if a person runs a large fuel cell in the trunk, that of course takes up a bunch of space. Then if you’re running a full roll cage that can keep you from loading tires in the rear passenger compartment.

Some people find having the trailer easier, with most of your stuff inside the trailer you can just unhook when you get to the track, no need to load & unload the car each day. And of course having the trailer can mean more space to bring spares, or more room inside the car for passengers. There are pros & cons to both. Maybe Hemi Joel or Jeff will comment, they did Drag Week last year in Joel’s ‘31 Plymouth Coupe without a trailer.

A few people get creative too, with roof racks, or tires strapped to the trunk lid, etc.

« Last Edit: May 22, 2019, 08:41:47 PM by thatdarncat »
Kevin Rolph

1967 Cougar Drag Car ( under constuction )
1966 7 litre Galaxie
1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
1972 Gran Torino wagon
1978 Lincoln Mk V

cjshaker

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2019, 06:46:52 AM »
I started Drag Week last year in the Galaxie with no trailer. Plenty of room in the trunk for everything I needed. Alan did Drag Week in his Galaxie for several years with no trailer.



Alan is using a trailer this year because he's in the Mustang and has a fuel cell. I pulled a trailer with my Mustang because I always have a passenger. They have pretty limited space, so it's a lot tougher to pull off in a small car, but Larry Larson won the first couple Drag Weeks with a full caged Nova, by strapping the wheels to the trunk of his car. So yes, you absolutely can do Drag Week without a trailer. But like Kevin said, it is a pain to pull everything out of the car before you run, then load everything back up.

Alan's Galaxie and my Mustang...

Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

BattlestarGalactic

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2019, 07:50:23 AM »
Race a wagon and have PLENTY of space...LOL!!

Or get one of those trailer hitch slip in carriers.  I've seen plenty use that arrangement.
Larry

cjshaker

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2019, 08:13:13 AM »
Race a wagon and have PLENTY of space...LOL!!

Or get one of those trailer hitch slip in carriers.  I've seen plenty use that arrangement.

I was going to go that route with my '58 Del Rio wagon, but plans changed (aka: ain't got the money..lol). Alan did a slip in carrier 2 years ago, to hold his tires and make more room in his Galaxie. Worked pretty slick, but the unloading/loading would still get old, IMO.
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

BattlestarGalactic

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2019, 09:50:59 AM »
Make up a bracket to allow you to work it like a hand truck?  Slip on some small tires and a handle to allow you to slip it out of the hitch and wheel it off.  Or just 4 legs so you can just rest it on the ground.  Something not too technical, but allow you to not have to unload it.
Larry

thatdarncat

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2019, 10:47:31 AM »
Make up a bracket to allow you to work it like a hand truck?  Slip on some small tires and a handle to allow you to slip it out of the hitch and wheel it off.  Or just 4 legs so you can just rest it on the ground.  Something not too technical, but allow you to not have to unload it.

One of the many things cool about Drag Week is checking out all the ingenious solutions people come up with, whether it’s ways to pack 10lbs of stuff in a 5lb bag, or just some of the little solutions to make the road trip easier, or package needed race stuff on the race car. For anyone that goes, even to just spectate at Drag Week, take some time to walk around and really look at the cars, and see what people have come up with. Tech day has always been good for that, when everyone is stuck waiting in the tech line anyway, and they have time to talk.

Larry has the spirit, be creative. There is a longtime Drag Week participant, Jesse, who runs a John Deere themed green & yellow pickup. Jesse prides himself in bringing miscellaneous stuff other people might need. He has a homemade big tool box in the back of his truck he can slide out, with legs that unfold, to stay the same height as the truck bed, so it doesn’t need to be lifted every day. After racing is done just back up to the box and slide it back in. Just an example of some of the things people come up with.
Kevin Rolph

1967 Cougar Drag Car ( under constuction )
1966 7 litre Galaxie
1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
1972 Gran Torino wagon
1978 Lincoln Mk V

AlanCasida

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2019, 05:08:29 PM »
I went 4 years in my 66 Galaxie without a trailer. It does help to have a car with a BIG trunk. If I had my 'druthers I 'druther take my Mustang without a trailer but I just don't have room. I don't feel safe driving that far on Drag Radials or without a spare tire. Also you try to bring stuff that a parts store isn't likely to have which is almost everything when you are running a pre EFI big block Ford. It did get really old by the end of the week loading/unloading. It will be nice to be able just unhitch all my stuff, slap the slicks on and head to the staging lanes and vice versa when leaving. 

plovett

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2019, 06:29:29 PM »
Thanks guys.  I would like to try it without a trailer.  Though a '67 Cougar doesn't have a whole lot of storage space.

paulie

thatdarncat

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2019, 07:03:11 PM »
Just for purposes of discussion, a couple more cons to using a trailer on Drag Week - it can be tough sometimes finding a place to park you are “comfortable” with at the hotels, since often they are places you are not familiar with, and don’t always know how big their parking lots are, especially if a bunch of other Dragweekers show up at the same place with trailers too. Most people like to park their stuff within view of your room. Another consideration is maneuvering the checkpoints can be difficult with a trailer. Many times the checkpoints have small lots, or tight spaces, or are busy places of business. And often once word gets out Drag Week is coming through the locals show up to watch the action. All the fans being there is cool, but many times they park in what little room the checkpoints might have, and it can be hard to pull through, or back up, etc. The same can be true with maneuvering gas stations, or turning around on the inevitable wrong turn on the route.
Kevin Rolph

1967 Cougar Drag Car ( under constuction )
1966 7 litre Galaxie
1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
1972 Gran Torino wagon
1978 Lincoln Mk V

JERICOGTX

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2019, 09:26:26 AM »
If Joel, and I, can do Drag Week in his 31 Plymouth Coupe without a trailer, so can anyone else. We had room for all the tools we needed, some spare parts, battery jump pack, Joel's umbrella, and few other things. Just takes some planning.

Hemi Joel

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2019, 12:10:17 AM »



cammerfe

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Re: Is it possible to do Drag Week without a trailer?
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2019, 03:50:40 PM »
You even sem to have a bit of spare space on the 'close' left! ;)

KS