Dec 4: Time to go home

Last weekend's F1 race in Dubai signaled the end of the top tier racing for the year. NASCAR's season finished the weekend before that and the NHRA the prior weekend. Indy Car ended their abbreviated season way back in September, but the less said about that the better. Either way, it's time to load up those race cars and those big transporters and head off into the sunset to prepare for next year's races.

Way back when, this is what you would have seen as the cars left the race track........

Pretty low buck stuff, as these cars had little sponsorship. Basically, all that was needed was an extra set of tires (maybe) and a set of Craftsman's tools. High tech for their time? But as the sponsors came on board and the race cars required more equipment to maintain them, all this changed. Now, when they pack up those transporters, they pack up really big trailers and there is no question about whose team is leaving the track for the season.

A force in Indy Car and NASCAR is Penske Racing.........

Always covered in chrome, these big and shiny transporters head down the highway, telling everyone that Penske Racing is going home. Same goes for these other well known NASCAR racers........

 

These haulers sure have come a long way, from the race car sitting on an open trailer behind an old pick-up or station wagon. The cars are only a part of what gets packed up, as you can see from this diagram......

The cars (a primary and a back up), a tech center, a small lounge, extra parts and to top it off, an area on the top of the trailer to watch the race. A long way from the open trailer.

NHRA's drag racing stars started to get fancy when Tommy Ivo, brought this rig to the races.......

But, even so, this one didn't have all the support equipment that is needed in 2015. Want to see what a well funded team has at their disposal? I thought so........

This is the headquarters for John Force Racing and as you can see, there are several haulers to get their cars to the track, along with all the necessary paraphernalia. One trailer alone handles all the technological stuff needed to get these hot rods down the track in under four seconds and well over 300 MPH. 

Even the teams in a lesser series, like World of Outlaws, bring everything needed in a huge trailer.......

So when it is time to go home, these big race shops on wheels head on down the road, telling everyone on the way, just who has passed them or who they have just passed.

Formula One, also used to have a simple approach to getting their cars to the numerous European tracks, like what Ferrari used.......

My, oh my, how things have changed in the penultimate motor sport.........

Sure looks like a big truck and of course, it is, but if you think that this carries the race car, you would be mistaken. Of course, the car trailers are equally large, but the F1 teams, or at least the big guns, have several trailers that can be made into full blown two story building that, can support the team and their guests during the weekend. 

So we go from the business end of this rolling show..........

.........to the finished product.......

Hard to believe and I have no idea how these get to the foreign venues, but they always seem to be present.

So, the 2015 racing season has come finally come to its conclusion. The trophies have been awarded, the cheques given out, the cars packed away and these huge monuments to big buck racing are loaded up and sent down the road. Back to their home bases, to clean up, load up once again, test and then show up at their respective venues starting in February. And do it all over again.

But for now, it is time to go home.