Topic: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

What does everyone do for tool storage at the track? I don’t expect any issues, but I also don’t want tools just laying about all over, it’s easy to misplace things.

For the overnights, do people just put their tools in the car and drive the tools back to where they are staying or do they leave everything in their paddock spot?

#22 Team Slowtus Ford Focus

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

In the past, we just clean things up put into the tow vehicle or car. Larger items were left under the pop-up, never had a problem. We have an enclosed now and people sleeping at the track so we just keep it clean.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

3 (edited by Mr.Yuck 2021-11-29 02:42 PM)

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

we have never had an issue. we lock most up in the trailer box. If you are staying at the track  you should be ok. If you are staying at a hotel, then lock everything up tight. We usually stay in a hotel. We leave the car, trailer and tools at the track. Never had any issues.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Never had an issue.....You can usually find the keys left in our trucks in case someone needs to move them.
In my opinion.your shit is safer at the track than at a hotel parking lot.....

45+x Loser.....You'd think I would learn......
5x I.O.E  Winner   1 Heroic Fix Winner   1 Org Choice Winner
2x  I Got Screwed Winner    2x Class C Winner
(Still a Class B driver in a Class A car)

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

I trust the paddock space unguarded more than I trust the motel parking lot.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Most folks in the midwest even leave their keys in the fuel run vehicle(usually their tow pig, often most valuable vehicle at the track), doors unlocked so anyone can move it if needed and anyone on their team can run for fuel without figuring out where they are.

8 years of doing this, never lost a tool that was loaned out and pretty sure never forgot to return one.  We leave our toolbox, unlocked, under the canopy.

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

A friend of mine was moving their child to college and parked overnight at an upscale hotel near a major US city, in a well-lit area of the lot and outside their room. Both their Suburban and the U-Haul enclosed trailer were gone the next morning. They heard nothing. The trailer was eventually recovered - empty.

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

+1 on trusting tracks more than a hotel parking lot. We all sleep in the enclosed and leave all of our stuff out overnight. Although we're there, we leave EVERYTHING out... tool boxes, parts, car(s) with key(s) in ignition, wallets, etc. A good amount of the time it's because we forget but we are never actually careful about this kinda stuff at tracks, it's an extremely honest community.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Yup, what all the others have said. We don't bother even trying to put things in cars, just setup and leave it all weekend. Even over the last year when we were spending only the minimum time required at the track and heading home overnight we just left it all in the garage and never thought twice about it. Radios, goPros, tools, expensive diagnostic tools, laptops, welders, I've never thought twice about leaving them in the garage while at a race. I've lost track of the number of tools I've lent out to people I just met, and never once has a tool failed to come back to me.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Thanks all, this was very helpful. I hope to see some or all of you this weekend!

#22 Team Slowtus Ford Focus

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

rb92673 wrote:

I trust the paddock space unguarded more than I trust the motel parking lot.

X 1000.

Us racers are decent people who don't steal other's stuff.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

VKZ24 wrote:
rb92673 wrote:

I trust the paddock space unguarded more than I trust the motel parking lot.

X 1000.

Us racers are decent people who don't steal other's stuff.

Just gonna add to the pile of people who trust leaving tools and stuff in the paddock a billion times more than taking them to a hotel lot. Between the front gate, the myriad of people around the paddock at all hours and the general camaraderie at Lemons events I think you'd be hard pressed to find a safer place for your stuff.

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

You guys must be going to different races than I.  Someone stole my 10mm socket at a race back in '12.

Bastard.

COM ( Chief Operating Moron ) of Burnt Rubber Soul Racing
Current fleet: 95 Ford Probe, 81 Mazda 626.  Past: 81 Imperial
Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/burntrubbersoulracing

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Oh THATS where the 10MM socket came from......
Sorry.

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Mkotzias wrote:

Oh THATS where the 10MM socket came from......
Sorry.

You mean the 1CM socket!

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

I agree with Majo, Paddock is not safe... At NH somebody stole all my talent .

Cordoba

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Jimmy wrote:

At NH somebody stole all my talent .

I've found it's safer not to bring any in the first place.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Someone walked off with a complete set (6mm to 21mm) of our wrenches about 4 years ago at CMP.  I like to think they borrowed them and forgot where they came from in the fog of repairs.  When they disappeared, a generator, 3 DeWalt 20V tools, and every other tool we used was sitting beside the wrenches.  I agree however, the pits at  a Lemons race is fairly safe for things.

#508 Team SOB
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

19 (edited by zanzabar88 2021-12-02 01:40 PM)

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Our paddock space generally looks like a bomb exploded all weekend and we just leave most everything our in the open overnight. Haven't had any problems losing stuff so far.

Captain of AFART Racing - 1987 and 1988 Toyota Supras
Captain of McDads/AFART Racing -1977 Lancia Scorpion (IOE Winner Sears Pointless 2021... wait, really?? YES, REALLY!!).
Captain of 42 Hours of MeLons (2013-14) - Vattenmelon Vagn 1984 Volvo 240, B-Class Winner: Arse-Freeze 2014

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

AXC1 wrote:

What does everyone do for tool storage at the track? I don’t expect any issues, but I also don’t want tools just laying about all over, it’s easy to misplace things.

For the overnights, do people just put their tools in the car and drive the tools back to where they are staying or do they leave everything in their paddock spot?

I sometimes remember to pick them up off the ground/tables and put them back in the box.

Your tools are much safer at the track than they are in your car in a hotel parking lot.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

21 (edited by Guildenstern 2021-12-05 01:51 AM)

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

Lemon_Newton-Metre wrote:

A friend of mine was moving their child to college and parked overnight at an upscale hotel near a major US city, in a well-lit area of the lot and outside their room. Both their Suburban and the U-Haul enclosed trailer were gone the next morning. They heard nothing. The trailer was eventually recovered - empty.

While driving down to Texas for the World Tour of Texas rally in 2019 I stopped at the motel across from the Corvette Museum. Had all the gas siphoned out of my 1964 Chrysler Newport's Tank overnight. Because old gas tanks were real easy to do that too. Only cost me 12+ hours on the side of the road trying to diagnose a sputter and die issue that had to be the fuel pump or the carb or the ignition and could in no way be that the full tank of gas I put in before parking for the night was empty since the gas gauge didn't work. Nope, let's just check the hose connecting the tank to the hard fuel line to be sure it doesn't have cracks in it pulling air and......empty thunk noise as I bump the tank getting under there.........mother %(&%*!

Never trust a hotel/motel parking lot.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Security/ where to store tools at the track?

As mentioned the majority of people at a Lemons race would rather give you a set of tools than steal tools from you!  I all the years I have been involved people are there to helpful vs a negative aspect.