mhm993

We trailer.
But since you're still at the top of the slope looking down, do consider: If you drive the car, you have to take care of one vehicle at the track. If you trailer, now you have three vehicles--car, tow, trailer--to look after coming down, at the track, and returning. You can always get home with long distance AAA if something goes wrong.
Just a suggestion to take small steps and get comfortable with one vehicle before committing to taking care of three.
(And then buy an aluminum enclosed trailer.)

xsboost90

spun a rod bearing at my first DE event in my old 944- in the last session. Had to tow home on my buddys trailer and drive his race car home for him. Bought a trailer before the next event.

racer

As a child my folks had an RV and a trailer (the trailer was more for our motorcycles, but on occcasion was used by us when there were issues, or to haul home others who may have had a mechanical issue). This was in the 1970s and almost NO ONE trailered, except those rich Ferrari owners

Now, it seems that unless you are a complete noob, EVERYONE trailers.

For me, if I trailered, it would mean that I never spend actual "street" time in my Porsche. To me, that is a HUGE con. Spending 1-4-8 hours at a time in any of the Porsche's over the years has been fun. Whether in temperature extremes, balding tires, track suspensions etc, I love the look out the windshield.

I know if my car were to break, I would rely on the kindness of others to help get my car home safely. The club motto always seem to be "no one gets left behind".

imho, if only DE and you can avoid the Hoosier crack pipe, DRIVE your Porsche. Especially if a newer one with great HVAC system and stereo. Enjoy the time and the view. The speed. The "ease" of a quick getaway. Why spend another 30min-hour or more "packing" up all your junk.

I've enjoyed not having a tow vehicle/trailer for nearly 20 years now. Maybe that will change someday.

Nick Wong

How about tow AND drive?

Streak

I started driving to and from like everyone else. I saw the wisdom of trailering to far away events just in case something went bad so I bought an open trailer. I still have that open trailer but really need to get an enclosed soon.

As you get more serious about track stuff you need to bring more stuff. Can't fit a tool box, 4 wheels/tires, cooler and luggage for a three day event in a Boxster even though it has two trunks

mrbill_fl

how far are you from the track?

IIRC, The AAA+ membership is good for 100 mile free tow. (and I don't think leaving a broken car at the track and getting it during the week is uncommon. ...)

just starting in DE's I'd try to drive it a few times. but once you start to race I think you'll want a trailer. open aluminum's hold their values and should be easy to resell if you don't like it or, want to move up to enclosed.

and I get 12mpg in a expedition and a featherlite open.

what kind of tow vehicle?

pmason

Trailer, 24ft included, already had the f250 crew cab diesel, but it paid for itself a few times, fuel pump failed, clutch failed, wrecked once, but nice not to have to worry, but also have tools, tires, scooter, etc.

RickBetterley

Another nice thing about towing - it gives your spouse or significant other mobility while you're at the track.

Upstate101

Karen,
The more you drive on the track, DE or otherwise, the more likely your car will become a track car rather than a DD. I started DEs and track events in March and got sucked into the vortex. Like probably everyone else I started driving the car to the track - usually 2-3 hour drives each way. Then I had the 951 overheat and fry the engine at an event and had to have it towed back home. Soon afterward I bought a used F250 diesel and an open aluminum trailer. Had another mechanical problem and was able to trailer it back home.
The other thing I found was the more the car was modified for track use, the less comfortable it was to drive on the street. With a truck and trailer I can drive in comfort with AC and a good stereo and pack all the tools, tires, cooler, chairs, food, extra clothes, etc that I need for me and my son (who also drives).
I've always driven sports cars so driving the truck is a new experience but one that is growing on me, even though at first I felt like a tug boat captain. The truck has proven to be quite practical - try strapping a Christmas tree to the top of your S2. Trips to Home Depot/Lowe's are no sweat. Easy to move adult children (out of the house !). Get instant "street cred" with non-auto enthusiast friends who hunt and fish. Be Master and Commander of rush hour traffic. I could go on but you're probably sick of it already.

Techno Duck

Something else to consider with towing is you can be limited in the routes you can take to and from the track. Only a problem for some, in particular if you live in an area with many parkways and freeways.

For me, leaving Long Island to get basically anywhere i am basically stuck taking the GW.

Still every time i have pulled out of my driveway in the morning heading to the track i have thought in my head "i wonder if its going to make it home".

With that said, if i had the space to store it, id probably have a trailer!

Things that do suck about driving to the track are sitting in traffic in the middle of August and the butt clench when i am dodging craters and the uneven pavement on the BQE... or dodging yellow cabs, pedestrians and bike messengers trying to get to the Holland Tunnel .

911Königin

Hmmmmmmmmm.......I'm smelling a new business venture
I'm kind of an all or nothing gal...........
I fear 'the slide' has already started
I'm crying.

Ahhhhhhhh, the joys of being single - no one to bitch at you
Will have to see which ones my instructor wants to use - there may be a few weekend trips. I know PP and MO are on the list.
OT has heard about my many trips to HD - and, car already is a track car.

JackOlsen

I've been driving my car to the track for 13 years, now. The early morning drive to my local track will always be one of my favorite driving experiences. I've got a thermos of coffee along with 85 minutes of Springsteen and the Valentine One signal piped into my earplugs. There aren't many things more beautiful than watching the sun come up over the California desert. And I have to say I genuinely enjoy passing all of those well-stocked (but limited to 55 mph on CA highways) rigs on the way to the track, and then passing most of those pampered and no-longer-street-legal vehicles once we all get out on the road course iteslf.

AAA Premiere has always gotten me home whenever something has gone wrong.

I think the danger of having a trailer is that the car just ends up sitting inside it in between events. I like driving my car around town (and through the canyons) as much as I like tracking it. I have a wing and a splitter that bolt on for track use and fit inside the car the rest of the time.

Driving up to Laguna Seca from Los Angeles:



The diner at the intersection where James Dean crashed and died.



Then, with the aero bolted on, leaping down through the corkscrew.



Then again -- I took the AC out of the car a few years back. I've been known to not feel the need for the cool shirt all day at the track, but still unpack it and set it up for the drive back home. The desert is a little less romantic when the mercury's crept up above the century mark.

If I had the room for a truck or a trailer it might be a different story, I'll admit. James Dean would have lived a longer life if he's been trailering his 550 Spyder that day. But there's a part of me that still holds onto the idea that it's possible to have one car to tear up Mulholland Drive and also the big track at Willow Springs -- whick is also the car you can hop in to go down to the 7-11. It might be that I'm wrong about that, ultimately -- but I'm enjoying being wrong every time I cross over from the 5 to the 14 and see the high desert spread out before the hood of my 911.

Mulholland Drive, the day after Thanksgiving this year:



And the old thing still runs a 1:27 at Willow Springs. On those exact same tires.

Jenner

Jack in a word: Awesome

Love your 911 and your attitude.

AudiOn19s

I've been tracking for 11 years and have always driven to the track. That said I'm currently finally thinking about caving and getting a tow vehicle and trailer. I've gotten to the point where I really want to start making more trips to some of the fantastic tracks around the country and when you start going more than 2-300 miles for a track day the risks get that much higher in my opinion.

Even if I bought a trailer I'd still drive to Mid Ohio since it's only 45 min from my front door. But I really want to make more trips to VIR, Glen, Road America and Road Atlanta. At present I make one long distance trip a year to track days but with a trailer I could see myself doing 4-5 long distance trips in addition to my regular visits to the tracks within a few hours of me.

If you're new to this and only see yourself doing ~5-ish events a year I'd suggest driving to for now and evaluating your need for a trailer down the road.

Manifold

If you're driving instead of towing, having a relatively new car helps reduce the risk of a breakdown at the track, though you do need to take extra care not to crash if you can't tow the car home (plus a newer car means more expensive). The other limitation is that you'll be on street tires, or R-comps which will wear faster on the street than street tires.

FWIW, I did close to 50 track days this past season, driving to tracks between 1.5 and 6 hours away. I had zero problems with the car (surely some luck involved there), and the car was comfy both on and off track. Amazing!

Next season, I'm considering at least getting a roof track or tire trailer to take spare tires to tracks which are farther away.