[N Camarolina]

And I'm wondering about a "law related" issues such as:

- Since the license plate will be blocked by the tires on the rack, do you have to relocate the plate, and to where? I can't imagine driving several hours to a track with the plate obscured and not getting pulled over by a cop.

- Are the tail-lights visible with 3 tires on the rack so that vehicles behind you can see your brake lights and turning signals?

[Camaro Fanatic]

Thanks for the additional pictures and the deflectors are a good idea! Looking at Clyde's pictures the exhaust tips do seem quite close to the outside of the tires.

It's kind of hard to tell but it seems like Cylde's friend attached their plate to the carrier/rack.
Judging from the angle of the picture it seems like with 2 tires the side brake lights aren't obstructed and the 3rd brake light (top of the trunk) seems mostly visible if you're looking head on.

Would like to hear your experience Matt, especially running 3 tires on the carrier.

[Msquared]

I'm driving ~300mi to Lincoln, Peru, and Chicago. Maybe twice that to Moultrie in March. So far I've never been hassled about the license plate, but in MO we have to run front plates and therefore that one is always visible. I've been wondering about that myself. If necessary, I can arrange some sort of easy-swap setup to put the plate on the carrier when it's on. But the rear plate may not be much more obscured than if someone is towing a small tire trailer.

The taillights are still visible, so no issues there.

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by clyde

Not my setup, but another friend's setup with two tires on the rack. Safety cable through the wheels and locked to the receiver.

This is exactly my plan. I have the towbar/receiver for bike rack, but I got a cargo-rack like that and I plan to put two wheels on it. I was able to fit two of Dave's 19" rims that I bought inside the car with minimal fuss, but I can't conceive of getting more than two in there with tires on. So I got the cargo-rack and plan to strap two tires down outside. Gotta watch the exhaust of course, make sure it's not contacting and causing fire/melting rubber.

[Msquared]

In addition to what Clyde wrote, Mike Leeder routinely put one wheel/tire in the trunk and three inside the car. He'll probably do that again this year now that he returned to Camaroland from the Dark Side. I'm pretty sure he put two in the back seat and one in the front, but I wouldn't want to have to testify to that under oath.

With only two wheels on the cargo carrier, the exhaust may not aim at the tires. They might be inside of the exhaust tips. I'm not sure.

[N Camarolina]

Originally Posted by Msquared

In addition to what Clyde wrote, Mike Leeder routinely put one wheel/tire in the trunk and three inside the car. He'll probably do that again this year now that he returned to Camaroland from the Dark Side. I'm pretty sure he put two in the back seat and one in the front, but I wouldn't want to have to testify to that under oath.

With only two wheels on the cargo carrier, the exhaust may not aim at the tires. They might be inside of the exhaust tips. I'm not sure.

I'm routinely putting 3 wheels in the back seat and one in the trunk. There still room in the trunk for jack, 2 stands, and a relatively small tote for essential tools and quart of oil. But little room is left for clothes tote, helmet, and cooler. Those all go on the passenger seat and passenger foot well. Doable? Yes. Fun packing and unpacking? Nope

[Camaro Fanatic]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

I'm routinely putting 3 wheels in the back seat and one in the trunk. There still room in the trunk for jack, 2 stands, and a relatively small tote for essential tools and quart of oil. But little room is left for clothes tote, helmet, and cooler. Those all go on the passenger seat and passenger foot well. Doable? Yes. Fun packing and unpacking? Nope

Did you remove the back seat (bottom and back cushion) to fit 3 wheels in the back?
Silly question but how do you keep the interior clean after a track day?
Bag the wheels in large trash bags?

[N Camarolina]

Originally Posted by Camaro Fanatic

Did you remove the back seat (bottom and back cushion) to fit 3 wheels in the back?
Silly question but how do you keep the interior clean after a track day?
Bag the wheels in large trash bags?

Yes, to fit the 3 wheels in the back (2 rears, 1 front) you need to take out the rear seat and seat back. Wheels then fit vertically, side-by-side (oriented the same way as when mounted to the hubs). Done this way, the front seats do not be need to moved very much forward from their rearmost position

To keep things clean inside the car, use wheel tote bags. They don't cost that much on Amazon and they work great.

[Dabjbr]

So... I'm one of those guys that fit 1 in the trunk and 3 in the back WITHOUT removing the seat cushions. It is a very snug. Here's how it works:

4 square 19x11 wheels wrapped in Nankang AR1 305/30/19 (18's would be easier). I put them in tire totes and place towels on the seats to keep things clean. 2 tires sit side by side parallel behind the passenger seat. The 3rd tire (behind the driver) sits perpendicular nesting into the middle tire. That allows me to still recline my seat and drive comfortably. So, it does all fit but it's a PITA. Plus, I can't take anyone with me UNLESS they are tiny and can fit in the passenger seat far forward. See this video from last year:



That's why I'm leaning towards this hitch setup. Although, I do hate the idea of a hitch on my sports car, I'm starting to tire (pun intended) of putting the tires in the car. Finally, tires after a track day don't smell the best.

[Dabjbr]

Ps, just thinking out loud. Since the carrier and tires partially obstruct the tailpipes, I think it’s best to drive with NPP fully open (in sport or track) to use a 4 tailpipes versus just 2. Essentially to spread the heat out more.

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Dabjbr

Ps, just thinking out loud. Since the carrier and tires partially obstruct the tailpipes, I think it’s best to drive with NPP fully open (in sport or track) to use a 4 tailpipes versus just 2. Essentially to spread the heat out more.

They aren't that close. The exhaust flow isn't restricted at all. I just added the shields in case the heat would stream back into the outside tires during a highway drive.

[Camaro Fanatic]

When I saw the Draw-Tite hitch for Camaro's were fixed and not a stealth hitch (presumably to get a 200lb tongue weight) I too hated the idea of a fixed hitch sticking out.
Hoping it grows on me if I go that route.

The video helps a lot on if I do try fitting all 4x wheels in the car.
Sounds like removing the rear seats might add just enough space to allow a passenger to fit comfortably (fiancee wants to come along to the track day weekends).

With Michigan winters, I still have some time to decide what route to go before my first track day.

Appreciate everyone's inputs and continue adding pictures and videos on how you bring your wheels and essentials to your track days.
This thread has been really helpful for me!

[Msquared]

Certainly for a track day, removing the rear seat could be viable. Some of us are competing in classes like SCCA Solo F Street that won't allow such things, so that's a no-go for us.

[Dabjbr]

Originally Posted by Camaro Fanatic

When I saw the Draw-Tite hitch for Camaro's were fixed and not a stealth hitch (presumably to get a 200lb tongue weight) I too hated the idea of a fixed hitch sticking out.
Hoping it grows on me if I go that route.

There is a stealth version out there but IIRC it's like $800. More than I care to spend.

I too hope the fixed hitch isn't too horrible looking. I intend to spray paint so that it blends into the rear apron, maybe flat black?

Anyway, I just pulled the trigger. $187 for the hitch and $90 for the carrier. That's very reasonable. Plus, not having to wrap my tires in totes while keeping the interior smell free will be worth the impact to looks... at least I hope so!