Five Ways to Haul your Go Kart to the Track

Once your kart, home track, and racing class are sorted, you can solve the logistical puzzle of getting your kart and gear to and from the track. Here are some solutions I’ve used and ideas for hauling your own kart.

1. Just Keep your Kart at the Track.

Some tracks offer kart storage for a small monthly fee, allowing you to keep your kart and stand at the track. (We note whether storage is offered at the tracks in the O.S.K. database). This is super convenient if you want to just show up with your gear and tools and jump right in, and you don't have a good way to haul a kart back and forth. Simply borrow or rent a trailer or van one time, and don't think about it again until you're ready to race at another track. Then, repeat. 

2. Stuff the Kart into your Daily Driver.

My kart fits in the back of my ‘04 Outback. Yours can too but it will require some testing. Hauling the kart with your primary vehicle is probably the most affordable yet least convenient option depending on your space constraints. A truck with a full sized bed is optimal. Downsides are wear and tear on your daily commute, and needing to "Tetris" your gear if your vehicle has a roof like a wagon. Once you have everything loaded in the most efficient way possible, snap a pic so you can copy it the next time. Adding some storage on the roof helps, but it also means storing a large container when not in use.

3.  Invest in an enclosed trailer.

Living in a city, there is no place for me to store an enclosed trailer so it’s not an option. But if you have the space, these are the gold standard of kart hauling. Enclosed trailers can be kitted out with everything you could want: air compressor, extra wheels, tools, space heater, mini fridge, dog, comfortable seats. The whole shop is on wheels so there is no need to unpack and repack everything at the end of a race day. The downsides are a high cost of entry, and needing a capable vehicle to tow it and a place to store it. Trailers also tend to get stolen on occasion so security is another consideration. 

4. Invest in an open trailer.

An open trailer saves on running and entry costs. It lacks the conveniences of an enclosed trailer but is less of a headache than stuffing the kart into the back of a wagon. Downsides are that you still need to store it, but they take up very little space. I have used the smallest Harbor Freight trailer to good effect. With an open trailer your kart will get wet if it is raining on race day, but that isn’t a big deal. As long as everything is strapped down any car can pull a utility trailer with a kart on it.

5. Buy a Dedicated Kart Vehicle.

If taxes and registration fees on a second car aren't too costly where you live, you don't mind wrenching, and it’s in your budget, buying a dedicated kart van or truck may be the best option. This is my main way of getting to the track. I built a simple platform in the back to be able to load the kart at stand level, and later added a shelf for additional gear storage over the kart. My setup is humble, but there is a huge range of creative setups that are worth perusing for ideas before modifying your own.

Owning a kart van is right for my situation, but my dream setup would be a huge motovan that doubles as a trackside garage and allows me to travel in one package. 

What is your current set-up like? What would you do if you had your druthers?