Protect your rigs as you travel south..............

[Geddes]

Guys,

Remember.......... they stole two race rigs two weeks ago. One in S.Carolina and the other from a motel in Commerce. (NMCA race)

The "it won't happen to me" thinking is naive.

We must have a system to disable the tow rig. With all the smart heads out here you surely can do kill switches, fuel pump relay removal, etc.

These thieves know who you are and where you're going, etc.

Think about it.

[Bill Harris]

Not only when your travelling, but at the track itself... there is a long and sad history of theft from unattended trailers at Commerce. That is one track that I always try to remember to close and lock the trailer and RV when I head to the lanes unless someone stays with the rig and is watching.

[stocker4046]

After a race a few years ago, a friend of ours rig was loaded on a roll-back at a motel in Memphis. So wheels need to be disabled.

BTW, he sued the motel, and won, because it had a security guard who was sleeping when it happened.

[Jim Cimarolli]

It's also a good idea to back your truck into the parking area at Hotels and turn the wheels to the right or left. The thieves are using repo rigs to steal cars and trucks now. They don't even get out, they just back up to it, and run those hooks out around the tires and they are gone. If the vehicle is backed in they will probably keep looking. Of course there are many other ways to steal a rig if they really want it, but this might help.

[tim worner]

I still vividly recall the feeling I got when mine was stolen in 15 min. time @ a truck stop. A simple hidden switch for the fuel pump is a strong deterent because the thieves don't like to take alot of time stealing. Pickups with trailers are still an easy target for these low lifes. I have always hoped they might steal it with me in it. Surprise,surprise,surprise!!!!!

[gymracer01]

I can only add to what the others are saying as I was at Commerce 2 weeks ago for the NMCA race and a fellow racer got his rig stolen on the way to the track. He was sure killed to have lost his car, trailer, truck and a bunch of belongings. Actually he and his wife only had the cloths they had took into the motel to wear the next day. I tow with a motorhome and we are never away fro it except at the track. Even in a truck stop, some one stays with the rig as the other goes in if we have to. You'll have a great race and keep stuff safe.
Jim Netherland
2007 NMCA NSS World Champion

[Rob Petrie E395]

I have found the best place to stay with a race rig on the road is a Casino. If at all possible I try to stay at one when traveling. They usually have a huge parking lot so getting in and out is not a problem for a long setup like mine and the security is second to none. Every one I have ever stayed at has constant security in the parking lot looking for people up to no good of any kind.

[Michael Kilduff]

Some very good suggestions in this thread.

Something that would surely be beneficial would be using a LoJack kind of device, or a GPS of some sort so that if the rig was stolen you could notify the authorities and they would be able to track it down.

I have never used one, but I recall a guy on another racing forum told about how he and his coworkers 'watch' their freight being shipped from NJ to FL with a Lo Jack kind of device.

I had a friend 10 years ago that used to repo cars......and he had a pick up as described above with the hide-away boom in the bed. A flick of the switch the tailgate went down, up goes the boom and in a minute or less most of the time he was in tow with the car.

He also would get the key codes on alot of vehicles up for repo and he would punch out a key while we were in the truck. I have no doubt that more than a few professional car thieves have access to the same codes and can drive away with the rig with no signs of forced entry, and no security guys getting suspicious.

What is next......racers hiring armed guards to watch their rig so they can get some shut eye?

[icebrrrg]

With the current gas shortage in that region, locking gas caps would probably be a good idea too.

Mark Berg
I/S 2665

[Jim Cimarolli]

I think I saw a post on here at another time that mentioned covering your VIN at the bottom of the windshield so that they can't get a key cut from that.