I have separate tools that travel, but I don’t have different sets for the different cars. I just keep a set in my daily driver, and it moves to the truck if I’m driving it somewhere.
I have a checklist for what I take to the track. No separate toolkit because I don’t want sub-par tools when I need them, but it’s quick to assemble.
As for what I’m willing to fix at the track – I’ve changed transmissions between sessions when doing time trials. So that toolkit is fairly comprehensive as you can imagine. The QuickJacks are a must. A visit to any out of town track is a significant time and money investment and I’m not going to lose it.
If I was caring for a kart which is the simplest possible vehicle, I could see having a dedicated toolkit.
I just take this dewalt set with me when I go to the track. It has basically anything you would need to get most any job done. However, it is not always the “perfect” tool for the job.
Cheap too.
Edit. Well, it was about $50 cheaper 2 years ago…
JG Pasterjak
Tech Editor & Production Manager
10/29/25 9:43 a.m.
Keith Tanner said:
If I was caring for a kart which is the simplest possible vehicle, I could see having a dedicated toolkit.
Yeah this is definitely what got my mind going. The BMW does have a fair bit of specific tools that it likes, so when it’s going somewhere where it might need to be fixed, I pack out a setup from the main shop. But the kart can be entirely rebuilt with a set that could almost live in a tool roll, or certainly a small box. It’s so tempting to just assemble a box that lives with it and never have to worry about repacking my main box when I get home.
JG Pasterjak
Tech Editor & Production Manager
10/29/25 9:46 a.m.
wvumtnbkr said:
I just take this dewalt set with me when I go to the track. It has basically anything you would need to get most any job done. However, it is not always the “perfect” tool for the job.
Cheap too.
Edit. Well, it was about $50 cheaper 2 years ago…
I have a very similar Harbor Freight set of these that’s my “trailer” toolbox. It normally lives in the trailer, but also goes on the gold cart around the house to fix stuff around the property. Malfunctioning gate opener? Misaligned screen door? Moaning well pump? That’s the box that springs into action. Maybe I just get another one of those and it lives on the kart stand.
As long as you remember to swing by HF and get 3 or 4 more 10mm deep sockets.
I have a rally toolbox that I take when I’m crewing for other teams- it’s under the checked bag weight limit so I can fly with it too. It’s in an Apache case with generic foam and built in layers, this is enough to do just about anything on most cars and while the layout has gone through several iterations the contents have been the same for a while:
For something like a kart I’d definitely build a similar setup.
I live in a small walk-up apartment in NYC, so in fact, most of my tools live in a box in the trunk of my car. If I can’t keep it there, I don’t need it. So, every time I drive off to the track, I’ve already got my toolkit with me!
When I’m going to the track I’m towing my car there in an enclosed trailer. As I see it, one of the major reasons for having that kind of trailer is that you can just leave your track gear in it between events and thus minimize the amount of packing and unpacking that you need to do. With that in mind I have a trailer-specific set of tools that duplicates what’s in the garage.
My race car is also a BMW, so about those car-specific tools? My trailer lives in my side yard, it’s parked 4 feet from the side door on my garage. I buy one copy of the vehicle-specific tools, they live in the trailer, and in the event that I want to use them in the garage I just walk out there and get them.
And yes, I agree with bringing only the tools necessary to do the jobs you’re expecting to do. OTOH, that category depends on a lot on the significance/length of the event and how far I towed to get there. A random track day event at Laguna Seca (65 miles from my house) doesn’t rate pulling the transmission in the paddock, but a 2000 mile tow to the Runoffs would. Then there’s endurance racing…
It depends. If I’m travelling for a competitive event, I’m bringing as much as I can so I can finish the event. If its just hpde I’ll usually travel light and pack up and go home if something breaks too badly. I’m not up to heroics then. If its in a trailer I can keep packed, its a lot easier to just hook up and drive. If I have to run around and find stuff and pack it into the back of a car, I’m more likely only to bring common tools and borrow stuff like a jack from someone with a trailer if I end up needing it.