Autoblog Travelogue - Trailer Queens and Kings of One Lap of America

A few years ago, some enterprising One Lapper that was short on lebensraum and/or tool space sourced a small trailer and a hitch for their racecar. The next year, what was a mere curiosity became a major piece of pit gear overnight, quickly evolving into a game of 'one-upsmanship,' a common theme among gearheads. What started out with basic little U-Haul types and little flat-bed steel-frames begat a full-blow trailer war, with One Lappers showing up with custom trailers painted to match their racecars, rigs capable of hauling bicycles for track recon laps and trundling about the paddock, etc. A few years ago, a particularly quick early 90's Ford Thunderbird sported a 'mini-me' version of itself in tow, with South Park figures at the helm. Though some of the rental trailers post warnings about traveling above 55 mph, we have it on good authority that the little load luggers 'remain rock solid right up until around 110 mph... that's when things start to get a little spooky.'

This year, trailers are once again out in force, with setups attached to everything from Truck/SUV class entrants to bespoke hitches and trailers on the backs of Vipers, 911s, and even that Ultralite Lotus Seven knockoff, making for an odd scene for passers-by on America's roads. Some have built-in tool racks, while we've even spotted a rig with a wireless Internet workstation and vehicle diagnostic equipment. In years past, a 1960's Corvette GS even had a sizeable auxiliary fuel tank with some aircraft-grade hoses running to the racecar itself.

This year's selections have become a little tamer, but trailers remain a major component of One Lap paddock life, enabling a large amount of tools, parts and detritus to be shuttled around the country, and we thought you'd like a quick peak at some of this year's entrants.

Click through to the jump, and enjoy.