Hauling a Race or Show Car from Sarasota to Sebring, Daytona, or Homestead
If you are towing a show car, race car, or track-day car out of Sarasota for a weekend at Sebring, Daytona, Homestead-Miami, or Bradenton Motorsports Park, an enclosed trailer is the right tool. Our 16 and 20 foot enclosed haulers in south Sarasota give you 7 ft of interior height, so measure the car, wing included, before you book.
The short version: take the 20-footer for a full-size car, a non-running project, or anything with a low splitter, because it has the 10,000 lb winch and you can ask for the low-profile racing ramps or a dolly when you book. Take a 16-footer for a smaller sports car, a lighter classic, or motorcycles. Book Thursday evening through Sunday and the booking page shows the full total before you pay.
Booking takes about a minute online and you sign on your phone. A pickup code is texted to you when the rental starts, so you can hitch up Thursday evening and roll out before sunrise.
Why enclosed for a race or show weekend
An open hauler gets the car there. An enclosed trailer gets it there clean, dry, and still yours. Florida builds a thunderstorm most summer afternoons, and the run across the state, north up I-75 or south across Alligator Alley, puts you behind gravel trucks. Inside a box, none of that touches the paint.
The bigger reason is overnight. Most race weekends mean a hotel lot Friday and Saturday night, and a race car on an open deck under a parking-lot light is an invitation. Behind a closed ramp door, the car, the spare wheels, and the fuel jugs are out of sight. Hauling a classic to a show instead? Our enclosed car hauler guide covers the paint-protection side.
16 or 20 feet: match the trailer to the car and the gear
All three share the same hitch setup and rear ramp door. The difference is floor length, axle build, and loading equipment.
| Trailer | Best for | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Diamond Cargo 8.5 x 20 ft | Full-size cars, race cars, non-running project cars | $165/day, $1,000/week |
| 2025 Hook & Line 8.5 x 16 ft V-nose | Smaller classics, sports cars, motorcycles | $125/day, $750/week |
| 2024 Haulmark Transport 8.5 x 16 ft | Compact cars, motorcycles, side-by-sides | $125/day, $750/week |
Go with the 20-footer if the car is full-size, does not run, or sits low enough that the front lip would catch a normal ramp angle. It carries the 10,000 lb winch, and the low-profile racing ramps or a dolly are available on request, so ask when you book. The extra four feet is where your wheels and canopy go. Smaller sports cars and lighter classics fit the 16-footers fine, and the Hook & Line gives you 16 ft of flat floor before the V-nose.
On the truck side, a half-ton pickup with a tow package handles the 16-footers and most cars in the 20-footer. A loaded 20-footer with a 3,500 lb car is over 7,000 lb behind you, so for a heavy classic on a long interstate pull a three-quarter-ton is more comfortable. Not sure? See our tow guide.
What you are loading into
- All trailers: 8.5 ft wide, 7 ft interior height, rear ramp door, LED lighting inside and out, spare tire, tire aid, and an impact gun
- 20 ft Diamond Cargo: 20 ft floor, empty about 3,600 lb, payload about 6,400 lb, 10,000 lb GVWR, 10,000 lb winch, E-track with 4 straps, low-profile racing ramps or a dolly on request
- 16 ft Hook & Line: 16 ft of flat floor before the V-nose, empty about 3,300 lb, 10,000 lb GVWR, custom built on 5,000 lb axles
- 16 ft Haulmark: 16 ft floor, empty about 3,525 lb, 10,000 lb GVWR
The dawn loading routine
Here is the routine that works at 5:30 AM with a flashlight. The winch and ramp steps apply to the 20-footer.
- Park straight on level ground and leave the truck hitched. It is your anchor while the car goes up the ramp.
- Drop the ramp door. If you asked for the low-profile ramps, set them at the lip so a splitter clears.
- Drive it up slowly in first gear, or on the 20-footer hook the winch to a frame point and walk it up if the car does not run.
- Stop with roughly 60 percent of the car's weight ahead of the trailer axles. Too far back and the rig wanders at highway speed.
- Strap it, shut the ramp, and re-tighten everything after the first mile. Straps settle once the suspension moves.
Tie-down points for lowered cars
The 20-footer comes with E-track and four straps. Cross them front and rear on the frame or wheels so the car cannot walk sideways, and on a lowered car route them so nothing rubs a control arm or coilover. On either 16-footer, bring your own wheel straps or confirm the tie-down points when you book.
Never strap to suspension arms or bumper covers. A strap on a control arm compresses on every bump and works loose by the first fuel stop, and a strap on a bumper cover pulls the cover off. Frame or wheels only.
What to pack in the trailer
The trailer carries its own spare, tire aid, and impact gun, so you are packing for the car. Keep heavy items ahead of the axles and strapped down.
- Spare wheels and tires, jack, stands, and a torque wrench
- Oil, brake fluid, coolant, and a drain pan in a lidded bin
- Fuel jugs, upright and strapped down
- Canopy, chairs, cooler, and a fan for the pits
- Tool box, zip ties, spare straps, and a broom for the floor
Weekend rental math in plain terms
A Thursday evening pickup and a Sunday return covers the whole weekend with the rig hitched the night before. Pick your pickup and return times on the booking page and it shows the full total with sales tax before you pay.
Past a few days, the weekly rate starts to win, and the booking page prices your dates for you. Keeping a trailer all season? Ask about the monthly rate.
Payment in full at booking locks your dates, and if the race runs long you can extend from your phone as long as the trailer is free. An optional damage protection plan at checkout limits what you owe for accidental trailer damage to a set copay. Bring a valid driver's license and proof of auto insurance; both are required for every rental.
Contactless pickup the night before
Race mornings start early. Book the rental to start Thursday and a code is texted to you when it starts. Come by 3180 Arapaho Street, a few minutes off US-41 near Gulf Gate, hitch up, and go, any hour of the night. If you would rather walk the trailer with us first, in-person pickup runs 8 AM to 7 PM every day.
The night-before checklist
- Hitch to the 2-5/16 in ball, cross the safety chains, plug in the 7-pin, and confirm the electric brakes grab when you tap the controller
- Walk the lights, outside and in
- Check the trailer tires and the spare
- Confirm the low-profile ramps or dolly you asked for are in the trailer before you leave the yard, and find the winch before you need it in the dark
- Load the gear tonight, ahead of the axles, so the car goes in last and comes out first
- Fill the truck tonight so your first stop tomorrow is the track gate
Book your track weekend trailer
Whether you are headed to Bradenton Motorsports Park, Sebring, Daytona, or Homestead-Miami, the trailer is the easy part. See real-time availability and book online, or call 941-893-0444. We serve Sarasota, Venice, and Bradenton. Ask us about delivery.