fatto gatto racing

It would seem tieing down a race car would be very simple and straightforward. You just find easily accessible points on the car, hook the straps/chains to it, secure the other end to the trailer somehow, and tighten away. Actually, improper tieing down of a race car can be quite damaging to the car. And, I’m not talking about improper tie downs that come loose, thereby allowing the car to bounce around/off the trailer.
Most race cars will endure far more time or mileage under transport than they will on the track. If the car is not secured properly more wear and tear on the race car will occur during transport than during on track activities. If the car is tied down using hard points on the chassis (suspension members or frame members) then every little vibration is transmitted throughout the car directly to all components. It is as if the car were raced with no shocks or springs. This is because most people, when securing the car to a frame/suspension member, winch the car down extremely tight. This method can lead to all sorts of stress fractures and failures over time. (This would seem especially damaging to rear wing mounts.)

It is best to use the wheels/tires as anchoring points. This allows the suspension to operate normally, dampening out vibrations just as when the car is on the track. The best method is to use those strap units that are designed to fit over tires and be attached to E-track or a D-ring. Alternatively, use a standard ratcheting cargo strap over the tire secured as close as possible to the tire in front and behind the tire. Special rubber pads are available designed to keep the strap from sliding off. Depending on the car, it may be difficult, or impossible, to utilize this method. In that case, hopefully your wheels are not solid and you can use a padded strap through the wheels, assuming you can get the hard point through the wheel opening. Attach it to the trailer ahead of the front wheel and behind the rear wheel.

To triangulate or not to triangulate? Should the straps/chains be crossed or not? I do not feel triangulation provides any more security than tieing down straight ahead and behind. (This definitely assumes all four wheels are tied down.) In fact, triangulation can lead to problems if the two straps/chains are not equal in length and secured at the same angles. If one is longer than the other the bouncing of the trailer will tend to equalize the lengths of these straps and the car may wind up cocked a bit in the trailer.

Should the transmission be placed in gear for transport? Definitely not. This places a tremendous amount of wear on the gearbox and shift linkage. Allowing the car to rock a bit, limited by the wheel straps, allows the suspension to do its thing, and reduces the impact of the constant vibration experienced during transport.