Choosing the right motorsport cases for your team

If you work in motorsport, you’ll know that the finest margins can be the difference between success and failure. What you may be less aware of is that the same applies to your motorsport cases.

Motorsport cases come in many forms. They include small, hard plastic carry cases to protect hand tools and equipment. Motorsport teams also commonly use flight cases to transport larger parts and equipment. Specialist cases for batteries, plus foam inserts, are increasingly used, too.

But how do you select the right case for your team? This guide highlights seven main areas of consideration, helping you to choose the best option.

The UK, hosting rounds of Formula One and Moto GP, is an important player in the motorsport industry.

Many of the current F1 teams, including McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Williams, Aston Martin and Alpine, have headquarters in Great Britain. Household names, including Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Colin McRae, Damon Hill and Stirling Moss, plus well-known tracks, including Silverstone and Brands Hatch, reflect the UK’s rich history.

Touring cars, rallying, and the club racing scene are also hugely popular.

As such, the UK’s motorsport industry also boasts an impressive annual turnover of £9 billion, with 4,500 businesses actively involved in the sector employing around 41,000 people.

With so many elements involved in motorsport, choosing the right automotive packaging, particularly protective cases, can be vital.

There are, however, seven primary considerations which can help when sourcing motorsport cases, including:

• The size of the parts or tools you are transporting.
• The degree of protection your items need.
• Organisation of your kit.
• Ease of handling.
• Weight considerations.
• Special requirements for lithium batteries.
• Your team’s branding and identity.

Obviously, one of the main factors determining which case you choose is the specific items you are storing or transporting.

Plastic carry cases such as those by Peli, Explorer and Hofbauer would typically be suitable for hand tools and smaller parts.

For larger items, however, you could also consider flight cases (as well as the larger plastic and waterproof cases). For very large items – such as windscreens, body panels, engines, or even full vehicles – options such as timber crates, GRP cases, or roto moulded cases are available.

Getting your parts, tools or other items trackside must be considered too.

Smaller cases will typically have carry handles, making them easier to transport. The larger waterproof cases also commonly include wheels and telescopic handles for ease of movement.

Larger cases can be more challenging to manoeuvre. However, GRP, timber cases and even roto-moulds can all include integral pallets for movement by forklift. Some cases can also include wheels, while others can even feature ramps for unloading large equipment from the case more easily.

As well as making life easier in terms of handling, the weight of your cases can impact your operations in other ways, too.

Primarily, heavier cases cost more to ship, adding to your costs. As such, you may wish to consider lighter-weight cases such as those manufactured using aluminium.

Another way to reduce weight and shipping costs is using custom-sized cases. Using a flight case that is the exact size you need – and not having to select a slightly larger standard case so your items fit – can save a significant amount of weight. It also means you are not paying to ship empty space with your motorsport cases.