The Little Red Worktop Cart That Could
A story of the first worktop cart. A solution that revolutionized pit lane storage forever.
At a time when pit carts were nothing more than typical garage toolboxes with sponsor stickers on them, CTech Manufacturing was just a fledgling company finding success with its new line of “Econo” trailer cabinets. Jim Greenheck and company had achieved their goal of making a lighter, more durable, and more intuitive aluminum trailer cabinet. Next, they turned their attention to the loyal toolbox.
Most toolboxes at your local big box store may come with wheels, but they’re not designed to move. Race teams that cover thousands of highway miles and hundreds of race weekends depend on equipment that can keep up with them. The engineers at CTech Manufacturing realized that your average toolbox just wasn’t going to cut it, and so they set out to develop a toolbox specifically for travelling racers. The result was a bright red powder-coated aluminum prototype with moon-dish wheels and a solid scrubbed aluminum worktop.
Around thirty years ago, Jim (Company Founder) took this eye-catching prototype on his NHRA drag racing tour to test it out. To no surprise, this cart could do things that no regular toolbox could. It could roll in and out of the trailer with ease thanks to its dedicated push/pull chassis. It had an unobstructed worktop that crew members could utilize from any angle. It had a combination of latching drawers and cabinet doors on both sides of the chassis that stayed closed during transit. It even had recessed D-rings to make securing the cart in the trailer easier and safer.
Thus, the first worktop cart was born. It set the standard for pit carts. A standard that still holds true today. Although pit carts at the highest level of motorsports have grown to monstrous proportions, many of them are direct descendants of this original prototype. Even more impressive, the very prototype that Jim took on the road with him is still in service over thirty years later. It was last spotted in the paddock of a Spec Racer Ford team competing in SCCA, still rolling along with its nostalgic “moon-dish” wheel covers.
Today, CTech Manufacturing offers a wide range of pre-configured Worktop Cart models and a long list of options, like race day canopies and wheel racks. Some can even accommodate nitrogen bottle storage and pneumatic distribution. Average weekend warriors and championship-winning stock car teams alike depend on worktop carts to keep their teams organized and focused on the task at hand… WINNING!
Each worktop cart is built to order at CTech Manufacturing's headquarters in Wisconsin. Custom worktop carts are designed in-house by CTech’s growing engineering team. Others are designed and ordered 100% online by customers looking for more control over their storage solution. At ctechmanufacturing.com racers can customize a “Configurable Worktop Cart” which acts as a template for the company's powerful online product configurator. Using the online cart builder, customers can design and order a custom worktop cart from the comfort of home or office. While using the online worktop cart builder, customers can select their cart size, color, options, and even individual drawer stacks. All in stunning 3D live rendering and pricing.
At a time when pit carts were nothing more than typical garage toolboxes with sponsor stickers on them, CTech Manufacturing was just a fledgling company finding success with its new line of “Econo” trailer cabinets. Jim Greenheck and company had achieved their goal of making a lighter, more durable, and more intuitive aluminum trailer cabinet. Next, they turned their attention to the loyal toolbox.
Most toolboxes at your local big box store may come with wheels, but they’re not designed to move. Race teams that cover thousands of highway miles and hundreds of race weekends depend on equipment that can keep up with them. The engineers at CTech Manufacturing realized that your average toolbox just wasn’t going to cut it, and so they set out to develop a toolbox specifically for travelling racers. The result was a bright red powder-coated aluminum prototype with moon-dish wheels and a solid scrubbed aluminum worktop.
Around thirty years ago, Jim (Company Founder) took this eye-catching prototype on his NHRA drag racing tour to test it out. To no surprise, this cart could do things that no regular toolbox could. It could roll in and out of the trailer with ease thanks to its dedicated push/pull chassis. It had an unobstructed worktop that crew members could utilize from any angle. It had a combination of latching drawers and cabinet doors on both sides of the chassis that stayed closed during transit. It even had recessed D-rings to make securing the cart in the trailer easier and safer.
Thus, the first worktop cart was born. It set the standard for pit carts. A standard that still holds true today. Although pit carts at the highest level of motorsports have grown to monstrous proportions, many of them are direct descendants of this original prototype. Even more impressive, the very prototype that Jim took on the road with him is still in service over thirty years later. It was last spotted in the paddock of a Spec Racer Ford team competing in SCCA, still rolling along with its nostalgic “moon-dish” wheel covers.
Today, CTech Manufacturing offers a wide range of pre-configured Worktop Cart models and a long list of options, like race day canopies and wheel racks. Some can even accommodate nitrogen bottle storage and pneumatic distribution. Average weekend warriors and championship-winning stock car teams alike depend on worktop carts to keep their teams organized and focused on the task at hand… WINNING!
Each worktop cart is built to order at CTech Manufacturing's headquarters in Wisconsin. Custom worktop carts are designed in-house by CTech’s growing engineering team. Others are designed and ordered 100% online by customers looking for more control over their storage solution. At ctechmanufacturing.com racers can customize a “Configurable Worktop Cart” which acts as a template for the company's powerful online product configurator. Using the online cart builder, customers can design and order a custom worktop cart from the comfort of home or office. While using the online worktop cart builder, customers can select their cart size, color, options, and even individual drawer stacks. All in stunning 3D live rendering and pricing.
