Made to measure
Made in Britain
Free design service
UK's #1 Awning Company
A race awning needs to accommodate more than the bike. Across a busy weekend, the same paddock space may be used for equipment checks, rider briefings, changing kit, eating between sessions and welcoming sponsors. Planning how those activities fit together can make a significant difference to how useful your shelter becomes.
At The Awning Company, our motorsport awnings range includes solutions for panel vans, motorhomes, race trucks and freestanding setups. Here, we look at how to choose and arrange that space so riders, mechanics and guests each have somewhere suitable throughout the day.
Before choosing an awning, consider what happens around your vehicle from arrival to pack-down. Where will vehicles be unloaded? How much room do mechanics need to work? Where can a rider sit without blocking access to tools or spare parts?
A useful starting point is to plan three areas:
These areas do not necessarily need separate structures. Even within a compact race van awning, the position of a workbench, chairs and storage can help each part of the space serve its purpose.
Think about the busiest moment of the day when judging the layout. An area that feels generous before unloading can soon become crowded once equipment, stands, toolboxes and team members are in place.
When planning a new motocross awnings, it’s easy to give every available metre to the bikes. However, a rider’s seat should not become a temporary shelf for tools or a place that needs clearing whenever maintenance starts.
Position the rest area away from the main working route where possible. Keep drinks, spare clothing and personal belongings together, and leave enough room for riders to remove or put on their kit without stepping into the workshop area.
An awning can provide shade and shelter, but the layout determines how comfortable that space is to use. Seating beside a busy entrance will offer a different experience from seating in a quieter corner. Plan for those practical details before deciding on the overall size.
If your team is travelling in a panel van or motorhome, the first question is how much additional space you need alongside the vehicle itself.
Our GH Frontier Windout can be assembled by one person and is available with projections of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 metres. It can also be used as a roof-only system, providing a starting point for discussing the balance between covered working space, access and your available paddock footprint.
When comparing different UK race awning structures, you’ll want to take into consideration how many people will be setting up and what needs to fit beneath the roof. A solo rider travelling with one bike will have different requirements from a team supporting several riders.
Our panel van and motorhome awnings also include modular frame options, with one-bay systems and two-bay systems for extra-long wheelbases. We can discuss your vehicle and intended layout and help establish which approach best suits your race weekend.
With a larger vehicle, there may be more covered space available, but access still needs careful thought out. Unloading points, vehicle doors and routes to stored equipment should all inform the layout from the word go.
Our GH Jumbo Windout is designed for 7.5-tonne race trucks and rigid box vehicles. It can be mounted to the vehicle’s side or recessed into the body, with single units up to 7 metres long and linked cassettes providing coverage up to 10 metres.
If you’re considering a rigid box van awning, a good place to start is mapping how people and equipment move around the truck. The extra coverage should allow you to position workstations and seating sensibly, while preserving easy access to the vehicle.
A race truck awning should be planned around those everyday movements as well as the amount of equipment you carry.
Sometimes the most useful extra space is a separate structure. If the main vehicle awning is already occupied by bikes and mechanics, a freestanding tent gives you another area to allocate to preparation, storage or team use.
Our tech tents use a modular format with 3m × 6m bays and a choice of GP or National roof styles and come supplied with a hardstanding kit and storm bracing wire kit.
However, before you add one to your line up, think about how it will sit within your allocated pitch. You’ll want to make sure you leave practical routes between structures and decide what the additional tent will be used for. Racing awnings are most useful when every part of the setup has a clear role.
If you regularly welcome sponsors, clients or invited guests, hospitality deserves to be considered from the beginning. Asking visitors to share the bike preparation area can interrupt work and leave little space for conversation, not to mention creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for your guests.
Our motorsport hospitality tents provide a bespoke space for you to receive any special guests and house team members, without disturbing your mechanics. We can even incorporate brand colours, team logos and sponsor graphics.
When planning hospitality alongside your workshop, think about where visitors will arrive, where they will sit and how they will move through the setup. Also consider how the space will be used between guest visits. It may need to accommodate team meals or meetings, so include those activities in the design brief.
The best way to plan your motorsport awning setup is to think about every moving part before you start designing. From unloading bikes and organising tools to giving riders somewhere to prepare and welcoming sponsors, it all needs to work together.
It’s worth thinking ahead, too. Your team might grow, you might bring more equipment, or you may need extra room for guests. Consider what causes problems with your current setup, whether that’s a crowded working area, awkward access to the vehicle or too little shelter when the weather turns.
With these details, we can help you create a setup that works for everyone involved, from crew and mechanics to riders, guests and sponsors. We’ll look at how you use the space, where you race and what you need in different weather conditions, so the design fits your team throughout the weekend.
Before requesting a quote, it’s helpful to have the following details to hand:
Here at The Awning Company, we bring 40 years of experience to designing awnings around the demands of motorsport. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in racing, including Toyota Gazoo Racing and the Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki World Motocross Team, giving us first-hand experience of what teams need from their paddock space.
We can take your setup from concept to completion, with bespoke awnings designed, manufactured and fitted by our team right here at our Bolton facility. Made in Britain and made to measure for your vehicle, each setup can be tailored around your working space, rider preparation, hospitality and branding requirements.
Whether you need a race van awning or a larger workshop and hospitality setup, come and talk to us about what you have in mind. Our free design service lets you work through the details with an experienced team and create a space that fits your vehicles, your people, and the way you race. To get started, download our free brochures, get a quote or give us a call on 01204 544 900, and let’s start designing your bespoke setup!
Menu
Close