I've been trying to find insurance to cover a day at the track, with no luck.

As is the case with most policies, my policy excludes professional or organized racing and practice for such events. I assume a carrier would interpret an Advanced Driving Course as organized racing.

So what happens if you get in a wreck while on the track, or worse yet, wreck someone else's car? Does anyone have direct experience filing claims with their carriers?

Is there supplemental insurance that will cover time on a race track that can be obtained specifically for the track day?

Any help, advice, or experiences shared would be helpful.

 

Are you "racing" or doing a Driver Education event??
If the former you can get insurance and it is VERY expensive.
If you are just doing a DE your car insurance "should" technically cover it.
Dont ever you the words race or timed event and ususally you are fine.
But ya never know.
I have been driving at the track over 10 years and have never insured my race cars or my DE car. For those that have gotten DE insurance. it usually runs thousands of dollars to cover several events and usually has a 3-5k deductible.
Just go and relax and have a good time!!

some info from "another" forum.........

AFAIK http://laurelde.com/ is still writing policies. I used them for three years, but stopped due to them raising the deductible for RSAs to $10k from $5k.

Anyone know anything about: http://www.everittboles.com/index.htm ? They are a UK company, but there is a US application.
__________________
Jim
1993 RSA

forkliftView Public ProfileSend a private message to forkliftSend email to forkliftFind More Posts by forkliftAdd forklift to Your Buddy List

 

Yes. There is track insurance. Contact the local club and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

You might contact Don kitch at Proformance Racing School, near Seattle. He has a contact that he recommends to many of us that frequent his events.

IIRC, the coverage is based on the value of the car and only covers the car, not medical expenses, nor other cars involved in the accident. The coverage is very different from normal street car coverage. It is considerably more restrictive in terms of what it covers.

I have heard many stories of people "dupping" the insurnace companies, by various means. But I have known a couple of people that honestly did not wreck the car on the track, then the car gets damaged in the trailer on the way home. Insurance companies get pretty aggresive if they think you are being fraudulent. I now make it a point to be sure a friend at the track, or the organizer, notices that my car is not damaged when I leave the track. Hard to argue with a disinterested 3rd party.

see you,

I have Don's email address. PM me if you don't find it on the website.

www.proformanceracingschool.com

T

 

Also, you might ask your insurance if they cover the car while it is "on the premises" of a motorsports event. Like parked in the parking lot at a race. I have heard, though not personally, of companies not covering accidents in the lot, for just the reason I mentioned above.

To second Tom, I too, do not insure my cars for the track. If a run group has a "stupid driver" I either don't run, or I ensure that I stay away from that driver. If it is the run group that I don't like (multiple drivers), I just ask to switch groups. My skill level is at the point, that I can run in one group and be the slow guy, or run in another, and be the fast guy.

see you,

T

 

I'm going to the Driving Concepts' high performance driving event at Laguna Seca on New Years Eve. It is considered driver's ed and there will be an instructor in the car.

I'm taking my GT2 up from Orange County. I've had the car in garage for 4 years now, and I've finally decided to take it on the track and get some instruction on it. GMG just finished some mods to it that include GIAC hammer software, exhaust, boost tubing, Sachs clutch kit, Moton suspension and GMG's suspension kit. The handling is massively upgraded which makes the car feel a lot more secure, but it's still more than a handful with the power upgrades.

 

.......

 

Some companies will automatically void your policy if they found out you're on the track.

 

go and dont worry about it. you have a car MADE for the track use it!!
what else would you be doing with that car??
you will have the time of your life!!!! I'm jealous!!

 

Simple, if you crash just tow the car outside the race track facilities and then call the insurance company!

 

Dont think this would work. You'd have to explain the how the damage was caused. One big giveaway is the rubber on the edge of the tyres when you've been on a track and you can only get rid of it by putting lots of miles on the car. Of course you could change tyres/wheels before you towed it out but then lots of people might see you...

 

If it's not timed then technically it's not racing.....DE's technically are covered.....but they have been known to fight damage caused at a DE.....depends on your carrier and what day of the week it is......

 

There are a lot of insurance companies who simply will no longer cover any automitive events associated with incidents on race courses, Drivers Ed or not. Most have adopted clauses excluding it. I'd recommend calling your agent. Do not simply assume you're covered, because you likely are not.

I'm considering DE insurance for this year and will likely have it by April. Although I agree with Tom on most things, this is one aqrea I don't think I want to gamble with at this point, even though my agent has stated he would cover it... ONCE. I'd prefer to have a plan specifically designed for covering this car on track, and leave my family policy intact for the rest of the family.

My agent basically said "I'll cover it once, but after that you'll have to get a new policy with another company!"

Mike

 

I have State Farm here in FL, normal coverage. I asked them specifically about driving events, not racing/timed events, I made sure they knew that. And that usually there is an instructor in the car.

They said it was covered..I drove the crap out of my Audi S4 several years ago at DE events...luckily no issues..but insurance company said it was covered.

 

See my comments above. In the last twelve months, since a couple of higher profile HPDE fatalities, many of the traditional insurance companies have changed their policies covering these events. I know of two corvette owners here in Va. who had state farm who were told to get coverage elsewhere, as State Farm would no longer honor "High Performance Drivers Ed" events.

In the 90s I had State Farm when I was chasing a regional autoX title and they had no issues with that, and it was a timed event.

Times be a changin'!
Mike

 

if you call your insurance company to ask about DE or track coverage....and they don't cover your car......doesn't this tip them off?

just a thought?