Insurance coverage at these private car clubs/tracks

Hmmm, i seem to recall someone does, but forget who. It was a few percentage points of the value of the car poer year. Chris????

It is not the club, it is the car owner. Personally, i deal with it by not caring about the cost of the car. What matters is my survival, they made plenty of Ferrari cars so most are very easily replaced. Not caring about the value of the car, i think, makes me a better driver. Look, if you can't afford to ball the car up and walk away with a smile and smoking a cigar, then perhaps it may be time to consider other options. Miata is a nice car, and if you have a newer Ferrari ($150+k), you could easily have gotten a few Z06 that are almost equally as capable on the track as the 360/430. The advantage is, ball up a Z06, go out buy another one, ball that up and you still have $$$ to buy a third Z06

Guess what i am saying is, it is up to you if you want to track your car. You take the risk and are fully responsible accordingly. What is curious is when you say, "Kind of pointless to join one if you can't drive your car around it." What does THAT mean??????? Please explain.

 

Yes, my answer is that no claims should be made. You waive all rights against the track and other participants. I take a rather hard but simple line on this; others, often lawyers, feel that the courts should determine what is appropriate at the track. My own preference would be to post, above the entrance to each track, a sign to the effect "abandon hope all ye who enter here."

There has been lengthy internet discussion of this subject in connection with the sad incident at Fontana some time back.

 

Fellas, I don't believe the question was about "liability," as that is the waiver you sign generally to even enter the facility itself!

What the questions was about, correct me if I'm wrong, is "is my car insurance in force while I am on the track?"

It is generally accepted that if there is no "timed" event going on that can be construed or seen (by the presence of lap timers, time sheets or results posted anywhere) as a "speed and/or competition event," your collision coverage is in force. This has been proven by the various marque clubs structuring their events as "Drivers Education" and a wholly different event insurance coverage basis for "Time Trials," "Hill Climbs" or other "competitive" events.

You can ask your agent the question, but be prepared to have a rider inserted in your policy excluding coverage for claims that occur on-track, anyway.

Some insurance companies have gotten wise and include that exclusion on their standard policy tariff, but most will pay the claim, then drop you or fail to renew your policy next term.

-Peter

 

I founded and ran a 'non-timed' event in the midwest and I can tell you that if something did happen to any of our drivers, the owners dealt with the situations themselves. I have yet to see a policy that will cover an on-track incident without leaving the owner dropped after such reported incident. On average we would see 1-2 totaled and about a dozen or so lightly to mid damaged cars of the approximate 150 entrants through the course of the weekend. However, 90% of the attrition was in out advanced groups, not novice or mid-level. Its a risk that you take when you take to the track and we let our drivers know that first and foremost and we offered different levels of rungroups to accomidate the different levels of driver & car abilities....but...

Warning- This pic may be graphic (car gore)- but sudden rain & failing brake rotor was the cause of this...


If you decide to do a track event, just make sure you feel comfortable with the staff, rules, enforcement of the rules & event format.

 

Be careful in assuming the standard "non-timed event or competition wording". In some states were insurance companies are permitted to do so they have changed the wording to read "no claim will be honored if a car is damaged on any surface used for racing."

Those aren't the exact words but something to that effect. In essence they are not going to pay if you go to a track that has some form of racing associated during the course of a given year. In other words you aren't racing, but the facility is used for that purpose.

Allstate began doing this in some states. My understanding is that it varies by state based on some current rules and laws and that this phrasing can't be used in some states.

My rule of thumb is simple and similar to investing in the stock market. If you can't afford to loose it (total loss to the car) you can't afford to do it !

 

Wow. I've been to a lot of track days, and never once, much less average, have I seen that kind of damage. In my experience, you can expect one or two lightly damaged cars per day, and one total maybe every ten or twelve days or so.

Gary

 

Mostly due to 'the Kink'

 

The standard wording of all of the new policies that I have seen base their contractual wording on "...Damage on any surface used for racing......and any timed event (a closed street used for rallies, hill climbs)..." It does exclude this phrase when you are doing "touring" or "parade" type laps on a race track.

I'd add that you should contact your agent (or just read the policy). I'd also suggest that you get written confirmation of coverage.

I raced with Bill Parish before his early death. He was a great sportsman and a darn good race car driver. I don't insure my race cars, but I know his old firm does insure track cars (as well as collector cars).

http://www.parishheacock.com/content/

 

If you raced with Bill, than you know how good that Zapata food was! <grin> Man, I miss that white and red Sprite...

His son has now formed an alliance with Ford Heacock. It's a great group, although I do not insure my cars on track, either.

-Peter

 

Yes, Parish Heacock will insure race cars for storage, transit, and paddock other-than-collision coverage.
****There is no liability coverage included in this policy****

It's a good coverage if you have a racecar that is valuable and you want to protect your investment for those times which your car is NOT on the track (which is probably 99.9&#37; of its life). As soon as you turn from the paddock onto the racetrack, there is no coverage.

 

Ditto. Dozens of HPDEs. Mostly @PIR which is lined w/walls and tire barriers in the most inhospitable locations. <chuckle>

Very few cars damaged. And I only know of three totaled. That's less than one per full HPDE season.

But the poster mentions 150 cars. We limit attendance to about 85. Some, like Pro Drive (ONE OF THE BEST!) have even lower limits.

BTW, the worst HPDE i've ever attended was one where, by my count, 130+ cars were allowed to sign up. I do think this year they'll have a bit of trouble finding enuff participants because folks still say they'll never drive w/that club again.

Peace,

Richard.

 

Hey Peter,
We parked next to each other once (SVRA or HSR race, too many to remember).

Yea, I miss Bill. I started racing in a Bugeye Sprite (red & white #2 w/ a white factory hardtop), and Bill helped show me the fast (if you can call a Sprite fast) way around a couple of tracks.

I had heard (from one of Bill's Nashville group) that Bill's son had left Heacock. I have no idea if that is true. I haven't seen either of Bill's sons at the track in a long time.

I guess the industry has changed. Bill offered physical damage coverage on a race car with an option of covering the car on the track.

I am not sure why anyone would need liability coverage on a race car. The waiver you sign restricts BI/PI/PD liability. If racers started suing racers for liability claims from incidents on the track, we would no longer have racing.

 

Actually, as soon as you turn the key on coverage stops. I have Parish for my race cars and they only offer 'key-off' insurance. The only time you are covered with a running engine is when you are loading it on your trailer.

 

"Yes State Farm ?
I'd like to make a claim. Another car colided with me coming out of turn two but the track workers will clearly state that I had right of way as I had him going into the apex."
"Hello , hello ?'

 

Linky:
http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Does_my_car_insurance_cover_me_at_the_track%3F

 

Abster, odds are the insurance company will never find out. If you are THAT concerned then please buy a spec Mazda or the like as they are (relatively) cheap and easy to throw away and quite impressive and fun for track events.

If you are talking about tracking the Ferrari, well... seems to me not just insurance but also FNA are getting a bit... i'll say no more except talk to FNA and see how they cover things as have been hearing this and that and i know for fact one guy got totally hosed ( he told me the story personally) and felt he was forced to buy a complete set of CF brakes/rotors ($20k or thereabouts), etc. to participate in another FCA track event. His dealer said to him... oh, forget it.

Perhaps the track is best left to those who are willing to walk away from their cars and what matters is that THE DRIVER is uninjured. Really, it is just a car and they make many of them each and everyday. If you have a very rare car then consider renting the track for your own private running session.

 

Thanks for that clarification. It's been a couple years since I have talked to them about it.