Racing/Track Insurance

Who sells it? What does it cover (liability, full coverage, deductibles, etc)?

Recent talk of wrecks has me wondering /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

Rob, as far as insuring your vehicle for a race, forget it. The minute you hit the track, you become your own insurance. As far as track day insurance goes, I'm not sure how that works. If you list it as a driver education type of event, your regular coverage may apply. There are too many variables involved, and I'm not qualified to answer that part of your question.
Jeff

Jeff's correct. You're on your own.

We (EMRA) buy insurance, but this is just to protect the club and officers (including me). We usually buy from Naughton Insurance, RI (they actually re-sell policies from Lloyds of London, Athena or General Star).
I think we pay around $4000 per weeekend on average. I doubt that they would sell to individuals.

The area of insurance is always tricky, since I have never needed to "test" my regular health care policy to see if it would cover me. I actually think it would, because I don't see car racing as an exclusion on the policy (flying is an exclusion, so when I flew more, I had an extra policy to cover me).

Occasionally, I'll see someone at one of our Time Trials have a "go off" and wreck a fairly new car. I saw a new, street A4 get totaled at Pocono last year and a new WRX-STi destroyed the year before. I'm not sure what the owner's did (just young guys in both cases)....probably, they are still paying those cars off.

One rule for me about running a car at the track.....if I can't afford to write it off, I ain't racing it.
And just speaking for myself, if I didn't have some form of health care insurance, I might limit my motorsports involvement to flagging and autocross.

I have reasonable health insurance and the car is paid for and 'expendable' in that sense.

With autocross events I'm not too worried, but I know a couple of guys who keep trying to convince me to hit up track days with them and that's where I start to wonder.

I'd like some sort of liability insurance in the event I hit another driver or worse, spectator.

I'm not too concerned about the cost of the car in the event I total it, but I am curious about the legalities of fault in an accident. I'm willing to be responsible for my own stupidity, but if some young squid wrecks into me, I want to know he or his insurance are paying for it.

Maybe I just need to come to terms with the ineherent liability involved in track racing....

Rob,

Even at a track day event, you will be required to sign a waiver to participate. Although the wording will vary depending on which organization is running the event, you should expect to be on your own as far as on-track damage to your car even it is totally someone else's fault. As others have stated above, don't take your car on track if you're not prepared to completely write it off.

I'm not trying to disuade you, just making sure you are clear on the reality of the situation going in. Personally, I find the satisfaction of racing outweighs the risk.

I'm just guessing here, but ~THIS~ posting may have inspired Rob to wonder about all this.

Two parked cars; a newish Lexus and a Acura NSX were basically destroyed when a guy in an Evo ran off the track and hit both of them (and barely missed some people too). I saw both cars and I have absolutely no idea who would be liable for all the expensive damage that resulted.

Everyone signs their life away when they came into Pocono (as we do at all tracks), so I'm not sure if this was just "tough luck". Still, if I owned that NSX, I'd want some legal recourse....

I think the waivers are there to protect the track owners and the organization sponsoring the event. If the others can show how inept the driver of the Evo was, which the video begins to show. Coupled with eyewitness testimony of the same driver having been warned for two previous off track excursions, then they might find some legal recourse. Though insurance companies probably won't want to involve themselves. Just guessing though.

I suppose that one could argue in that particular case that the sponsoring organization failed to fufill their obligation of controling the event. If the bloke had a few previous offs and had them because he was driving like a git and the organizers did not ask him to leave the event, then their waiver could be null & void. But again, just guessing. Not wanting to start a legal argument. Just thinking out loud as it were.


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

That's why I road race a Pinto & auto-X the Elva......

<font color="red">NEVER </font>road race anything you can't walk away from.

In the SCCA someone usually touches me once per weekend.

Vintage is much less aggressive but most of those organizations would prefer prior racing experience.
(So they are reasonably sure you won't panic & do something stupid on the track)

Personally........

I <font color="red">LIKE </font> doing stupid stuff on the track. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Personally........

I <font color="red">LIKE </font> doing stupid stuff on the track. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

In that case, it sounds like you are ready to "step up" to Spec-Miata (or as we call them, "Special-Ed Miata"). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Sometimes, when I am out there with those guys, I wish I had my rubber bumpers back on!
Forget about "bump-drafting".....it's more like "crash-drafting". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Forget about "bump-drafting".....it's more like "crash-drafting". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The last thing on their mind is your bumper, and theirs are probably easy to replace.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

their's are ABS plastic if memory serves me correctly. So, they can just punch it back out into shape like a rubber maid garbage can... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

[ QUOTE ]
I'm just guessing here, but ~THIS~ posting may have inspired Rob to wonder about all this.


[/ QUOTE ]

That was the one that got the cogs turning. Doesn't seem right for the owners of the car in the pit lane to have to bear any financial burden....

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Personally........

I <font color="red">LIKE </font> doing stupid stuff on the track. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

In that case, it sounds like you are ready to "step up" to Spec-Miata (or as we call them, "Special-Ed Miata"). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Sometimes, when I am out there with those guys, I wish I had my rubber bumpers back on!
Forget about "bump-drafting".....it's more like "crash-drafting". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL.

My neighbor has a 914 he wants to pawn off on me. It's in pretty rough shape but looks like it's all there. Maybe I'll have to talk to him about it. In its present condition, it's much more expendable as a track car!

914's can make awesome track cars too. When done up properly they can scare 911's.


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Personally........

I <font color="red">LIKE </font> doing stupid stuff on the track. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

In that case, it sounds like you are ready to "step up" to Spec-Miata (or as we call them, "Special-Ed Miata"). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Sometimes, when I am out there with those guys, I wish I had my rubber bumpers back on!
Forget about "bump-drafting".....it's more like "crash-drafting". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
I realize I shouldn't be racing vintage yet.....

I still drive like a fargin idiot......And <font color="red">LOVE </font> it.

Maybe when I'm older???

In the meantime........I ain't giving no dang corner to no dang Miata for free.

Which Pinto is yours?

(left to right)

Aaron Gills (AJ)
Kyle Selden (Cpt Sparkles & the Magic Cloud Machine)
Dave Gills (WhatsThatNoise)

There are varied stories about insurance. You need to check with your agent and insuring company to verify coverage.

Several stories around Sandia, Albuquerque, speak of street cars in high performance driving experiences enjoying coverage because they are NOT race events. I personally have not checked and doubt the veracity of coverage. Others have stated that a couple of Vipers have been repaired by the insuror (Sandia is not all that friendly to either Viper pilots or stupid pilots).

Most clubs try to get ALL participants at every level to sign waivers to protect the club, the track, the officers, etc.

just a quick comment, you want to speak to someone from your insurance company and get a copy of the policy clearly stating the lanuage in question. NEVER take your agents word on coverage or ask you agent coverage questions.
[edited for inappropriate language]