uro279

Hey guys, I know this has been posted before, but I just can't find it. Will my insurance cover me while on the race track? Will they cover me if I take a High Perfomance Driving course? What about if I take a course like Skip Barber's?

If not, how do I get coverage during these events? I really feel uncomfortable taking courses and such without coverage.

Any help appreciated.

John

iTrader: (17)

Your auto insurance will cover you for an accident at the track IF you're enrolled in a driving school (HPDE). However, they'll likely drop you immediately thereafter. Most people I know who claim an accident at the track "hit a deer."

CoachZ

Anyone know if we have deer in South Florida? Can I say it was a gator? Or a really large possum? Oh, no...I've got it. "Yes, Allstate? I'd like to report a claim. I was driving along, minding my own business, when a Tarpon leapt out of a nearby canal and struck my car."

Damn fish.
Josh

350zSpeedRacer

LMAO!

ares

iTrader: (2)

and that works? the deer thing.

I mean if you like flipped the car, do you say you were avoiding the deer and hit a ditch?? wouldnt they want fur on the car or something? I thought insurance agents were dicks about stuff like this.

John

iTrader: (17)

Yeah, they perfer to have some blood or fur on the car... not a problem, the human body has 7+ pints of blood... and the insurance company isn't going to test the blood to see where it came from.

When I was at Summit Point earlier this month, a turbo S2000 in my group exited T8 and a deer jumped out in front of him... so how about hitting a deer on the track? Amazingly, only the front bumper was damaged...

mwr

I called my agent and asked before my first event. As long as it is an educational event with instructors, no timing, no door to door racing it was covered for my policy. I had the agent reply in writing and filed that letter away just in case.

If you are concerned you should be checking with your agent about the specifics of your policy BEFORE attending an event. Lying about an accident at one of these events will get you in big trouble.

Also check your life insurance restrictions! At a track event this year at Pocono a driver in a Z06 with a full cage, harnesses and fire supression lost it in a turn, totaled the car and died!

At track days the goals should be: be safe, have fun, go fast.

uro279

Thanks for the info guys! This forum has never let me down when I had a question. Well worth time spent being a member here with all you fellow Z enthusiasts!

CaneZMD

iTrader: (1)

Hey Coach, it seems that alot of teams have run over the gators this year......Oh, wait a minute, your talking about car accidents. Sorry.

I agree, though, I don't know if allstate would go for covering a track accident at metrozoo this weekend. So if anyone has any ideas for track coverage let us know.

CoachZ

I knew someone would bring up the gators...

MD, I pick up my Z today, it's getting new Ferodo racing brakes, so I'm hoping I get to try them out at the Speedtrials or AutoX this weekend...

Afty

That guy was the president of a car club I am a member of. He was a very experienced track driver and knew what he was doing. If it would happen to him, it could happen to anyone.

Please stay safe out there on the track!

Frostpaw

mwr: Which insurance company do you have that was willing to give you a written letter stating that you were ok for track days?

I called my insurance agent (USAA) earlier and they simply told me that I wasn't covered. I'm willing to switch insurance companies if it means being covered for HDPE events.
-F.

12SecZ

In California racing is out, as are "speed contest" even if on the street. If they can prove you were racing they won't want to pay.

Ares, every crash I have seen with cars this low were bouncing off the walls not roll overs but still a crash is a crash.

Blue Liquid

Yeah, but 'racing' is different from attending an HPDE. Anybody here with Allstate call and get coverage? There was an addendum to my policy earlier this year stating that no track events would be covered. Does anyone here with Allstate buy coverage just for that day or what?

2003z

iTrader: (7)

After going through several layers of supervisors at USAA they told me I was covered at a driving school, and specifically mentioned 'like in a bmwcca drving school', which are high performance track days. However, I am now with progressive, as USAA's rates have gotten higher recently.. Saving 600/year with them.

Boiler

I have worked in Insurance for 30 years, based in the UK but with some Global knowledge.

In the UK it is becoming increasingly unlikely that your road going policy is going to cover you for a trackday and I would expect the same considerations to apply here. I doubt if there is a specific answer, as each State has its own regulations, and of course Canada is completely different again.

So you need make sure you check with your insurance company first. Make sure you mention that these events are non- competitive and no racing or timing is allowed.
Many companies will cover you, for a small additional premium. Check when renewing your Insurance that it covers track days, get it in writing.

In the UK there are schemes where you can buy cover by the day for trackdays, but I can find nothing here. This surprised me as it must be a bigger market but this may come back to the issue that you would have to do it State by State so the economics do not stack up. Or their advertising sucks.

Finally I think you would be mad not to have Liability coverage, what if you killed or seriously injured somebody?. No matter what disclaimers have been signed, the legal costs in defending any action would bankrupt you.

2003z

iTrader: (7)

btw, when my friend totalled his 350Z at Road Atlanta, State Farm covered him, and didn't cancel their policy.

mwr

Sorry I could not get back to you more quickly. I am with State Farm. I handled all of the questions with my agent and let the agent ask (or not ask) the company about the coverage. The agent provided the letter.

I personally know of others that have had accidents at HPDE events with State Farm and have not had problems with CLAIMS. The key is that it is an HPDE event with instructors no timing no side by side racing. The agent did specifically mentioned that some tracks had open track days whe you can drive pay you money and hit the track with no supervision no organization and the SF would not cover anything that happened at this type of activity.

raceboy

Just don't crash!!! (Should I say that 2 days before a track day?)

bixby

iTrader: (2)

Yea, but they raised our premiums! Just kidding.