dose anyone bother with special insurance for track days and if so who do you use?

 

It is funny, isn't it?

You can drive on the road and "loose it" being foolish, perhaps speeding or breaking a "road rule" but you are covered by if you write your car off.

You drive on a track where it is not illegal to go fast, in a safe, controlled environment, and even if you are not in a "race" you are not covered.

The bottom line: Insurance companies encourage us not to get it out of system on the track, but on the street.

Wierd. (expecting a reply from Smoothy )

What about something like paying a small "additional" premium to cover the track day, and have say a $2000 excess. That way there is still some financial incentive not to park it up against the wall.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

funny that if you tell them you are going for an advance driving skill course that will cover.

I try to call AAMI to clarify this but I get variable answers. I can't get them to write it black and white but they said "it is in the policy book", which said you will not be cover if you use the car in a competition venue, nowhere say about advance course or track day... but they clearly mention not to cover in racing cars in circuit.

..... I guess they have a reason/loop hole that not paying you. Alternative to cover your fun/track day is very expensive....

Any good answer from expert?

 

so the answer is 'you can't get special aditional insurance from another insurer to cover just the track day'

 

If push came to shove, I doubt that the insurer could deny a claim for an advanced driving course so long as that is what you were doing.

I'm not certain that events like the Wakefield park thrash a thon would be covered as its more about having a go than learning in a controlled environment.

I have some experience years ago in trying to get insurance cover for a 'competition' type event and the broker I found was only able to get me a premium of 10% of the cars value per event.

That creats a $6000 premium for a single day event in an RX8 ... H O R R I F I C!!!

To be fair to the insurers, Its a pretty high risk/ low return situation.

Imagine 10 cars on the track having a fang , drivers confidence growing lap on lap, with the drivers knowing that no-matter-what, any damage would be covered ...

A script for a disaster me thinks!!

If you are nervous - I'd recommend you pursue the insurance comopany to endorse your porposed event!!

 

I wonder if the key is 'competition' any untimed or no winners prize hardly constitutes 'competeition' IMO. I'll have to have a close look at my policy.

 

If you have a look at the suncorp policy it says "not on a competition race track".

So I don't drive down to Surfers Paradise or go for a lesuirely drive around Mt Panorama any more

Cheers,
Sarcastic Hymee.

 

so has anyone ever heard of people towing their car to the road after a hit on the track?

 

Unfortuantely I've heard of one such incident which occured in Qld at a carclubs nat meet. The insurance company found out because somebody decided to be a good samaritan for the ins co. End of the day the parent car company came to the party and offered something substantial.

 

no wonder most people fang it on the road where your covered

 

I have an option on my shannons cover that covers me for club / sprint days. I can't remember how much it costs me but it's pretty reasonable actually. Ironically, I've come a hell of a lot closer to disaster on public roads than I ever have on a race track, even on actual race (ie not practice / sprint) days.

 

I work in the industry (I don't defend it though)

Recently I was up at Rainbow Beach and watched as idiots were going around some rocks on the beach with the tide coming in. I actually saw a Nissan Patrol totalled as he hit some rocks and the surf got him. This is covered by insurance!!!!! We do our sprints at QLD Raceway where you would have to be very unlucky to damage the car as the run off areas are so big and we are not covered. We live in a strange world.

 

Sick-em smoothy, sick-em!

 

You better believe it Hymee!

 

I thought insurance typically didn't cover you below the high tide mark... I learnt something today.

 

We actually had someone total their BMW at a DE and the insurance paid for it. They said since it was an instructed driver's event and there were no timing devices or competition involed it was covered. Not sure which insurance company it was?

 

So are Shannons the only company that cover? and I'm assuming you have to be insured with them in the first place?

Pity you know, in the UK it is quite cheap to have your car insured (maybe $200 for a trackday). A good friend of mine took some people out for an initiation lap around Donnington, there was a new 360 Ferrari behind him which was written off on the first lap. Ferrari was covered I believe!! (probably more to insure a Ferrari for the day - but even if it was $500-700 you would be happy if it was insured!!) there are photos of that car around somewhere.