Raceotica

Hope this isn't a repost. Apologies if so, but I had to post the following story of a Z06 destroyed on track day at Laguna Seca. If the driver is a forum member I'm glad you weren't hurt and I hope you're back in a Vette soon!

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/how-i-...ero-1706925749

11B250

Ouch... Hope he had one of those insurances lol. Otherwise that bill is on you!

NASTYC7

I believe only track insurance is the only thing that is going to cover him.

Brandons72vette

Man..

Da Hawk

He's a forum member. Feel bad for anyone who was doing it legally.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...otal-loss.html

Vetteman Jack

Good luck to the owner with his insurance company.

SMFCPACFP

Do you know how to make a small fortune in racing, start with a large fortune. Racing cars is a sport for rich people to finance. I have never understood why average Joes who can't really afford it gamble (I guess some call it racing) their assets away for no reward. Maybe this will cure him of his racing bug, especially if the car was financed.

He is on the cuff on his own for this one. Auto policies don't cover racing and if he lies to his insurance company about how this happened, he has committed fraud which could mean jail time if caught.

Jontall

Total loss, but most people that race their cars have really deep pockets.

Racingswh

That's an area I know a little about. His traditional car insurance company will not pay for that damage unless he provides fraudulent information in his claim submission.

Is that a Z06?

jvp

I understand that this is your opinion, but it's based on ignorance and a significant misunderstanding of what was going on at this event. First and foremost: it wasn't a race. Not even close to one. There were no points awarded, no trophies, no winners, nothing. It was a High Performance Driver's Educational event, aka: HPDE.

It was track time with instructors, with drivers broken up into classes based on their experience level (not based on the car's performance level). Like any of the thousands of other HPDEs that run: it likely had passing zones and no-passing zones. Passing could only happen when the leading car points the faster car by, and not before.

Mistakes happen. The mistake the driver made, IMHO, is running in the rain. Since this isn't a race, and there are no points won or lost: sit this one out. It's not worth it IMHO. Specially with R-compound tires on that have a silk-screened tread pattern on them. Yes, driving on a wet track is very educational as it teaches you patience and the skill set required to drive off-line a lot. But that's a lesson I'd rather learn in a junker versus a Corvette.

Ultimately, even on a dry, gorgeous day: mistakes can happen. The driver shouldn't be shunned because he made one. Who knows: perhaps he can pull a wad of bills out of his pocket and buy a new Z06. Why should anyone chastise him for that? Instead, he should be congratulated for at least trying to drive the car on the race track instead of being a poser.

(<---- this guy has 18+ years of HPDE experience)

11B250

We comment on it when we put ourselves in that situation. really the guy (not this specific one, but the situation rather) is just so crappy.

HDPE or race, it's not covered by insurance and most of us couldn't afford to trash a 50-100K car because of trying to have some fun with risks involved... that's all we're saying.

dvilin

Sometimes the thrill of it all can be costly, such is life in the fast lane.

jvp

That's not all the person I was quoting and responding to was saying. He was clearly calling the owner of the Z06 out. You're correct in that the average Corvette owner can't just produce the funds for a new car on the spot like that; perhaps the owner of this wrecked Z06 could? It's not for you, myself, nor anyone else to judge him on that.

Further, there are supplemental track insurance companies out there, that provide additional coverage for mess-ups just like this.

And finally, thousands of folks participate in HPDEs on a regular basis. The actual crashes are few and far between. Certainly the ones that involve totaling an expensive Corvette. Holding this event up as the "poster child" for not participating in HPDEs is foolish. Most people actually have no clue how to properly drive a car at any speed. The race track is actually the safest place to learn. More folks should do it, not fewer.

Racingswh

Agree with this completely.

Is it a Z06? Funny enough I don't see those things in the front fenders that stick out and other than that I don't know how to tell the difference.

Supplemental track insurance would cover that car up to 100k for about $600 for a 3 day event. The company I use has the fastest payout of any company I have ever dealt with. Unless you just don't care about money and risk I personally don't know why you would think of putting a car like this on a race track without it. Just because the money is available to go buy another one or however many you want if that's the case why not protect that 90k (10% deductible) for $600? I also wouldn't track a car worth more than 100 - 120k just for this reason so in that regard a Corvette is a perfect car for the track.

KneeDragr

Wet track claims another victim. I cant count how many times I would accept ridicule on a motorcycle track day for sitting it out while the track was wet, only to be helping those same people pile their wadded up bike into the back of a truck.

11B250

agreed. I would love to do it, but I can't afford it. (tires, brakes, constant oil changes which I think is the dumbest thing for a "track ready" car)

it's not even the crashing part. it's the financial part. This is why I skipped on the Z51 lol

Jedi-Jurist

We just did track night at Milwaukee Mile back on 5/14 and while we all paid for 3 heats, everyone in my small group of friends sat out the last one due to rain. It's just not worth the risk.

Woodson

And the rest of your post is spot-on of course.

HumanWiki

Are you referring to the red car in the image from the 1st link? If so, yes, that's a Z06 based on Wing, Clear Lights, Lower rear duct in front of the tire and the design of the vent on the front fender, along with the badge.

kennb44

We aren't helping his case with the insurance co. here on the forum.I guess the rest of us now know to cover the car immediately if found in the same situation.(no pictures please!)