dizwiz24

I have a question for you road race guys.

What do you guys do if you wreck (insurance-wise)? Does your insurance cover it?

If it doesnt, can you just save some glass, car parts from the wreck, sprinkle it by the side of some country road and claim you wrecked there when you swerved to avoid a deer or something?

Have another corvette (with similar tire width, etc.) leave rubber tire marks all over the road there in that vicinity?

Race under an assumed name so theres no record of you being at a local race that weekend, etc.


Just curious what people do....

Wicked Weasel

good luck getting it off the track with no record of it being there. With digital cameras every where your car will be on the internet before the smoke clears.

I have seen guys cover their license plate with tape so that it is harder for the insurance company to figure it out, but I dont think that would help.

Basically I think you have to fess up and say that you were involved in an untimed Drivers Education event and while you were trying to become a better driver you made a mistake. Depending on the policy they might cover you the first time.

You could also try I was on a private road when it happened and hope they dont ask any more questions. Technically it is not lying....

95jersey

My insurance policy cover non-competitive HPDE's or I wouldn't do them

freefall

http://www.americancollectorsins.com/de_quali.htm

If it's available in your state - after all, a monetary loss is better than fraud.

FasterIsBetter

Some insurance policies only exclude races that involve timing or places. They would cover for non-timed, non-competitive DE type events or open "track days." Other policies exclude anything that happens inside a race track, whether on the track or in the pits. You need to look at your policy exclusions, including all amendments and riders, to find out if you would be covered or not.

As for taking your track wrecked car off-track and lying to the insurance company, can you say "insurance fraud"?? Or more to the point, can you say "jail time"?? Most states take insurance fraud very seriously. And lying about the circumstances of an accident, particularly location, to get coverage is insurance fraud. Because of ever increasing insurance rates, most states are taking that kind of thing pretty seriously when they find out about it. And if the insurance company figures it out, they are likely to prosecute.

So, check your policy. If events are excluded, shop around for a policy that might cover them, or just decide that if something happens, you are going to eat it. A friend of mine had a little off-track excursion while we were running in the rain at Lime Rock this weekend. Banged the car up pretty good. He is not reporting it to his carrier and just paying out of pocket to have it fixed. If you don't have insurance coverage for the track, or if you just decide not to involve the insurance company for obvious reasons, be prepared to pay out of your own pocket, or don't go out to the track.

emf

Do?

Typically,
1) check for correct attachment and placement of fingers, toes, arms, legs, etc
2) Check for any foreign objects which may have been introduced into me, or my shorts.
2b) Get clean shorts as needed
3) Review footage of incident in question -- if it's a truly spectacular aerial display, or has involved missing several fixed or moving targets, send video to "America's funniest"

this is the most important part
4) Swear. Profusely.

5) Be thankful that I've checked my coverage IN ADVANCE to make sure that I've gotten the appropriate level of coverage for the event. Worst case, be prepared to find new coverage for the tow vehicle.



In all seriousness, there's plenty of coverage options until you get to timed events (at which, then we get both spendy and fewer options). Most standard coverage will allow for some flexibilty with "Drivers Education" events, but when in doubt . . . read the policy, or make sure you have supplemental coverage.

dizwiz24

I meant that scenario half jokingly. You all are right about insurance fraud being serious.

An older gentleman in a corvette club told me he did that before (years ago) and it worked. I found it kind of funny.

The part about maybe they cover it if its a drivers education school... is good.

My insurance is with state farm. However, since I have a rollcage, fire extinguisher, etc. I wonder if they would buy the whole 'drivers education school' scenario.

95jersey

ABSOLUTELY! Why not? People have roll cages in their cars for show and shine. I have a harness bar in my car with race seats and crashed on the highway and had the insurance guy come out (Geico) and they didn't care. You are allowed to modify your car any way you want. A car doesn't have to be street legal to be insured.

Lancer033

hope and pray, what ever the outcome, it's going to hurt.

Legally, Nurburgring is a 1 way public toll road with no speedlimit, so I've heard stories of other guys with the same insurance company I have getting their claims through with no problem, but I'm willing to bet that the premiums went up. Hockenheim is the same way for track days although I'm sure that's a harder sell.

John Shiels

Filing a false police report and insurance fraud would not be my route for sure

Cobra4B

You are so wrong... I was an adjuster with GEICO for over 2 years... if I saw those racing mods I had to report them in an underwriting referal... they take not of everthing. If they saw a roll bar, harnesses etc you'd be dropped.

tchapma1

So what insurance companies do not have clauses about HPDE's? I know that many have just recently adpoted clauses that say you are not covered if you are on a track designed for racing (whether you are or not).

Z06 Silver Bullet

Having done this once and fully wrecked a car my advice is as follows:

Any time you will be out of pocket $20k or more net of salvage sale then turn it in (for HPDE only's).

If under sell it yourself and suck up loss (you are driving a car on track without payments right!)

I collected mine last tme and the net difference was $18k. My insurance dropped me and the cost with another insurer has been $4,000 more a year overall. No I don't drive Porsche's either just a $30k SUV and $30k acura in our house besides vette.

Also once you turn it in god forbid they don't cover it. Mine was a total hassle and they almost said no and would have still had all this happen.

Lesson:
DON'T DRIVE ON TRACK WHAT YOU CAN'T WALK AWAY FROM MONEY WISE.

dizwiz24

quote:

Filing a false police report and insurance fraud would not be my route for sure


Interestingly, State Farm (IMHO one of the better insurance companies)does not require a police report. However, it would still be insurance fraud.

<this it totally my opinion, please no flaming>
Now, GEICO is a crap insurance company from what Ive heard. Everytime Ive called them up they are NOT any cheaper. Warren Buffet should be shamed of his Berkshire Hathaway company name being associated with such a PO$.

NoOne

I'll be looking into that American Collectors.

$375 to cover the car for a year, not bad at all for the safety it provides.

A guy at work rolled his M3 Coupe and his insurance company covered it, but did tell him, one time, and only one time.

johnsea06

American Collector's is a good idea for catastrophic damage. Other than that it's out of pocket.... been there, done that... $6K for damage that didn't even preclude me from getting back on the track the same day as the accident....

67 fastback

Gieco told me if it happens on a track they WON'T cover it PERIOD


State Farm covered a bud's driver ed error

MattB

Any other insurance companies besides American Collector? They don't do biz in CO

Rogue Leader

Just FYI, no company requires a police report, Would you file a police report if you accidentally backed into a fence at your own house and did a few K worth of damage? However with a "questionable" accident, the fact there is no police report (therefore officail legal record of you wrecking your car where you say you wrecked it in the general manner you say you wrecked it in) it will be a hell of a lot easier to prove you were doing something wrong if thats the case.

BTW I have GEICO and they have been great...

varkwso

My latest policy excludes damage from "contests or challenges and practice for them". This was a change from last year - definite bummer.

Policy does not exclude track events but does not specifically include them either.

I have had bad, bad experiences with the "adjusters" sent to help me.