C66 Racing

Do you know if your racecars are insured when they are being towed to the track? While I had my insurance company (USAA) on the line today insuring my new truck, I happened to ask them about this and they told me that a racecar on the trailer isn't covered by the truck or trailer's insurance, nor is it covered by my personal property insurance. Bottom line - they won't pay a dime if I crash and my Vette is damaged in the crash. Guess I was lucky that I didn't have a crash while I was towing my Vette all over the SCCA Midwest circuit...

This really frustrates me as I have all my vehicles, including trailers, insured through them with plenty of comprehensive and collision coverage as well as having a significant amount of personal property insurance through them.

Not looking for insurance on the track, but if I got in a crash on the way to the track it would be nice to be covered.

Anyone know of an insurance company that will cover racecars while they are being towed?

wallyman424

Geico provides insurance for my racecar (towing and theft). They know its not registered for street use. I do have a title, which is probably why they allow this, but I do know there are some specialty companies that cover this kind of thing.

Its like 300/year, and I can have piece of mind.

Falcon

Brad, from what I've found out from my agent, generally the race car nor the trailer is covered by your auto/home/personal insurance. In fact, most regular insurance companies will not even write a policy on the race car. As Wally said, there are specialty companies that do and it usually a stated value policy with a big deductible.

You might be able to insure the trailer through your regular policy if you pay a premium on it, depending on your insurance company.

A bigger issue than wrecking and tearing it up, is theft. It's not covered by your regular insurance either.

I never bothered covering my stuff, but I'll check with my agent and get the name of the company he gave me for the specific coverage.

rudyarias

I have Country Companies, they insure the vehicles that I tow on my car hauler.

BuckeyeZ06

My race car is covered by Nationwide for theft and fire.

The trailer has "full coverage."

It helps that my agent's father won the Run Offs in the 1970s, so she understands what I am doing.

It also helps that I insure my house, 3 cars, a truck (dualie) and a 40 foot trailer; have been with Nationwide for 19 years and haven't had a claim.

ErnieN85

I have Travelers Home & Auto they cover the trailer & contents. I haven't used a car hauler lately so I havent asked about a car on the trailer.
Although if it is a street car (t1) and has a lisc. then it would be covered on it's own policy. until you hit the track!

eogel

The specialty company Heacock Classic Collector Car Insurance insures my racecar and trailer. Phone 800-274-1804. Covers in storage, in transport, in paddock, but NOT on track. $250 annually, that is the minimum. You declare the values. Been with them for 8 years or so. Had one claim when I damaged the trailer axle. Support and claims processing were excellent.
Ed

Falcon

I've got Nationwide, and have had it for years, and they insure 2 houses, 4 boats, and 3 cars for me, but they won't touch a race car in North Carolina. The trailer, I can argue about due to the wording of the policy, but the race car, they won't touch, even as personal property.

BTW, David, is your car registered & licensed?

C66 Racing

Been with USAA since 1987; house, personal property, rental house, 3 cars, two trailers and no claims other than a few cracked windshields. USAA is just so conservative.

My trailers are insured through USAA - they do offer coverage on them, pretty cheap, $38 every six months on the 28' Timberwolf I bought from David last year. But, that really doesn't help much. The car in or on the trailer is worth much much more than the trailer itself.

Think I'll try Heacock first. Sounds like they specialize in this type of coverage. If that doesn't work, I'll try the gecko or Nationwide.

Thanks for all the help. Knew many of you would have already figured this one out.

2HorsePower

Instead of trying to insure your trailer and/or racecar through your auto insurance carrier, you can also try to have them insured as a separately scheduled item under your homeowners policy, which is how I have my horse trailer insured. I don't know what they'd say about the racecar, but the trailer should be no problem (and can be cheaper that way). It doesn't hurt to ask if they'd insure the racecar as a scheduled item for theft & damage off the track

Read your auto insurance policy, too, as some automatically provide coverage for trailers in tow, though the limit is usually very low and it probably won't include the contents of the trailer.

KCHOTBOAT

American Family told me everything I tow with the truck is covered 100% up to 100 grand.

BuckeyeZ06

Jody, no, I have not registered or licensed my race car(s). But I specifically asked about coverage for the Viper for storage, transportation, etc. At the track? No.

When I had the Corvette I tried to get coverage, and she said that coverage would be denied even "in preparation of a racing event" (paraphrasing here). Heck, that was all the time! So no coverage on my first car. But I was able to get it on the Viper.

The trailer was a no-brainer. A licensed vehicle should have no issues, including contents.

Z07coupe

I agree with Eogel. Heacock quoted me $200.00 about 5 months ago for a car with value about $17,000 or $20,000 (don't remember my stated value). She called it a 'key off' policy. Insured until you hit the track. Covered while in the paddock, and I believe even loading or unloading, you're covered. Call for details. Actually, it sounds pretty good.
I do have two other cars insured with them. 93 Ruby insured for $16,000 and a 94 Z-28, insured for $5000. Deductable on the Ruby is $0.00. Deductable on the Z-28 is $500.00. Total annual premium on those two cars is $409.00. Mileage limit of 3000 miles, for street legal cars. Thanks for reminding me to add my track car.

AU N EGL

Has anyone tried a Race car insurance company? There are a few of them out there.

c4cruiser

There had been a number of insurance-related posts here regardng USAA and their policy towards racing.

From what I remember, USAA will not cover any car that is involved in any sort of track day/HPDE or even being on the premises. Some members have reported that simply asking about coverage have resulted in policies being cancelled.

The last policy update I received had wording about any form of "speed contest" as being not covered. IIRC, it included autocross, gymkhana or anything related to what I saw as a very simplified interpretation of "racing".

MY 87 has liability coverage only, so I really don't worry too much about the collision side, but I hate to think that I could lose the entire policy coveing my truck, trailer and my C5 simply because I towed my 87 to a track.

jwt1603

Allstate does the same for me. They won't even talk about covering it on the track but in the garage, hooked up to the truck on the highway, on the trailer at a hotel parking lot, at the event overnight, or driving around the pit area I'm covered. I forget the exact amount but I think it's like 300 or 400 per year for fire, theft, damage, personal injury, etc.

MungoZ06

Brad, others ...
Are the standards different for dedicated track car and street car trailered to track?
I.e., what if the car is licenced, titled, insured street car that one loads on trailer to and from track?
I'm especially interested in what USAA has said to owners ...

wallyman424

if its a street car being towed, its covered by your street insurance policy.

that is, pretty much anything but on track incidents.

C5 XTC

I checked with my agent today and since my street car and tow vehicle (and trailer) are all insured by them (Allstate) I would be covered if an accident happened to or from the track.
C5 XTC

Mello Yello

Insurance companies will usually cover the trailer while it is "connected" to the tow vehicle; when the trailer goes off on its own - you're also on
your own...