pjazz

I've read that tracks can actually charge you for the repair of any damages to the course from an accident. I was just curious if this is the case at most tracks does this also apply to all racing events? Does anyone know what costs can be billed to you?

Mordeth

Yes, they can and will charge you. Damage to the barriers/armco, Speedidry, etc.

I raced at Watkins Glen in a recent American Endurance Racing (AER) a few months ago and below was the disclosure emailed to all racers. Similar charges apply to HPDE. The track bills the event organizer and then the organizer bills you. You agree to this when you sign up. There are a few smaller/less known tracks in the country that may not charge you, but the larger ones and/or popular ones almost always will.

fatbillybob

Depends on who you are on track with.

pjazz

Do you mean the organization running the event?

Bill Dearborn

The Glen and VIR have similar policies. The event organizer gets the bill and they pass it on to you. About 10 years ago I was at an HPDE at the Glen where some idiot started losing oil and drove on the line for a mile and a half before pulling over. It took the the Glen crew two hours to clean up the mess and participants lost a lot of track time. The going price for Speedi Dri at the time was $6 per bag and they used 120 bags to clean the mess. When this was announced along with the statement the guy had already been handed the bill the Garage was filled with Cheers. I have known other guys that have had incidents with the blue walls getting $1000 bills for repairs.

VIR is particular about their pavement in the paddock area so you better not put holes in it by using jacks or jackstands that aren't sitting on a large flat metal plate or piece of wood. Spill gasoline or oil on the pavement and you better look for a track worker so they can spray some chemical that deactivates the spill so the asphalt doesn't get a hole in it. If you don't do that and a hole appears there will be a bill for asphalt repair passed on to you.

Basic rule is it is their property and if you damage it you pay for the repairs. I think that is fair.

Bill

Dan H.

My friend hit the tire wall at VIR at oak tree. Harry's said he hit it at 18mph. He got a $175 bill 3 days after the event from the organizer.

63Corvette

CoTA$$$$

synner

The best advice: don't crash.

Gary2KC5

Road America billed the club $450 when I blew an engine. The club passed some on the cost on to me, but not all. they billed them a crazy amount for some armco that got damaged in the kink too.

jlutherva

I got billed $275 for two tire bundles at VIR back in 2011.

I pushed around some Jersey barrier at Road Atlanta in 2014 and did not get a bill.

I understand Barber bills for grass

pjazz

I heard if you just scratch some Armco they'll charge you.

bb69

As an organizer, I have had to pay for damages a number of times, and then I pass on the charge to the driver. It says right on my registration page, the participant is responsible for damages. I can also say that the cost of the Armco is usually a small percentage of the cost of the vehicle damage.

ooldguy93

That is the case for every track in the Midwest

50 years ago it didn't happen, however, within the last 15 years they all do it

just another " profit center ", although, why should the track eat it ?

Gary2KC5

The track would not "eat it" they make a lot of money from clubs, track events, and ultimately the participants which are generating a lot of cash for the track and the clubs. NHRA, for example, does not charge a participant for an oil down. I can understand damaging something like Armco but oil dry is a consumable. I guess I should be glad they didn't send me a bill for the tow back to the paddock. Road America got the track up and running when the car hit the Armco in the kink by extending the concrete barriers...maybe that should have been the configuration to begin with.

BTW: 50 years ago most of these track weren't here. Track events, HPDE and such have only been around for 20-25 years. Damn, it's hard to say that...I guess I'm getting to be an old guy too.

pjazz

NHRA did recently start charging Nitro cars for oil down. I think it was more for delaying the event though.

Captain Buddha

I "own" a piece of The Bitch at Hallett...only $200 worth...it was on a test day...had it been on race day it would've been covered by SCCA...