TurtleRayZ51

So I am thinking of tracking my car but also considering the insurgence side of it should anything happen. I got one quote and it was 455 for one day...lol. So I got 280 for my track day event (4 20 min sessions) + this quote of 455 for the track day insurgence. Consider the price of tires I am going to really wear down and brake pad I am going to ware down plus the C7 suggested track day prep. Yea.. I do not see buying this as a really a viable option which means I guess I am priced out of tracking my car. Thoughts?

PatternDayTrader

Id be finding a way to buy it if you have never been on a track before, unless you intend to just sort of patty cake it around the course.

blueray16

The hobby isn't cheap and may not be for everyone.
Insurance is just another cost to add to the list.

I tracked my Mustang for 12 years without insurance and never hit anything.

First time on track with my brand new C7, I wisely bought track insurance,and i slid into the tire wall at 50 mph on the second day.

No air bag deployed and I drove it home. I was shocked to see insurance estimate over $20K. With deductible and a couple "extras" Cost me $6000 fixed good as new maybe even better. Cost of the insurance was less than $400

Each of us must decide how much risk we are willing to assume. I can handle a few grand... not $20K

Maxie2U

Had no idea regular auto INSURANCE does not cover me if I tracked my car.

Kent1999

Yup, regular tracking of a $50k-$100k car is not for those on a budget.

Track Day Insurance is expensive for a very good reason -- track driving is high risk. If you are doing it for its intended purpose, you are operating on the high side of your driving skill range and/or the car's capabilities. And at those higher levels, things break, go wrong, or limits are unexpectedly exceeded -- sometimes quite quickly and with unfortunate and expensive results. Tracks don't make you sign a waiver just so they can see your pretty signature.

There is absolutely NO way would I track a car as expensive as our C7's without either track day insurance or the financial means to self-insure -- meaning that I would have to have discretionary funds available where I could write a check for a $30,000 repair bill without it severely impacting my life.

If you are on a budget and want to hit the track on a regular basis -- keep your C7 for the street and buy a $4000 Miata specifically for tracking and you can self-insure. Lots of people do it that way. Miata entry cost, tires, brakes and other consumables are much more affordable than on our C7's, making Miatas a very attractive and relatively affordable way to be a track rat.

JerriVette

C4 s are becoming popular for a reason as well. Big v8 s, big tires, and they are as inexpensive as miatas these days. Then don't bother with insurance.

I would do Driving school events where they run beginner, intermediate and advanced classes superset..

In the beginner classes you won't be crashing and have an instructor in the car...there is no passing without a wave. From the instructor in the other car..

It's 20 minutes of track fun ...with minimal chance of crashing unless you are pushing so hard you smash into the wall which you really aren't going to do in the beginner class unless you are insane...

Your in control and behave appropraitely you ll be fine...and can run the c7....without insurance..

You won't go through brakes or tires in 3 20 minute sessions a day..,it all depends on how hard you push the car and in a beginner class your just not going to push the car as hard as you think.

I'm still laughing at myself at my first track day memories...I was sweating a lot more at the end of my 20 minute track sessions while the new 1999 c5 corvette I had at the time wasn't even breathing hard...

The corvette driving events are awesome and a great way to go...for new drivers especially....very safe and you really don't need the insurance....



Jmo

Mcrider

I don't think you are alone. I am willing to bet there are a large number of first time owners out there tracking, or intending to track their new ZR's, and they don't have insurance coverage.

boxster99t

Depends greatly on where you live--it may have changed since I stopped doing HPDE's but when I was doing them regularly from 2000-2006, a standard auto insurance policy in Texas covered the car, provided it is not a timed, competitive event which means racing (racing is not covered; DE's are). And yes, I had a pretty expensive wreck on track in a 2001 911 twin turbo--total bill was over $40,000. State Farm paid, but didn't like it.

Everyone should read their insurance policy, and then make an informed choice.

slickstick

Why did it still cost $6K, is the deductible that high with track insurance?

slickstick

What are some of the best/most affordable options for track insurance? I want to do an event coming up at Sebring and definitely need some. Way too risky for a car I am still making payments on to not have it.

mschuyler

What, are you living in Iraq or something? I new tracks were dangerous, but geez! That does sound pretty risky.

cheapthrills

When I bought my Z06 and had the opportunity to go to Spring mountain for a second Corvette owners school for $1,000 I jumped on it, it's a steal. As you see you add it up and it's really expensive. The track insurance I have seen ONLY COVERS YOUR CAR, no medical, no other persons car, no other people. I have no idea what happens if you take out another car and injure another person on the track and it's deemed to be your fault. Maybe someone can answer that question.

John Harry

From my observations it has changed in the last 10 years or so. Most (all?) policies now exclude anything that happens at a track, whether it's racing, HPDE, driving school, etc.

orca1946

OK so ---- maybe I'll just putt around with the instructor.

blueray16

deductible is fixed choice of 10% or 15% of the agreed value of the car. $5000 on $50,000 insured value, as I recall, I also paid the additional cost to repaint the entire car, wet sand and buff which was not included in the insurance estimate.
No more orange peel. Thank you Lokton Ins.

blueray16

When i started out in 2003, there was no affordable track day insurance available anywhere.
Some auto insurance policies stated that car was covered as long as it was not a timed racing event. But as one of my track buddies found out the hard way,... in the fine print it disallowed any claims while on a "racing surface".

mtaxman

I'm in the same decision loop. And offer my 2 cents.

Your regular auto insurance company will never ( I expect) cover you when doing something like this. This is "Physical Damage" cover....not third party liability.
I haven't yet done a track day myself - in my own car - but expect the waiver you sign has you assume the risk of injury and waive your right to recover from another driver or the track or the promotor/organizer.

Based on my investigation, Track Phys Dam insurance is sometimes not worth it and sometimes it is.
Even at Spring Mountain you can't get insurance on their GS or ZO6 - its out of your pocket.
Stingrays and Z51s - yes at SM.
But at the Spring Mountain owners course you can't really get out of your comfort zone - they control it pretty good - I went naked driving a GS. The three day course is another story I understand. More wide open speed and less lead / follow routine.

If going to a PDE type event or to an SCCA "track night in America" (https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/) event they sometimes offer decent track cover from reputable insurance agents/companies.
Even then - there is a very large deductible - like $5,000 - on your car if you break it.

I've observed PDEs (this past Friday) and track nights trying to get comfortable with participant behavior.
There is reasonable division around skill level. "Point to pass" is generally the way things work so you aren't really racing and just about nobody wants to wreck themselves or you.
I've seen cars miss apex and go off course.

If you check out the track you are considering you might be surprised - some have a lot of space, some not so much.
In Savannah, Roebling Road is a very wide open, flat, 2 mile track and I would go there without track insurance. A different track - like maybe Lime Rock - maybe not.

Gearhead Jim

A friend took his year-old C7 to the drag strip, hit a patch of oil or something at about 60 mph, spun 180' and went backwards/sideways into the wall. Broke three ribs, probably bent the frame. No insurance coverage from his normal policy, of course.

He couldn't find a shop that was willing to repair it, so he sold it "as-is" for a price that he said "would buy me a heavily used C5."

gbjerke

Your car insurance USED to cover "driving schools" as their only exclusion was to "timed or racing events", that being the drag strip (both timed and racing). Went to these driving schools for years and became an instructor. The schools I went to were(BMW/Porshe/independant clubs), and I suspect all others always had language in their entry forms which stated "this is not a timed or racing event and any evidence of racing will warrant your dismissal from this event". That language got you by the policy exclusionary language. These schools are awesome fun but usually saw 2-3 big crashes each weekend. Not car to car but rather off track excursions into a tire wall or concrete. Ugly stuff, but it used to be covered. Insurance companies wised up and began to exclude coverage for these schools. Not sure if any company has the old language but take a peek at your policy. Look under exclusions for your "physical damage" (collision) and check it out.

SouthOCBoy

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