Ron Fellows Spring Mountain - Liability Coverage
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 709
From: Swartz Creek MI
We actually had a guy in our class, last month, run off the track at high speed and totalled the car on the first hot laps of day 2. I have no idea if he had paid the buydown, or not, but it damn sure made me think about the fact that I had not and I drove a lot more conservative the remainder of the day. I could not get the thought of having to write an $8000 check out of my head.
NOTE: No one else even put a tire off the track.....it is NOT common
NOTE: No one else even put a tire off the track.....it is NOT common
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 2,495
From: Northern Virginia
2023 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
they ran 3 classes and i’m not aware of anyone else in any of the three having an incident.
general concensus is listen to the instructors and don’t out-drive your own skills. you are there to learn, not race or trying to keep up. drive your drive. the instructors will keep others from pushing you out of your comfort zone
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 5,767
Likes: 2,968
From: Rural NW Georgia. GO DAWGS!
2024 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
When I was there in June a guy ran his driver's side tires off the track right in front of me. I automatically swerved to avoid any debris - or him - and listened as the instructor scolded him. I've been twice and $200 is not a lot to pay for piece of mind. I've paid a heck of a lot more on government mandated insurance that I've never used on roads where people weren't driving their cars "like they were at a track."
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 80
Likes: 47
From: Dallas, TX
Inexpensive insurance for the potential risk. Similar to other types of insurance, you may never need to take advantage of the insurance but you're driving a $100,000 vehicle, and it takes only one misstep on your part or that of another driver to incur a significant loss.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 2,617
Likes: 1,803
From: Mandalore
All the people comparing $8k to $200 aren't comparing the right numbers (that's apples to oranges). The right numbers to compare are $8k vs $2k that you're still liable for if you buy the $200 insurance.
I figure it's going to be very hard to damage the car significantly more than $2k in a controlled environment where I'm not drunk or high and I've had prior high performance driving experience. So I'd rather pay the $2k in damages only than potentially paying $2k in damages plus the $200 (or $2.2k total) trying to buy it down from $8k.
I figure it's going to be very hard to damage the car significantly more than $2k in a controlled environment where I'm not drunk or high and I've had prior high performance driving experience. So I'd rather pay the $2k in damages only than potentially paying $2k in damages plus the $200 (or $2.2k total) trying to buy it down from $8k.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 214
Likes: 327
From: Spokane, WA
I did not pay the buy down... If you listen to the instructors and do what they say, you will not go off the track. These cars are amazing and so are the instructors.
There were several times where the instructor slowed the pace down because a student was not listening / hitting marks. You'd really have to be doing something stupid to go off the track. My understanding of the situation where the car was totalled a few weeks is that the driver was trying to beat his buddy by setting an even higher speed on the back straight. They showed video... the driver was still full into throttle way past where they should have been on the brakes.
If it gives you peace of mind, then buy it. If you are going to listen and responsible, you won't need it.
There were several times where the instructor slowed the pace down because a student was not listening / hitting marks. You'd really have to be doing something stupid to go off the track. My understanding of the situation where the car was totalled a few weeks is that the driver was trying to beat his buddy by setting an even higher speed on the back straight. They showed video... the driver was still full into throttle way past where they should have been on the brakes.
If it gives you peace of mind, then buy it. If you are going to listen and responsible, you won't need it.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 709
From: Swartz Creek MI
I did not pay the buy down... If you listen to the instructors and do what they say, you will not go off the track. These cars are amazing and so are the instructors.
There were several times where the instructor slowed the pace down because a student was not listening / hitting marks. You'd really have to be doing something stupid to go off the track. My understanding of the situation where the car was totalled a few weeks is that the driver was trying to beat his buddy by setting an even higher speed on the back straight. They showed video... the driver was still full into throttle way past where they should have been on the brakes.
If it gives you peace of mind, then buy it. If you are going to listen and responsible, you won't need it.
There were several times where the instructor slowed the pace down because a student was not listening / hitting marks. You'd really have to be doing something stupid to go off the track. My understanding of the situation where the car was totalled a few weeks is that the driver was trying to beat his buddy by setting an even higher speed on the back straight. They showed video... the driver was still full into throttle way past where they should have been on the brakes.
If it gives you peace of mind, then buy it. If you are going to listen and responsible, you won't need it.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 313
Likes: 94
From: Chicago
Anyone have experience with booking this rental on their Credit Card? The card typically has its own insurance for rentals and cover you almost fully for out of pocket costs in case of accident. Anyone on here want to openly admit they crashed at this course and how they got out of paying the deductible themselves?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Pro
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 597
Likes: 257
From: Michigan
Yah, I'm taking that deal all day long. I won't miss $200 but would definitely miss $8,000. I could have 50 days on a track a year and would still take that deal behind the seat of someone else's car. Stuff happens.