Are you covered while drag racing? I called my insurance agent and he was cracking up, he said nobody in his 20 years of selling insurance ever asked that. I thought it was a legit question after watching a 2001 vette hit the wall at over 100 mph last weekend. Do tracks carry some type of insurance? I saw an earlier post about they have some life insurance and dismemberment stuff, but nothing about covering the car. Any ideas?

 

Got this in email.

http://www.nhra.com/insurance/index.html

 

If you are asking about colision coverage for your car, I believe the answer is "no". As a matter of fact, my policy specifically provides grounds for cancellation if the car is raced.

This actually is a potential problem for me as my insurance agent works next door and my car isn't exactly sedate and I am pretty well known in my area for racing. Of course he is just the agent, to the provider, so he just chooses to ognore the racing decals, slicks and roll cage. :D

 

Does that happen often? cars hitting walls at 100 mph, dont let my wife hear that. she isnt thrilled im racing.

 

Thats what I've got :cool:

 

Wrecking a street car at a sanctioned drag strip is a rare event. My honest opinion is that you have a far higher risk of an accident driving to and from the track than while racing. tracks are supposed to be straight, wide, and free of debris. Most wrecks occur because some driver has an over abundance of testosterone and doesn't back out of a run if he spins the tires or something stupid like that. Probably the most frequesnt accident to a street car would be someone bumping it with a golf cart in the pits.

I race rental cars when I travel and have never had a problem. :D

 

Thanks that makes absolute sense.

 

But what if the other racer hits your car :confused:

 

That is one of my fears, another car hitting me. I have seen 6 wrecks / spin outs on our track in the past year. Our track sucks for traction and it is only treated with VHT for events, other than that, the traction is worse than a regular street. The last wreck that happened had to do with a tire blowing/deflating on the top end and the guy hit the opposite wall, good thing the other car was so slow or it could have been really nasty. Of the 6 incidents I saw, 3 of them involved the car coming across the centerstrip and hitting the opposite wall.

 

Everybody with insurance concerns should read the NHRA posting on the url provided above. That coverage is SECONDARY to any and all other insurance that may apply to you. And it is medical insurance, only. If you blow an engine or bite the wall, your insurance is YOU!!! If someone else hits you, it is between you and them. There is no collecting on your collision and letting the ins. co. go after the other driver. Just filing that claim is likely to get your insurance cancelled. If you take the time to read your polacy, you will see that "speed contests" are specifically excluded. You MIGHT be able to go after the other driver, but it would probably end up in court, where you had better have great evidence of his (her) negligance. You race at your own risk. Good luck, and...

RACE ON!!!

 

Pretty much you are on your own. I have seen on several instances pit or staging lane accidents the cars are taken off the track grounds, to a main road before the police are called for an accident report.

Dennis

 

Unfortunately any timed peroformance driving will not be covered. Even time trials are timed so you are racing at your own risk.

However, as stated above you don't see a lot of 100 mph cars hitting the wall. Accidents can happen at anytime. In 3 years of going to the drag strip 12 and 13 second cars rarely have any trouble.

The key is to use good judgement. If it does not feel right, don't try to correct. Simply abandon the run by getting off the throttle and coasting.

 

Good advice Redgar.

 

I did ask the same question a while back. Check out the answers I got (pretty much the same info as above). I recently joined NHRA to get the benefit of their coverage. I do understand any damage to my vette will not be covered.... by anybody. MJ
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=417314

 

One other point I'd thought I'd mention here...life insurance. For any of you that carry life insurance make sure your agent knows about your racing habits. I pay an extra sur-charge because I fall into a special category along with those that fly light aircraft and other "dangerous" hobbies. It cost a few bucks more but at least the company will have to pay if I get injured or killed while drag-racing. If you fail to mention that in your insurance application it's just another easy way out for the insurance company if something happens and they decide that don't want to pay. Deen
P.S. A couple of years ago my wife was run into by a pit vehicle at a National NHRA event (Seattle). Even though I am a NHRA member, they refused to do anything about it even though we had witnesses. The owners of the Top-Fuel team were evasive and refused to answer our phone calls. Luckily our insurance company payed our bills even though it was not our fault...may that Top-Fuel team have endless first-round losses and destroyed engines as their just reward...


[Modified by DeenHylton, 4:44 AM 3/7/2003]

 

Im in the insurance business. You have NO COVERAGE if your racing. :nopity

 

:iagree:

 

I dissagree. As a member of NHRA, I am covered at least by their insurance. I am NOT in the insurance business, but I think many health plans will cover your own injuries. If you didn't lie on your application (I wasn't a racer when I bought) life insurance should be in effect after a certain (2 years?) exclusionary period. Never say never. Good luck and...

RACE ON!!!


[Modified by CFI-EFI, 6:25 PM 3/12/2003]

 

Actually there is coverage available for on track racing but it is very expensive!

 

I believe the original question refered to personal lines auto insurance. Personal lines is the insurance we have on our personal automobiles and does not cover you when racing. READ YOUR POLICY, you'll see Im right. :nopity