Trackdays & Damage Liability

jj · Post by jj » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:48 pm

dezzy wrote:
ryallm wrote:I like to keep my car in mint condition and I would be seriously hacked off if it was badly damaged, but even if I wasn't insured it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Agreed it's not the end of the world, but it's my only car mate. If it was a 2nd car, I wouldn't be as bothered about the risk as I am currently.

Agreed, I am less bothered about tracking without insurance because if I did stack it, I would be prepared to leave it parked up for weeks or however long it took to repair it as I have access to other vehicles.

However, in your case dezzy you had better check that even if you do get track insurance, it would have to be pretty good cover that allowed use of a courtesy car - if you did damage your car, it would be off the road for a few weeks being repaired.

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:25 pm

the bills can add up quickly if clams are involved.

A rear shunt could easily cost 5-6k

Front, you'd be lucky to see change from 4k.

Clarkie · Post by **Clarkie** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:43 pm

Andy G wrote:the bills can add up quickly if clams are involved.

A rear shunt could easily cost 5-6k Front, you'd be lucky to see change from 4k.

Wow

Has you new lighweight motor got big bumpers?

Seriously guys would there be mileage in negotiating a track day rate with CCI or a n other for SE members. From my track days last year the Lotus guys are impeccable on track. It's those damn Porsche's at Hot Marques that don't leave much room for error

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:01 pm

Well... you guys ain't gettin' to drive mine. And I don't wanna drive yours (just in case). So there.

Up until now, I've never bothered with Insurance... but, that was because I made a decision to only use a car up to £5K value.

Not decided what I'll do this year regarding insurance on the Elise.

ruadh08 · Post by **ruadh08** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:08 pm

Guys, you will also find that most of the insurance companys offering track day insurance have huge excesses, often up to £10k, meaning that in reality you are only insuring against writing off the car, any other damage will usually have to be out of your own pockets, including new clams!!

maybe the hothatchers in the £500 fiestas do have more fun!!!

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:18 pm

In the event of a self inflicted minor/medium bump (eg with the tyre wall ) isn't it likely that the driver of the damaged car would drive homewards (assuming it was possible of course) and claim on their own insurance and report that they had hit something else on a quiet road? Or if Car A went into the back of Car B then it would be likely that the drivers would, if possible, look to make a normal insurance claim by altering the location of the incident on the Claim? Obviously I appreciate the wrongness of this and am only speculating.

Jim

Post by **simon** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:27 pm

The problem with that Jim is that with the spread of forums such as ours combined with the cheap prices of digital cameras means that evidence of track use inevitably ends up on numerous forums.

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:37 pm

Bah Humbug.
SE isn't popular. Apparently it is ranked a minor 2,502,889th most popular in the World

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traff ... elises.com

Jim

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:47 pm

i'm sure it happens, but i would guess that it happens less and less now.

There was a story a while back of a guy who got caught making a fraudulent claim after he crashed his ferrari at Spa, then claimed when he got home. I 'think' he got the book thrown at him.

Digital · Post by **Digital** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:56 pm

It's not unknown for people to try the insurance trick, but some guy got done last year for trying to claim on insurance after a trackday off at Spa: http://www.ifig.org/news/article.php?id ... 617d184b75

I've seen the odd Impreza "broken down" outside Knockhill in the past, awaiting recovery by the AA/RAC

Edit - yep, McKeann posted that as I was trying to hunt down a link for that story, remember seeing it on Pistonheads but can't find the link now...

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:59 pm

well done on link. I didnt even try to find it

:

rossybee · Post by **rossybee** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:04 pm

Having just read all 4 pages of this thread, it seems that everyone has roughly the same approach to this interesting topic.

I have never let anyone drive the Snot on track (don't think my nerves could handle it) and have never taken anyone up on the offer of driving their P&J (would be facking hypocritical

)

The closest to changing this scenario is with Dave (yellow Superlight) mainly for the reason that I know his driving ability and that our cars are similar in power, and obviously mostly the same otherwise - but having discussed it, we decided against, for reasons such as some other tool hitting you, mechanical failure causing an off, oil on track, plus most of the other reasons already stated here....

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:06 pm

I dare someone to start this thread on SELC*CK just to watch the sh!t fly...

Post by **simon** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:16 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:I dare someone to start this thread on SELC*CK just to watch the sh!t fly...

Earlier in the thread Mac mentioned insurance from CCI. I wasn't aware they did this and I checked with him earlier tonight but apparently they can do cover up to an agreed value (£3k in his case) for a lower cost per event (£40 at the time when Mac took it out). This might be much more appealing to those who don't have full track cover in their policy. I realise it doesn't cover a write off (although some S1s can't be far off that now

) but it might at least go a good way to cover a clam replacement or something.

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:28 pm

Great discussion guys. There does seem to be a consensus forming.
I fully realise the risks and is probably the main reason I have not ventured onto KH. Whilst I respect the comments of the honourable few with rergards to 3rd party repairs, I think you have to assume that if you are hit by a 3rd party that the honourable ones would be the exception particularly for a big/biggish shunt.

One thing that this has brought out but hasn't been expanded on is the track etiquette of SE drivers. As an observer and passenger with various drivers I have often been shocked by how close some SE drivers will run to the back of other cars whether the driver/car is known or not. This was an other thing that has put me off in taking to track as I simply find this too intimidating. I appreciate that as others have said that you can pull over - let's hope you get the opportunity to do so. Would it not be more responsible now to have a word with the drivers exhibiting this type of behaviour whilst it is merely a talking point and not whilst picking bits of fibreglass out of your teeth.

I am looking to investigate track cover this year when my policy is up. My car is probably worth approx £10k-£11k and less than half of many others. I would not loose my house or anything if it was written off, but it took a lot of hard graft and 35 years to be in a position to afford it. I don't want to throw it away now

Stewart
(very cautious faction)