Crashing your car at an SCCA event?

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amdhunter

amdhunter

Lifer
May 19, 2003
23,332
249
106
I am really loving my car a lot. Even driving to work, I can't help but feel giddy when I drive. I'd like to take it to another level this summer and maybe go to an SCCA event with a friend of mines (who also has an RX-8.) At the very least, I'd like to take it to a track and get a 1/4 mile time or something.

I have a simple question though. Now, while I feel I have a good feel for my car, and I'd be concerned with crashing due to the n00biness. How are crashes handled by insurance at these types of events?

I read through the rules at the NYC SCCA website and saw this:

Any person at or near the event site will be required to sign the
insurance waiver and obtain a wristband, whether or not they are
competing, serving as crew, or watching the event and only staying
for a minute. Anyone who refuses to sign the insurance waiver will
be asked to leave the site immediately.
Click to expand...

Does that mean that no coverage at all are given at these events? If I crash, will I have to convince my own insurance company to take care of me?
 
EightySix Four

EightySix Four

Diamond Member
Jul 17, 2004
5,122
52
91
No coverage when racing. You won't be able to convince your insurance company, just won't happen.

Even worst case in Auto-X, there is generally a lot of run-off and you won't hit anything. Drag racing doesn't provide and auto coverage either.

If you're that worried about wrecking the car, please don't go to the track.
 
Last edited:
vshah

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
auto-x is pretty low speed anyway. if you're cars in good shape there's little chance of something terrible happening.
 
amdhunter

amdhunter

Lifer
May 19, 2003
23,332
249
106
crazySOB297 said:
No coverage when racing. You won't be able to convince your insurance company, just won't happen.

Even worst case in Auto-X, there is generally a lot of run-off and you won't hit anything. Drag racing doesn't provide and auto coverage either.

If you're that worried about wrecking the car, please don't go to the track.
Click to expand...

Damn, that sucks. No one at the tracks themselves will offer some kind of cheap insurance...?

I'd have to be somewhat worried about wrecking. lol. I've seen enough Youtube videos where people are knocked into a wall, or made a split second decision which ended bad...
 
Last edited:
waffleironhead

waffleironhead

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,036
536
136
The insurance information you quoted looks like it is for liability against personal injury, not property damage.
 
DivideBYZero

DivideBYZero

Lifer
May 18, 2001
24,117
2
0
You can get track insurance. If it's your DD, then I suggest you get this and factor it in to the total cost of a track day.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,544
924
126
amdhunter said:
Damn, that sucks. No one at the tracks themselves will offer some kind of cheap insurance...?

I'd have to be somewhat worried about wrecking. lol. I've seen enough Youtube videos where people are knocked into a wall, or made a split second decision which ended bad...
Click to expand...

Most auto cross events are held in big empty parking lots where you're driving through a course laid out by little red plastic cones so the worst you are going to do if you lose it is spin out and take out a few plastic cones.

If you take your car to an actual race track, then yeah, the potential for damage is a lot higher but if you are worried about that then don't push it too hard.
 
Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
crazySOB297 said:
No coverage when racing. You won't be able to convince your insurance company, just won't happen.

Even worst case in Auto-X, there is generally a lot of run-off and you won't hit anything. Drag racing doesn't provide and auto coverage either.

If you're that worried about wrecking the car, please don't go to the track.
Click to expand...
This ^
amdhunter said:
Damn, that sucks. No one at the tracks themselves will offer some kind of cheap insurance...?

I'd have to be somewhat worried about wrecking. lol. I've seen enough Youtube videos where people are knocked into a wall, or made a split second decision which ended bad...
Click to expand...

No, but you can get motor sport insurance, though it's usually cost prohibitive.
 
T

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
I think what you're looking for are "track days," not SCCA events. Check out the websites for your closest tracks and look at the schedules. Look for auto clubs or things that don't obviously look like races and you should be able to track down some days when organizers are holding open track days that you can sign up for. Many car club days are actually open to any car since they need to fill the roster to pay for the track rental. Most require a volunteer instructor to ride along if it is your first time out.
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Demon-Xanth said:
I bet NASCAR team owners wish they could insure their cars. :)
Click to expand...


Actually wrecking is good if you are not in the top 10 or a points chase.

"Good wrecks" make the ca,era point at you and the car for a while. As such the Ads on your car/suit get more air time and advertisers love that. Can;t remember the term but they measure how long each logo is on TV and readable and that gets reported. If you wreck your ratio goes up. If you finish out of the top ten and are not a top points leader, you will get a very low ratio.
 
SpatiallyAware

SpatiallyAware

Lifer
Sep 7, 2009
12,960
3
0
I only had time to read the first half of the thread and there is a TON of misinformation here (at least as it would pertain to a motorcycle track day - all of my info comes from bike stuff)


Many insurance companies count track days as a 'training class' as long as it is not timed. I don't know anything about autocross (I'm guessing it is timed?), but for motorcycles all of the normal track days are fine (for my insurance company anyway) even with a bunch of bikes on the track as long as it isn't a competitive event. I.E. you can't put on a timer on the bike/car and try to beat their fastest lap. You can't enter in an event that's ranked.

That being said, a track day is IMO much much safer than a mountain run. There are a lot less trees, cliffs, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to take a car to an event like that, especially since novice (should) mean no passing in corners.
 
D

dawheat

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
3,132
93
91
SpatiallyAware said:
I only had time to read the first half of the thread and there is a TON of misinformation here (at least as it would pertain to a motorcycle track day - all of my info comes from bike stuff)


Many insurance companies count track days as a 'training class' as long as it is not timed. I don't know anything about autocross (I'm guessing it is timed?), but for motorcycles all of the normal track days are fine (for my insurance company anyway) even with a bunch of bikes on the track as long as it isn't a competitive event. I.E. you can't put on a timer on the bike/car and try to beat their fastest lap. You can't enter in an event that's ranked.

That being said, a track day is IMO much much safer than a mountain run. There are a lot less trees, cliffs, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to take a car to an event like that, especially since novice (should) mean no passing in corners.
Click to expand...

I think insurance companies used to generally treat untimed events as 'driving safety' classes, but not so much these day. The sentiment these days seem to fall into one of these camps:

1. If you crash, suck it up
2. Buy expensive track insurance
3. If you crash, try driving it out onto the street and claiming an accident (Note - this is illegal and not recommended in any way).
 
Saga

Saga

Banned
Feb 18, 2005
2,718
1
0
dawheat said:
3. If you crash, try driving it out onto the street and claiming an accident (Note - this is illegal and not recommended in any way).
Click to expand...

Illegal as hell but hilarious enough that I wouldn't really shed any tears for the rip-offs that are insurance companies if someone I knew did this.
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
SpatiallyAware said:
I only had time to read the first half of the thread and there is a TON of misinformation here (at least as it would pertain to a motorcycle track day - all of my info comes from bike stuff)


Many insurance companies count track days as a 'training class' as long as it is not timed. I don't know anything about autocross (I'm guessing it is timed?), but for motorcycles all of the normal track days are fine (for my insurance company anyway) even with a bunch of bikes on the track as long as it isn't a competitive event. I.E. you can't put on a timer on the bike/car and try to beat their fastest lap. You can't enter in an event that's ranked.

That being said, a track day is IMO much much safer than a mountain run. There are a lot less trees, cliffs, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to take a car to an event like that, especially since novice (should) mean no passing in corners.
Click to expand...
Bingo. The key clause in most policies is you cannot compete in a timed event. High Performance Driving Events are generally not timed. My buddy shunted his Evo VIII at VIR at an HPDE and insurance covered it without hassle.

An auto-x would likely be different IMO, as it is a timed competition. Not sure where the fine line is at with drag racing. But as long as you aren't a moron, you should be fine at an auto-x. And I don't see much point in taking an RX-8 to a drag strip :p
 
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