Fun times and not so times at DE

[Marc Gelefsky]

Ouch! that sucks.
I admit I always bail when the track gets wet, Im a wimp

[drburton]

This may be a stupid question, but do you have to get special insurance on the car if you run it at a track? Does your regular insurance cover a track accident?

If you do need supplemental insurance how expensive is it?

[jangobox]

Heartbreaking pictures.

[Chris C Atlanta]

The Chief Driving Instructor for the chapter should make that call. Generally a wet track is fine to drive...you learn smoothness and car control, and Porsches with good street tires are amazingly capable in the rain.

Standing water in the corners should mean red flag.

You did well to leave the event early.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Chris C Atlanta

The Chief Driving Instructor for the chapter should make that call. Generally a wet track is fine to drive...you learn smoothness and car control, and Porsches with good street tires are amazingly capable in the rain.

Standing water in the corners should mean red flag.

You did well to leave the event early.

Hi,

The CDI may well determine when the Track is closed, but every individual driver needs to assess the track condition against their own abilities. You are the one responsible if you make the decision to take your car out in conditions which are unfavorable, no one else. If the conditions scare you, that's a fair indication that you shouldn't leave Pit Lane until the conditions improve.

I've seen lots of bent sheetmetal at the Track over the years because people didn't have the skill, experience, Brakes, or Tires equal to the conditions at hand. One of the things Track experience should give one is a better developed ability to assess risk and to know when conditions dictate sitting it out, even if others choose not to...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[eslai]

Not really on topic, sorry, but isn't that a 996 in the pictures?

[MikenOH]

Jim I agree with everything in your post but would add the following caveats:

-Novices, either first time out or first time at a new track, really don't have much of a knowledge base to help them make a decision regarding go or no go. You see cars out there, your instructor is ready to go or you've been signed off on. The indications are it is safe to go--no crashes yet-- despite any natural aversion you might have in gettng the car on the track. Combine that with an instructor that may be pushing to you to speed up or take a more agressive line can lead to a newbie doing things that he/she might not ordinarily do. Nobody likes to look like a candy ass at a macho event, especially after they've spent [B]all[/B] that money on the car and the event.
To sum it up, what you're saying makes perfect, logical, sense except that there is an emotional component to this that can tip the balance for the novice to roll the dice rather than step back from the table. I think the more experienced driver will have a better feel for his and the car's capabilities to help him make those critical decisions.

-Mixing skill levels in run groups--especially the novice group--i think is a big no no; even worse when the weather gets bad. The novice ends up looking at his rear mirror more than the track. At this event, there were race prepared cars that were sprinkled in both the C & D groups that looked to be tuning up for the PCA race on the weekend. I had a 944 blow by me--roll cage,guttted interior,race exhaust--on wet track driving and cornering like he was on rails. I'm guessing a true 'C' class driver doesn't circle the track in that kind of rig.

Anyway, my wife and I survived, learned a lot and look forward to another DE at this track; I just hope it won't be raining.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by drburton

This may be a stupid question, but do you have to get special insurance on the car if you run it at a track? Does your regular insurance cover a track accident?

If you do need supplemental insurance how expensive is it?

Hi,

Most General Auto Coverage excludes coverage for any Track, DE, Gymkhana, or Timed Events. It depends more on your Policy than the Company, because a Carrier will generally write any Insurance, but reflect the Risk in the Premiums charged.

That said, many people forego any supplemental insurance either because of the added cost, they Feel Lucky Today, or they don't press the point because their individual Policy doesn't expressly prohibit it in writing (even though a Company can well go sideways on a Claim and wear you out in court). But, IMHO, this is not too wise. I mean think about it, you are intentionally pushing the Car to it's limits and perhaps beyond your own.

There are a number of Companies which write Timed or Competition Event Coverage and a good estimate would be about $100-$300 for a day's coverage. I use American Collectors Insurance for my Track coverage and it's about as reasonable as you can get. See them at: americancollectorsins dot com
Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99