HPDE Insurance: Post Experiences
 

Seeing that most major insurance companies have closed their HPDE loopholes, third party track day insurers have been popping up and dissolving. One that is getting more and more attention is Lockton Motorsports Insurance. They offer single event coverage in addition to more expensive multi-events packages.

Has anyone used these guys? Even more valuable, has anyone filed a claim with them?

That last thing I want is to go on track having paid for insurance that ends up not covering an accident due to fine print, dissolution of the company, or bullying and stonewalling of the customer filing the claim.

If you use a 3rd party HPDE insurer, please post your experience, premium paid for quantity of coverage, deductible, etc. This is looking like our new reality unless you have big enough cajones to drive uninsured.

I drive uninsured. my accident was costly, but not all that bad at around 3500.

I've never had a claim for track related damage... however, Liberty Mutual covers my vehicles and they say that I'm covered for any un-timed DE type of track event. Time trial and race is a no-go unless I want to step up to full motorsports type insurance and not something I plan to do... OT but I am also covered for losses to my trailer and its contents (car) through a specialty carrier

A note on Lockton. They have been doing HPDE insurance for many years now (at least 4-5), and I have heard of people filing claims and having them resolved quickly.

Honestly, I've been torn on HPDE insurance. I don't plan on getting it until I move up to driving without an instructor (and having unrestricted passing), but even then, I'm not sure I'll bother. It seems like it would only be worth it if you have a complete wreck, and I don't think that is likely to happen.

Definitely open to hearing others opinions on this too.

Wow, I'm surprised there is still an insurance company that hasn't removed that allowance from their policy, I thought they were all gone by now. Is this something you are grandfathered into somehow? I'm assuming you have this in writing in your policy?

A good friend of mine made a claim thru Lockton. They seem to be easy to use and stand behind their service.
When I start back into HPDE, I will use them. Not worth the risk to me to be left holding the price tag on the repairs.

I'm going to look into Liberty. Lockton's insurance is, as you guys have said, aimed at the catastrophic wreck. The deductible is 10% of the insured value...about $3k for our cars. Mike, I think you were fortunate with only $3.5k in damage. My fender bender this winter came to a cool $13,500 when the car was finally fixed. It doesn't take much to make the bill go through the roof.

Now granted, a total loss requires a really big problem at the track day. I don't expect I'd do that on my own accord. But there are plenty of stories where the other cars on track destroyed an otherwise intact car. I just read a story about a 911 that spun and went off, but was undamaged. Then two other cars went off and plowed into it. The short of it is that you can't plan for everything. You're either financially sound enough to 'self-insure' your own car, you're a gambler and feel the odds are in your favor, or you don't like risks or can't subsidize a big wreck and need the insurance companies. For now, I fall under option 3.

Good to hear Lockton is a viable option. Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

Yep, I drive fairly conservatively on the track and don't push it to where I think I will go off. I've only spun one other time and that was on a very tame track where I pushed it more than I normally would. However, my accident was due to a mechanical failure. There are so many things that can go wrong. I might go for the insurance if my car weren't paid off and was my daily driver, but I just take my chances and if I total it, then I'm done with track days and it goes to the junkyard.

What is the price on it?

I think I have been off the track 3-4 times

#1 Someone spun in front of me, had to drive to the grass to avoid
#2 Front brake line failure, flew off the track
#3 Pushed car too hard at NJMP, ran wide and straight onto the grass.

This is over 30-40 track days. To be honest, you will go off one day. It's just a matter of when and how, you do your best to avoid it. Once you learn what it feels like to go off, you will actually become more calm and get better at it.....

I'm not worried about going off on my own (although that could still have consequences). It's getting hit by someone else both on track or after going off. If it were just me lapping on the track alone, I wouldn't buy insurance.

Frankly, my experiences have shown the novice group to be the most risky. Every track day there are idiots who don't follow the rules, pass in unauthorized zones, and fail to heed flags. I'd be curious to learn if more track day accidents happen in the novice or the advanced group. I've done 7 track days and many groups still place me in Novice (while others put me in Advanced...time for standardization you think?). I much prefer the Intermediate group as these people tend to know the basics and not do stupid things. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end knowing some guy who has never been on the track before is anywhere near my car.

That would be a sad, sad day. Hope it never happens.

I would find different clubs to run with in that case... The PCA group here (SEMPCA) and NASA would toss you out for that kind-of stuff.

I have considered Lockton too.. the only downside is that they have to approve the club/event. I'm probably going to do the same thing this season as last and just gamble that I won't have a bad off-track excursion.

I watched Waterford Hills eat 2 350Z Nismos last year and both were covered by their road insurance after being towed directly to body shop... Lucky fellas. One novice and one experienced driver.

You get crashes at every level. You get the big time crashes with the advanced group and you usually get smaller ones with the novices.