Most common track day accidents? Have you had any?
 

With upcoming (first) track days, we've looked around wrt insurance (in Australia)...and there seems to be few options, but mainly two types; cover the biggie, or cover little things (under $10k).

I've heard that most track day accidents are small - but I'd really like to get a feel from those who visit track days often.

What is the most usual sort of accident that can happen? How often chit hits the fan?

Most issues come from offs: broken wheels, suspension parts, and exhausts; lost bumpers, under trays, fender liners; and busted oil pans.

The other things to watch for are from wear: fried brakes (pads, rotors, and fluid); overheating; and transmission issues.

If you drive within your limits, are up to date on your maintenance, and your fluids are fresh you should have a good time without any major incidents.

Most of the minor stuff isn't worth covering (insurance costs are too high for the limited risk), and the major stuff is mostly in your hands.

I got track insurance for my first track day and liked the peace of mind; however, I've never purchased it again because I had enough confidence in my ability to know the limits of my abilities (and the track I frequent has lots of runoff room).

We have only had 1 car to car incident in the last 6 years with NASA in my region. That puts the percentage down in the 0.01% range. Off track incidents and broken parts are much more common. I have seen a couple of cars hit walls, and I nearly put mine into the wall last Sunday, in the rain, on slicks, in the race group warmup session. Overall, the likelihood of damaging your car is extremely low. I would not invest in track day insurance. With that said, some tracks are extremely high risk with little to no runoff, traps, etc... Drive within your limits and don't do anything that will prevent you from driving the car home. Also, whether your organization requires it, have a good race shop perform a tech inspection on your car not only for safety, but to make sure the car is up to par to handle a track day. The most important items for them to check are tires and brakes.

Another really annoying thing that can happen when you go off is getting rocks caught in between your rim and tire. This can cause the tire bead to unseat resulting in either a slow leak or flat tire all together.

If this happens you need to clean out the rocks to continue driving, and if its bad enough you might need to totally remount the tire.

Great to hear these, thanks gents!

Usually see engine issues. Guys dropping fluids stuff like that. maybe every other weekend see someone in the wall. But it's up to you, no one goes to the track expecting to wreck. I seen a totaled BRZ, vette, 370z, GT3, and I can't remember what else.

I wrecked my sport bike at my track years ago, but that is considerably higher risk than being on 4 wheels. There were always multiple offs and usually 2-3 bikes went home unrideable, but able to be fixed. Had I been in a car, I would have easily recovered the situation.

During 4 wheel track days, I've seen 1 car put it in the tire wall? And it was cosmetic damage.

But my local track, Hallett, is a relatively tight, technical track with lots of runoff basically everywhere and when you run out of runoff.........tire barriers, not concrete.

As mentioned, nearly all of the issues I see at the track for vehicles are mechanical issues that come from the cars not being properly prepared. Or at least what I would consider the minimum level of prep necessary to drive the car at 9/10ths+ for a couple hours per day.

Not correctly torquing their oil filters I presume.

^Drain plugs rattle loose, oil cooler lines/fittings leak, have an off and tear up oil and/or coolant lines.

As much as everyone likes to say that you learn the most in the rain, it is also in the rain that I've witnessed and experienced the most serious accidents; usually totaled cars. I saw three cars totaled in one rainy day event!

I totaled an Elise on a day that started rainy and the track got a nice dry line but I stepped off the dry line just a bit, over a bump, in a corner, and it was over in a few seconds; once off the dry line you slide a long ways...

Yea there is definitely no shame in parking it in the wet if one is not comfortable. The dry line of many tracks is like ice in the rain. You can drive the wet line but some spots you will have to cross over the dry line anyway.

Had someone spill their diff fluid in the braking zone of the fastest straight on track once. I was in my Celica with no ABS and went straight off, thankfully there was an unused section of track to bail on to. For sure if that happened at the wrong part of the track I'd be in a wall and sending the car to the junkyard.

Other than that, my worst incident was missing my braking point while passing and short cutting a chicane at 75. No damage, other than to my ego. I have heard of someone who maybe got a rock stuck in a caliper, which slowly machined away at his wheel until it failed.

Worst incident I've seen was an SRT4 which got bent out of shape in a fast sweeper, hooked and shot off track into a steep hill. Apparently flipped but landed upright, car left on its own power I think.

If you owe money on your car I'd say insurance is worth it. Otherwise you shouldn't track the car without being ok with randomly setting the whole thing on fire and walking away.

I paid off my car after I got a taste of the track. Knew I could be writing it off at any event and didn't want to deal with any headaches in that department.

I've bought mine with cash so there's no problems with financing. Still, I'd prefer keeping it intact for a while more.

...Although any spending on another car is tax deductible :D