Track Day Mishap Contingency Plan?

[ZDan]

I have driven my car to and from events in the northeastern US and Canada for the past 20+ years, probably more than 150 track days. HPDE/drivers school/time trials, limited passing on straights only with point-by. I've had to have the car trailered back home for me a total of three times, twice by people with streetable cars they trailered to the track, once by AAA.

If something happens you can figure out a way to deal with it. For me it's never been worth it to invest in a truck and trailer or pay for track insurance. If you're tracking a street car, IMO it's a ton easier to just arrive-and-drive. Yeah, something might happen, but between being surrounded by fellow enthusiasts willing to help, and having Gold AAA with extended towing, you won't be on your own if something happens.

[deca]

For what it's worth, I've never felt pressured to drive beyond my comfort zone at a track day. Lots of guys there are taking it very easy, and at our small track I still find myself passing most people even while giving myself a significant safety buffer.

If you can make the extra preparations for the peace of mind that's great, but don't let it come between you and the track experience by treating it as an absolute necessity. You can have a ton of fun and learn a lot at the track even while driving very conservatively. The majority of drivers at events I've attended have just driven their cars to and from the event.

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Get AAA plus, 100 mile towing...

+1, ZDan gets all the kudos here.

It's well worth the annual cost for peace of mind alone, and if you bought it and didn't use it for say 3 years, the moment you need it it will have paid for itself instantly.

[TommyW]

Originally Posted by deca

If you can make the extra preparations for the peace of mind that's great, but don't let it come between you and the track experience by treating it as an absolute necessity. .

Can you elaborate?

[Takumi788]

Its worth noting here. AAA will not tow your tire trailer.

I recommend AAA+ if a truck and trailer doesn't make sense. Track days have been so relaxing since I got a truck and trailer. I now have zero anxiety over what could happen concerning how I am getting home. The closest track to me is 2 hours away. The track I frequent the most is 6 hours away.

Making it a track only car has only made it more relaxing. If something does happen, load it on the trailer and shove it in the corner of my garage until I can get to it. I don't need to and cant drive it on the street anyway. The only deadline is the next track event I feel like participating in. I don't recommend getting this far tho. It tends to consume a good chunk of your life. lol

[deca]

Originally Posted by TommyW

Can you elaborate?

All I meant is that it'll be ok to go even if you can't afford/coordinate a trailer or insurance or whatever else. You don't need to approach it with the mindset of "oh if I can't afford a trailer then I can't afford to track my car."

All you really need to do is make sure your car is in good condition and drive within your comfort zone.

[ls1ac]

I would think that if you are with a good group that you will have an instructor with you for the first part of the day. They usually will not let you go along until they feel you are doing well.
Have at it and have a good time.

[Tcoat]

If doing a one off track day or even a couple of them a year then if the worst happens a $200 tow job is actually pretty cheap. Little sense is spending the cash on a truck and trailer for a couple of trips a year. If a $200 tow is the make or break on deciding to track then I would assume that expensive repairs would be out of the question anyway. Just budget a spare $200 for the day and consider it a windfall when you don't need to spend it or stay away from the track.

[GrabTheWheel]

I vote trailer with a tow vehicle and a good life insurance policy.

[cjd]

The tow isn't going to be your expense. And I would be really surprised if you'd be stuck without preparing in advance.


When my car was wrecked, I had multiple offers of a seat for the day (I never even got a run, codriver didn't complete his first run...) as well as trailer offers, rides home, even people willing to let me take their car home and my car in their trailer. I've seen this since for others, as well. In the end, someone hauled the car to a place it could hang out for a little while so we could sort out whether it was repairable and my wife made the trek out to get me home (with a stop at the ER on the way... I was a passenger and had pretty bad chest contusions, nearly passed out when I had to cough but my body tried to refuse to let that happen).



That ER visit was nearly the biggest expense with health insurance trying to say 'nope', car insurance not an option, and the event insurance not actually covering the injury (they'd have covered out of pocket expenses another insurance company wouldn't pay, but only as secondary... so would not have covered had I been denied coverage at all). Eventually it worked out, but not without some work.


So, even had I needed to pay for a tow, it would have been a tiny part of the cost... and was peanuts on what I ended up out of pocket (some of which was my choice, since I chose to replace a '14 with a new '17).

[iag48st]

My nb miata failed on me at poconos. Had AAA gold(?) and towed it to nyc. After the Free 100 miles they charged for the balance.
I didn’t know track insurance covered towing. Does that count as a claim? Or make your track insurance increase for the next time?

[Opie]

I started with a daily going to HPDE's and did a bunch driving it to and from. Track time is a rabbit hole though...and now that same car is gutted and no longer registered or insured for the street so...

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by Opie

I started with a daily going to HPDE's and did a bunch driving it to and from. Track time is a rabbit hole though...and now that same car is gutted and no longer registered or insured for the street so...

Same: Its sad. I have NO other reason to own a truck. But here I am. lol
2019 pre-wrap pic:

[gcranston]

Your Takumi avatar is casting a skeptical side-eye towards your enormous truck. I chuckled.