Backup plan when stuck at the track

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by ayau

It stopped disengaging and couldn't get it into gear while the car was on. This was on the ITR with 138k miles. Mechanic friend took the dropped the tranny and found some broken pressure plate pieces inside the casing. He's thinking it must have overheated and shattered.

OEM clutch? If so, join the OEM clutch failure club. Extremely common, it's why almost no track Hondas are running OEM clutches

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Everyone that tracks should get AAA. You can piggyback tows to get a single "big" tow.

E.g. use your 200 mile tow, and call in a second 200 mile tow where the car would be dropped off to get a 400 mile total tow.

One word of warning. AAA doesn't cover any altered vehicles, or at least they don't have to. Ran into this with a buddy's car at the same event (technically two days prior) Alan had his clutch failure at. They refused to tow it 20 miles to King Motorsports who was having a dyno day. We bought the needed parts (all 16 valves were bent from a broken timing belt) and rebuilt the head in their parking lot


Also, for AAA premium at least it's 1 200 mile tow and 3 100 mile tows per year.

Originally Posted by White64Goat

Regular AAA membership is 3 miles or nearest repair facility for free and pay after that per mile. AAA Plus is 100 miles towing. Never heard of AAA Premium (at least on East Coast).

Saw some new club on TV a couple of weeks ago and they offer 100 miles towing on basic package, but can't remember their name.....

I have Premium in Florida.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

OEM clutch? If so, join the OEM clutch failure club. Extremely common, it's why almost no track Hondas are running OEM clutches

Yup. Good to know. Makes me more confident that the tranny is still fine. Picked up ACT HD clutch and flywheel prolite.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Everyone that tracks should get AAA. You can piggyback tows to get a single "big" tow.

E.g. use your 200 mile tow, and call in a second 200 mile tow where the car would be dropped off to get a 400 mile total tow.

Good to know. Assuming AAA's is nationwide, you only get 200 mile for the first tow, and the following 3 tows are all 100 miles. You get 4 tows per year.

[ayau]

We also have AAA premium in MN.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

One word of warning. AAA doesn't cover any altered vehicles, or at least they don't have to. Ran into this with a buddy's car at the same event (technically two days prior) Alan had his clutch failure at. They refused to tow it 20 miles to King Motorsports who was having a dyno day. We bought the needed parts (all 16 valves were bent from a broken timing belt) and rebuilt the head in their parking lot

I saw that and my jaw dropped, lol. I would have given up and turned around back home if that happened to me. Those ITR guys are dedicated.

I also heard that this isn't the first time the guy's timing belt snapped. Makes me wonder if the guy is installing the belt properly, lol.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

One word of warning. AAA doesn't cover any altered vehicles, or at least they don't have to. Ran into this with a buddy's car at the same event (technically two days prior) Alan had his clutch failure at. They refused to tow it 20 miles to King Motorsports who was having a dyno day. We bought the needed parts (all 16 valves were bent from a broken timing belt) and rebuilt the head in their parking lot

My understanding is that it's up to the contractor to decide to take the tow or not. The locals here that come to the track know exactly why they're coming to the track, and they get a lot of miles out of it, so they do it.

We make sure to tip them after; most of them are very chill, and know how to get lowered cars onto their flatbeds without damaging them.

[King Tut]

Open trailers can be had for $1,000 and a tow vehicle can probably be had for the same. Once you have one, it is hard to go back. I would probably make my backup plan to make friends with someone with a trailer and a tow vehicle if you don't want to own the two. I know I have helped tons of people in the local area tow their broken cars from M3s to Subarus to Jeeps.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by ayau

I saw that and my jaw dropped, lol. I would have given up and turned around back home if that happened to me. Those ITR guys are dedicated.

I also heard that this isn't the first time the guy's timing belt snapped. Makes me wonder if the guy is installing the belt properly, lol.

I helped build that motor a few times and installed multiple belts on it. I was there helping rebuild the head too.


That motor has big cams in it and stretches belts. Combined with the worn cam gears it had on it, it would just shred belts. During the head rebuild we put new cam gears on it and it's been fine since. A reinforced belt also just went on it. OEM didn't fail but with the head work and cams that engine has had the belt was needed.


Built engines are sometimes more trouble than they are worth.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

My understanding is that it's up to the contractor to decide to take the tow or not. The locals here that come to the track know exactly why they're coming to the track, and they get a lot of miles out of it, so they do it.

We make sure to tip them after; most of them are very chill, and know how to get lowered cars onto their flatbeds without damaging them.

Agreed, but there's little recourse when they make that decision unfortunately Hence the word of warning

[glamcem]

I know I have helped tons of people in the local area tow their broken cars from M3s to Subarus to Jeeps.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by King Tut

I would probably make my backup plan to make friends with someone with a trailer and a tow vehicle if you don't want to own the two.

This (too). It's not uncommon for a driver to trailer a car that can be driven on the street. In that case, you may be able to drive his car back while he tows yours.

I did this for a fellow club member. He drove my very stiffly-suspended track car back from Calabogie to Massachusetts, a total of 525 miles. Thankfully, it was smooth interstate almost all of the way; nevertheless, I felt for him. It's kind of hard to leave someone stranded when you've got the means to help.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by renfield90

Depending on who your auto insurance is through this can be a dangerous game..."I'm sorry, you said you're at a race track?"

My agent and carrier know I track the car, are OK with it and will cover it.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Pat

My agent and carrier know I track the car, are OK with it and will cover it.

Seriously, you crash it at the track and it's covered - if so, can you tell us who the carrier is? I'd come to the conclusion that these are like endangered species, hence the outfits offering track-day coverage.

FWIW, a fellow driver totalled his just-purchased M3 at the track two years ago. He'd specifically queried his agent as to whether he was covered or not, and was assured that he was. You can guess the punch line here...he wasn't covered. I've rarely seen someone so crestfallen - he was crushed.