Backup plan when stuck at the track

[stugray]

My BRZ came with roadside assistance from the dealer.
Not sure the tow distance.

I have had a clutch go out on a previous car and continued to drive it for a few months.
I would turn off the car at lights, put it in first and restart it when the light turned green.

And you can shift through all gears in this car clutchless as long as you are in no hurry.
It would have gotten you home assuming mostly Hwy miles.

[ayau]

Originally Posted by dradernh

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.

Agents aren't the one that approve/disapprove a claim, right? I'd take whatever they say with a grain of salt.

Track insurance is relatively cheap compared to the cost of the car, especially a newer M3.

http://www.locktonmotorsports.com/pr...ack-insurance/

[ayau]

Originally Posted by stugray

My BRZ came with roadside assistance from the dealer.
Not sure the tow distance.

I have had a clutch go out on a previous car and continued to drive it for a few months.
I would turn off the car at lights, put it in first and restart it when the light turned green.

And you can shift through all gears in this car clutchless as long as you are in no hurry.
It would have gotten you home assuming mostly Hwy miles.

I was told it could cause damage to the tranny shifting without a clutch, and a tranny rebuild isn't cheap. I'm not a tranny expert

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by ayau

Agents aren't the one that approve/disapprove a claim, right? I'd take whatever they say with a grain of salt.

Track insurance is relatively cheap compared to the cost of the car, especially a newer M3.

http://www.locktonmotorsports.com/pr...ack-insurance/

1) No kidding, and that was my first (unstated) reaction to my friend's statement. And I felt his upset with his idiot agent, who he thought was sincere in stating that he was covered on the track. I mean, do we need attorneys to help us travel this path.

2) It is, and it isn't. If you're insuring a $25K car and going to the track a bit, or even a lot, I think you're right. If you're insuring an $85K car and going to the track a lot, it looks noticeably different. It's worth remembering that not everyone buys their cars - if you lunch a leased $85K car (one that, perhaps, you really couldn't afford in the first place, leasing aside), that insurance will look cheap.

I'm getting out of a very-expensive-to-replace race car and considering replacing it with a twin. One of the questions my wife has for me is what happens if I destroy the car. In the case of the race car, it was "Sayonara, Bay-Bee!", because I didn't want to pay for on-track insurance for that car. In the case of the twin, the insurance rates for 6/9/15 days look reasonable.

[Phil_Marino]

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 dropped the tranny and found some broken pressure plate pieces inside the casing. He's thinking it must have overheated and shattered.

Was there anything else wrong? ( grinding, dragging, etc). If the problem was just no clutch disengagement, you probably could have driven it home.

I've done that a couple of times ( sometimes for days) with a broken clutch cable. Just turn off the engine, put it into first, and hit the starter to get going. After that, just shift carefully by matching the engine speed to the car speed as you shift into neutral and again as you slip it into the next gear.

Phil

[stugray]

Originally Posted by ayau

I was told it could cause damage to the tranny shifting without a clutch, and a tranny rebuild isn't cheap. I'm not a tranny expert

That is true. It's not something you want to make a habit of.
I was merely pointing out that a simple clutch failure (inability to disengage) doesnt leave you completely stranded.

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by dradernh

1) No kidding, and that was my first (unstated) reaction to my friend's statement. And I felt his upset with his idiot agent, who he thought was sincere in stating that he was covered on the track. I mean, do we need attorneys to help us travel this path.

Agents are just glorified salesmen. I would alway ask to see it in writing in the policy.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by King Tut

Agents are just glorified salesmen. I would alway ask to see it in writing in the policy.

I've dealt with a lot of agents in my time, and like with a lot of things, some are, and some aren't.

If you do have a glorified salesman, there's no sense in asking him or her, just read the policy. Say, aren't we already supposed to be doing that!?!

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by dradernh

I've dealt with a lot of agents in my time, and like with a lot of things, some are, and some aren't.

If you do have a glorified salesman, there's no sense in asking him or her, just read the policy. Say, aren't we already supposed to be doing that!?!

Regardless of how good the agent is, your last sentence is the answer to the question. I haven't seen a policy in years that actually covers it once they removed the timed competition exclusion for a "on any surface that is designed or used for racing" or similar.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by ayau

I was told it could cause damage to the tranny shifting without a clutch, and a tranny rebuild isn't cheap. I'm not a tranny expert

I've done it before as a last resort. You had an option so I wouldn't have suggested it in your case.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

I haven't seen a policy in years that actually covers it once they removed the timed competition exclusion for a "on any surface that is designed or used for racing" or similar.

Same here.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by dradernh

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.

I use an independent agent and the carrier is Allied. Coverage is conditional upon me being a NASA instructor, using the car in educational events and not being competitive (wheel-to-wheel racing or TT).