Track day insurance hero

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Track day insurance explained

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A track day is an organised event in which non-members are allowed to drive or ride around established motor-racing circuits. Track days give drivers the opportunity to test the speed and handling capabilities of their cars in a safe, controlled, non-competitive environment away from public roads.

Most standard car insurance policies exclude track days because of the risks involved, so you’ll need to buy specialist track day car insurance if you want to take part.

What is track day insurance?

Track day insurance is a specialist type of temporary car insurance. Race tracks don’t always insist you have track day insurance, but incidents that occur while you’re driving on a race track won’t be covered by your standard car insurance. This is because you’ll be driving at high speeds and pushing your car to its limits. You’ll also be surrounded by other drivers doing the same thing, so the risk of accidents, injuries, damage to your car or your car being written off is high.

Track day insurance just covers you and your vehicle – it doesn’t cover third parties. track day participants are liable for damage to their own cars (regardless of fault) and sign disclaimers to this effect before going onto the circuit. Track day insurance is normally bought as a separate policy from your standard car insurance. Claims on your track day policy won’t affect your no-claims bonus on your standard insurance.

Key differences between standard car insurance and track day insurance

  • Public roads vs race tracks: standard car insurance is designed to cover you on public roads. Track day insurance covers you when you’re driving at organised events on race tracks
  • No third-party cover: on public roads, drivers in the UK need a minimum of third-party insurance, but this only covers damage to other vehicles and other people’s injuries. Track day insurance is effectively the opposite of third-party cover, as it only covers you and your car, not other vehicles or people
  • No quibbling about liability: with standard car insurance, insurers will establish liability before paying out a claim. Normally, one driver will be deemed at fault, and their insurer will pay for the claim. But it doesn’t matter who’s at fault with track day insurance, as each driver is responsible for their own car. If you have a collision with another driver, your insurance will only cover damage to your car. The other driver will need to claim on their own insurance or pay for their own repairs if they’re uninsured
  • You can choose the value to insure: with track day insurance, you don’t necessarily need to insure your car for its full value. Instead, you can agree on a value with your provider when you take out a policy
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Track day insurance is not normally compulsory. However, some organisers might insist you have cover. Either way, it’s a good idea, as your standard car insurance won’t cover accidents on a track day.

 

The risk of accidents or damage to your car is much higher on a track, as you’ll be driving at higher speeds, and other drivers will be doing the same. The other drivers might have varying levels of experience and approach to risk, and some cars on the track may have been modified to boost performance.

What does track day insurance cover?

Track day insurance policies vary, but they usually cover the cost of repairing or replacing your car if:

  • You hit the barriers and damage your car
  • Another participant collides with you and damages your car
  • Your car suffers a mechanical breakdown (such as blowout, suspension failure or brake failure) that causes a collision and damages your car
  • Your car is damaged or destroyed by fire directly following an impact

Policies can also cover you for:

  • Single or multi-day events
  • Additional drivers
  • Modified cars
  • Leased cars

Generally, UK track day insurance will cover you for most UK tracks, including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Oulton Park and Donington Park. Some policies cover events on airfields, too.

You should check the track you intend to attend is covered by your policy. Some policies are track-specific, as some circuits are more dangerous than others, so they cost more to insure. Some UK insurers also cover tracks in Europe, such as Nürburgring and Spa.

What doesn’t track day insurance cover?

Common exclusions on track day insurance include:

  • Damage suffered during competitive races or time trials
  • Mechanical breakdown of your car’s engine or gearbox
  • Fire damage not caused on the track
  • Any third-party liability
  • Damage caused as a direct result of airbag deployment
  • Damage sustained while someone not named on your policy was driving your car
  • Recovery costs if you can’t drive your car home
  • Damage incurred on public roads
  • Cosmetic damage that is not a consequence of a direct and obvious impact
  • Damage caused in the pit garage or paddock

How much does track day insurance cost?

The cost of track day insurance depends on various factors, such as:

  • Your age and track experience
  • Any driving convictions
  • The make and model of your car
  • Any modifications you’ve made to your car
  • The number of track events you plan to take part in
  • Previous track day claims
  • The value you want to insure
  • Your voluntary excess

As an example, MORIS.co.uk track day insurance starts at £63 per day, with discounts available if you’re buying more than a single day’s cover.

Its website details the following examples for a 40-year-old male who lives in London and has had no track day accidents or road convictions in the past five years. The cover is for a car manufactured in 2015 that takes part in a single track day at Silverstone.

Make & Model  Market Value  Excess  Total Price (incl. tax) 
Ford Fiesta ST2 £10,000 £750 £96.34
BMW M4 £32,000 £1,792.00 £217.70
Mazda MX-5 £19,000 £1,130.50 £145.37

Which providers offer track day insurance?

You’ll need to go to a specialist insurer or broker for track day insurance. Specialists include:

  • Adrian Flux
  • Greenlight Insurance
  • Grove & Dean Motorsport Insurance
  • Howden
  • Insuremytrackday.com
  • Keith Michaels
  • Moris

Track day insurance FAQs

Some track day policies include journeys to and from the race track, but other policies exclude them, in which case you’ll need to be covered by standard car insurance. If you own a sports car, you should look at sports car insurance, while classic car owners should consider classic car insurance.

If you’ve modified your car to boost performance at track events, you should make sure it’s covered with modified car insurance. You’ll need to tell your standard car insurance provider and track day insurance provider about the modifications.

Yes, you can add other drivers as named drivers to your track day insurance policy. There will likely be a fee for additional drivers that will depend on the additional driver’s age and driving experience.

  • Armco cover: Armco barriers are the crash barriers at race tracks. Some tracks charge you for any damage you cause to their crash barriers – Armco covers these incidents
  • Personal accident cover: this covers death or permanent disability after an accident on the race track
  • Track day recovery insurance: this recovers your car to your home address if you can’t drive it home following an accident or mechanical breakdown
  • Income protection: this covers you if you can’t work due to injuries sustained on a track day
  • Storage and transit: this covers your track day vehicle(s), tools, spares, equipment and trailer while at your storage address and the circuit and while being transported to and from the circuit

If you drive your car on a race track, you won’t be covered by your standard car insurance. This means that, if you have an accident, you’ll have to pay for repairs to your car. If the car is written off, your insurance won’t pay out, so you’ll need to buy a new car out of your own money.

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