[thash]

It's done. Back in July I spun my Coupe in turn 4 at Summit Point raceway in West Virginia. Although the damage was minimal, after almost 90 days in the shop (Karosserie in PA) back and forth with an inexperienced insurance adjuster, they finally realized it would cost more to fix than pay out a total loss. I learned ~a lot~ about insurance and about how good top notch shops like Karosserie really are. Believe it or not, you don't have to lie to your insurance company if your policies "race exclusion" is worded in a certain way. I can't say enough good things about Karosserie and the owner of 30 years, Dick VonMedicus.

If anyone is looking for a full set of the navigation CD ROMs, lemme know, I'll sell for a fair price.

Fair well!
Tom

 

[Gavin01]

If you want to sell the various books and manuals then please PM me.

 

[MVP]

Tom,

I'm sorry to hear that, any plans to buy another one?

Regards,
Kevin

 

[dsd]

I can second your appreciation of Dick VonMedicus.

While I am sorry for your loss, in the long run it is probably best that the car was written off. After many types of accidents the car would never have been the same (not to mention resale value).

I hope you are okay and not gun-shy about jumping into another great car.

best,
dsd

 

[RickBullotta]

Sorry for your loss. Can you educate the rest of us on the "race exclusion" subtleties? I'm contemplating track time, and your insights would be helpful.

While it is no reversal of fortune, from your tragedy can spring great communal wisdom...

 

[Steeldream]

Look at the policy language. Usually it says somthing about "timed laps" or the like, so no timing (even on board as with g-force) no "race" or "speed contest" it's driver's ed and likely to be covered.

 

[thash]

Thanks for all the well wishes. Steeldream has it right, and it does depend on the ~exact~ wording of your particular policy. My Nationwide policy says:

[Not covered if]
Loss to your covered auto or any non-owned auto, located inside a facility designed for racing, for the purposes of:
a. Competing in; or
b. Practicing or preparing for;
any prearranged or organized racing or speed contest.

Lawyers could probably read into this and augue it either way. To be on the safe side, I called my agent prior to the event and explained what it was, a dealer event for the purposes of drivers education and he said I was covered. If that is the case, you could extrapolate this to include a non-owned (rental) if you wanted to. In fact, I think I remember hearing about how M Schumacher taking rentals out on the track he was about to race on a couple days before a big race. ..of course, he probably doesn't need to worry about insurance

Lot of people say I got lucky and could have really gotten screwed, some even said I should have taken it down the street and put it into a ditch and try to cover up the fact that I was on a track. No thanks. All this can be avoided if you cover your bases before hand (and get the car on a flat bed on the way to Karosserie before the local adjuster has a chance to look at it).

As for a new ride. Going to hold off for at least a year. Getting married in June and I swore we'd buy an electric car next. She hasn't heard of the Tesla yet, lol !

 

[dsd]

Electric or Hybrid?

My wife drives an 07 Ford Escape Hybrid and loves it. It is quite nice.

Best,
dsd

 

[Glenn Wallace]

What did you hit when you spun?

On insurance, I *ALWAYS* advise my insurance company ahead of time when heading to the track, and make sure they acknowledge it is covered.

The last time they said "this is not an excluded use", ie lapping with instruction is ok. YMMV.