We had a lady in our region that was hit by another car on course at Nationals and she had problems getting her car fixed through insurance. I'm not sure the complete details, but maybe Chad can chime in and tell more. I can tell you it was not her fault and it's a one in a million chance it would happen. It would have to be a big wreck to have problems with the insurance company I would think. If you hit a light pole while spinning off course in a parking lot it would be hard for the insurance company to say you were "racing" your car and not cover you. The SCCA does carry liabilty insurance(and a lot of it) but that is for damages to the property not your car. All in all full coverage should do fine. I have heard people at HST or HPDE events totalling a car and getting insurance to pay for it because it is not consider "racing" but "driving school". I have not had any personal experience(knock on wood) but maybe someone else can attest to my comments.
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2006 Civic Si ASM #52 G-Stock NeOkla Region
my dad is going to call the company (the car is insured under his plan, its 5000 times cheaper that way) and ask them about it, any ideas as to how he should phrase things, like calling auto-x "???" instead of racing
Most people I say autocross to look at me with a puzzled face and get even more confused when I explain what it is. So good luck on explaining that to an insurance agent. I never have told my insurance company about it and never plan to. What's the point? You risk getting dropped.
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2006 Civic Si ASM #52 G-Stock NeOkla Region
See if he can use something from this description from SCCA.org to explain the sport. Tell them autocrossing will infact make you a better driver, thus making you a safer driver, thus reducing their risk!
"Solo is the SCCA brand name for autocross competition. Solo events are driving skill contests that emphasize the driver's ability and the car's handling characteristics. This is accomplished by driving a course that is designated by traffic cones on a low hazard location, such as a parking lot or inactive airstrip. While speeds are no greater than those normally encountered in legal highway driving, the combination of concentration and car feedback creates an adrenaline pumping experience. It is like being in a movie chase scene, only you are holding onto the steering wheel instead of a box of popcorn!"
It is such a low risk activity that most insurance agents aren't concerned about it.
I know a lot about the Nationals incident. It was a f'd up mess. Bad situation for her to be in. It's hard to claim on your insurance when you get hit by someone driving a borrowed car from a person driving their uncles car and the uncle happens to be an insurance agent. It took the SCCA months to even acknowledge the event (which was caused by an SCCA employee) then longer for them to step up and pay bills. Just a freak occurence.
Registered: 08/21/01
Posts: 9104
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
The word "competition" is a death knell for insurance coverage, or the harbinger of heavily increased rates or being dropped. What the insurance doesnt know wont hurt you.
In 5 years of autocrossing, I can remember only 4 major accidents. One was a car hitting a light pole on a poorly designed course put together by college students, one had an Evo lose control through the timing lights in an ice rac and hit a curb, one was a high powered camaro going WAAAAY off course in a giant spin where the driver tried to be a hero and hit a curb hard, and one involved another a car going off a runway at an airport course and rolling in the ditch off the runway. All of these could have been avoided by doing the simple "Two feet in if you spin" technique except the Evo, which would have been avoided had he slowed properly through the finish lights. Follow the rules and you'll almost always be ok except in the above circumstance.
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Never run out of real estate, traction & ideas at the same time. 2012 Outback - 2008 Yamaha WR250R v2.0
