Insurance policy wording covering trackdays at the 'Ring

[canam-phil]

My new Churchill policy arrived this morning and in my Churchill policy booklet it defines Trackdays as:
"Trackday when your vehicle is driven on a racetrack, an airfield or at an off-road event"

In the schedule it states the limitation of use as:
...racing, competitions, rallies or trials, trackdays or 4x4 off road events, or for any purpose in connection with the motor trade is excluded.

So, for the 'Ring I read it that cover is valid since the 'Ring is a toll road that is occasionally used as a race track.

Comments, how do you read it? Is it worth phoning Churchill regarding the interpretation of the clauses?

[flemke]

"...driven on a racetrack..." must mean when it is driven on a purpose-built racetrack or on another road that at the time is being used as a racetrack.
The latter would not apply on a public day, when the usual rules of the public road govern.
The former might apply, however. The Nordschleife was built as a racetrack and only subsequently opened for public lapping. This is the reverse of such as the streets of Monaco, Mille Miglia, etc. I suppose that the underwriter could claim that you were driving at a place that was a "racetrack", even though it was not being used as such at the time.

[zumbruk]

canam-phil said:

So, for the 'Ring I read it that cover is valid since the 'Ring is a toll road that is occasionally used as a race track. Comments, how do you read it? Is it worth phoning Churchill regarding the interpretation of the clauses?

Ask yourself this question; Would you rather discuss it with them now, or when your car is a smouldering ruin being trailered back from Germany?

[flemke]

zumbruk said:

canam-phil said: So, for the 'Ring I read it that cover is valid since the 'Ring is a toll road that is occasionally used as a race track. Comments, how do you read it? Is it worth phoning Churchill regarding the interpretation of the clauses? Ask yourself this question; Would you rather discuss it with them now, or when your car is a smouldering ruin being trailered back from Germany?

Yes, but...
When you ask the underwriters before the event but after you have purchased the policy, of course they're going to say "No". That way it is much less likely that you would take the risk (and put them at risk).
That doesn't mean that your car actually would not be covered. As we've discussed before, it is far from clear that many of these standard policies would not require the underwriter to pay up. We know that the underwriters will argue that they're not required; a Crown Court, however, might well think differently.

[zumbruk]

flemke said:

zumbruk said: canam-phil said: So, for the 'Ring I read it that cover is valid since the 'Ring is a toll road that is occasionally used as a race track. Comments, how do you read it? Is it worth phoning Churchill regarding the interpretation of the clauses? Ask yourself this question; Would you rather discuss it with them now, or when your car is a smouldering ruin being trailered back from Germany? Yes, but... When you ask the underwriters before the event but after you have purchased the policy, of course they're going to say "No". That way it is much less likely that you would take the risk (and put them at risk). That doesn't mean that your car actually would not be covered. As we've discussed before, it is far from clear that many of these standard policies would not require the underwriter to pay up. We know that the underwriters will argue that they're not required; a Crown Court, however, might well think differently.

Any barrack room lawyer who thinks they will be able to go up against an insurance company's £600/hr retained QC and his team and win is an idiot, pure and simple. Call your insurers and ask them if you are insured on the 'Ring. If the answer is "No", take your business somewhere else. If the answer is "Yes", get it in writing. You could easily find yourself on the receiving end of a multi-million pound damages suit - do you *really* want to spend the rest of your life paying that off?

[Gentlefoot]

I'd be very surprised if a standard motor policy will cover you for anything other than normal road use. The intentions of this clause are clearly to rule out use such as laps of the Nordschlieffe!

[davyboy]

Of course......so please dont go, and tell anyone else who is worried about it not to go either.

Dave

[fergus]

davyboy said:

Of course......so please dont go, and tell anyone else who is worried about it not to go either. Dave

Agree with Dave and Flemke. If you are that worried about cover, don't go, or buy a cheaper car that you can afford to have a slight altercation in. We really don't need to give the ins industry another item to 'leglislate' against. I think in the event of any 3rd party personal injury claim, I would be surprised if there wasn't a payout under current EU law. The cover of 1st party risks may be a slightly different matter though.

A test case is what is needed, but obviously this may not have the desired result!

[Viper]

I heard of a UK guy that crashed a newish Elise not only was he not covered but he got a big bill from the track for recovery and repairing the barriers as well £6K was the figure, can that be right? Do they charge for lost time/entrance costs while the 'toll road' is closed for repairs?

bet insurance companies wouldnt pay for that




>> Edited by Viper on Monday 3rd October 21:21

[flemke]

Viper said:

I heard of a UK guy that crashed a newish Elise not only was he not covered but he got a big bill from the track for recovery and repairing the barriers as well £6K was the figure, can that be right? Do they charge for lost time/entrance costs while the 'toll road' is closed for repairs? bet insurance companies wouldnt pay for that >> Edited by Viper on Monday 3rd October 21:21

And I know a guy with a German policy who was paid 55,000 Euros to cover the damage his car sustained on a public day.

[jimbobs]

Well, I know for a fact that a mate of mine DID get his insurance to pay out fully when he wrote his bike off on a public day. This was normal road cover by the way, no extra trackday insurance.

I'm sufficiently paranoid not to put too much information on a public forum, but he definitely didn't make any false statements in his claim.

[bad_roo]

I have just had a clear warning shot across the bows about the dangers of taking expensive cars onto race tracks and finding out after the event that they're not covered.

I'm not sure if I'll go back to the Ring again. Still in two minds.

[200+ cup]

there are not many companys (if any) that will cover you on the ring anyway!!

[hammerwerfer]

Touristenfahrt on the Nordschleife is not a "Track Day". Labelling it as such is wrong and shows a lack of appreciation for what it really is: a scenic tolled Einbahnstraße in the Eifel. The rules of the road apply, and the road is open to all drivers of road legal vehicles with the exception of agricultural machinery.

Unless the Nordschleife is specifically excluded from your policy, you are covered, at least during Touristenfahrt.

[Plotloss]

Yep, needs to be specifically excluded as its a public toll road.

More and more policies are specifically excluding it though.

[GuyR]

Public toll-road, like the M6 bypass and many bridges in the UK (Dartford crossing anyone?)....... ....they mention de-restricted toll-road usually, when the NS is not de-restricted as it has limits in places.

Also if you are involved in an accident at the NS with another vehicle, the police may well attend the scene and may charge the people involved with motoring offences, since all the rules of the road apply.

I know of both bike and car drivers who have been charged with motoring offences at the ring and fined and had subsequent court cases - clearly this designates it is a public road with road rules and not a private trackday (NB This does not apply is the NS is closed for private hire by a club).