When I purchased my 2010 M3 by European delivery in 2009, I never expected to be as involved in driving high performance events (HPDE) as I am today.  The combination of socializing with other drivers, learning fundamental aspects or car control, learning safety driving techniques, and being able to safely drive fast while abiding with the local laws are all factors that appeal to me and to many of us!

One strategy is to “self-insure” for potential incidents while driving on track.  This works well until an incident is experienced.  The emotional, financial, and personal injury toll can be very difficult whether the driver is insured or not.

In this article I want to briefly highlight track driving insurance available to us. Driving HPDE events have associated risks and I highly recommend consideration of track specific driving insurance.  Nearly all auto policies have excluded coverages for track driving, high performance driving, and even for any incidents that occur at facilities designed for racing.  If you hope to have coverage for driving on track, I recommend getting that coverage in writing.   I suggest you also check whether you have insurance for your car when parked at a facility when you plan to watch IMSA, World Challenge or other events.

I do not intend to recommend specific insurance products.  I do want our members to be aware there are excellent options for track driving insurance.  Three well-known companies providing insurance options are Hagerty (https://www.hagerty.com/Insurance/Track-Day-Insurance?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk6nAo7SV4AIVAtvACh09rwjzEAAYASAAEgL3__D_BwE&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIk6nAo7SV4AIVAtvACh09rwjzEAAYASAAEgL3__D_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!5126!3!284768505490!e!!g!!hagerty%20track%20insurance&aff=gusbrdre) Lockton Motorsports (https://locktonmotorsports.com/events) and Open Track (https://Opentrack.com).  These insurance policies typically are based on the value of the car, the deductible coverage selected and the duration of coverage.

I have been pleased with the Open Track insurance coverage for my track driving.  The 12 Month Unlimited Insurance Coverage option has been my preference.  These companies offer more limited lower cost options.

The big considerations are whether you prefer to buy a single day worth of coverage or event coverage where the price is the same for 1 to 4 days of a specified track event.  The number of events and number of cars you drive on track as well are important considerations.

The newest product offered by Open Track is on-track Liability.  This product provides coverage for damage to the track itself and for liability to others on track.  This coverage is unique.  Our Badger Bimmer driving events have been very safe overall, but incidents can occur.  Most of us do not realize how much it costs to clean up the track when fluids spill from a car, and incidents where walls or fences are impacted can be very costly.  There have been significant enhancements to the Road America facilities and if your driving incident causes damage to the track; you will be held responsible for these costs.

Bring your cars prepared for track usage and drive safely.  Seriously consider track insurance for vehicle damage, track damage and other potential liability coverage.  Wishing a great 2019 driving year!

I recently needed to transport my 2015 Porsche GT3 from Oshkosh to Sebring.

Here are some considerations I found important, I hope this is beneficial to other members.

1. I needed to decide on enclosed or open transport.
2. My preference was to have a lift gate transport and to have my car on the upper level. I did not want the possibility of another car dripping fluids onto my car during transportation.
3. I needed to have my car delivered for a specific HPDE event and therefore a guaranteed delivery date was needed. Most transport companies will require a 48 hour period of time for the scheduled pick-up and delivery dates.  That made timing very important.  Having the car delivered to the track required me to fly two days ahead of the event.  A more flexible strategy would be to ship the car to a nearby track support performance shop.
4. It is important to obtain insurance certificates of the transporter.
5. Contracting a broker can be helpful in securing an excellent transport.
6. It is ideal to arrange for final payment by certified check.

Driving on track carries real risk.  To help reduce risk, I recommend starting out slow with an instructor; learn the correct driver’s line and a basic understanding of strategies on what to do if problems develop on track.

If you ever have an opportunity to walk the track you drive, I definitely recommend you do this.  I wanted to share a few observations I have made from the Sebring International Raceway track in Sebring, Florida with the more familiar Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  There are very few similarities between these two tracks.  These tracks provide completely different driver experiences and both are tremendously fun!  The track walk can help drivers get a better understanding of the track and help make driving more predictable, safer and more fun.

Walking the track allows drivers to better understand the track and the adjacent runoff areas.  The driver can learn from a track walk areas that allow safe drive off in situations where a turn cannot be safely made or where there is track blockage such as an on track incident.

Walking these tracks helps better understand the various undulations of the driving surfaces.  It allows drivers to better understand where “turn in”, “apex” and “track out” points are located and more specifically; the local conditions at these points.  Drivers develop a better understanding of the importance of how and where to position the car at these points in dry and wet (rain line) conditions.  For those that drive on track, the track walk helps develop an appreciation for off camber areas, surface conditions  and  help understand the “line” and the reason for the need to vary from the “driving line” at various speeds, in passing and under different weather conditions (hot, cold, rain or snow).

Road America has dramatic elevation changes and Sebring is virtually flat.  Road America has many visual points of reference to help the driver “lift their vision” where Sebring has very few visual reference points off the track.  Road America is very smooth and has repaved surfaces with grippier asphalt products at various turns.  Sebring is a track derived from a concrete airfield.  Very few changes have been implemented at Sebring and there is tremendous resistance to make changes from this “tradition”.  There are cracks in the concrete with dropped and elevated concrete sections making the track very bumpy.   Walking this track helps drivers to better understand areas to avoid that will unsettle the car at speed.  Drivers quickly learn there are locations to “use the entire track” and locations to avoid track defects that could unsettle the car creating avoidable risks.

The specific turn by turn driver’s line will not be discussed for either Road America or Sebring International Raceway in this article, however; future articles are encouraged.  I have provided a small set of photos from my recent track walk at Sebring International Raceway.

I encourage drivers to walk the track for many reasons, especially for improved driving safety and enjoyment.