Track day insurance quotes from licensed Australian brokers

What track day cover usually does

The core of it is damage to your own vehicle while you are on circuit, whether that is a spin into a gravel trap, contact with a barrier or another car, or mechanical damage caused by an on track incident. Cover is normally arranged per event or for a set number of days, with a sum insured you nominate and an excess that is often a percentage of that figure rather than a flat amount. Read the excess carefully, because it is usually higher than on a road policy.

• Accidental damage to your car during the event
• Cover for the specific dates and circuit you nominate
• An agreed sum insured for the vehicle
• Options for recovery and transport from the circuit
• Cover for named drivers, including instructors on some policies

What it usually does not do

This is not a substitute for a road policy and it is not third party liability cover for on track incidents. Damage you cause to another competitor's car is generally not picked up, because most circuits and event organisers operate on the basis that participants accept that risk between themselves. Mechanical failure that was not caused by an incident is commonly excluded, as is wear on brakes and tyres. Competitive racing, as opposed to lapping or sprints, may need a different product again. Your broker will confirm where the line sits for the event you are entering.

What affects the price

The sum insured leads, since that is the maximum exposure. After that, the circuit matters. Some venues have more run off and a better claims record than others, and insurers price accordingly. Your experience and any competition licence you hold feeds in, as does the format of the day. Open lapping and instructed sessions sit differently to timed sprints. If you are entering more than one event a year, ask about an annual policy covering a set number of days, which often costs less than buying each day separately.

Getting the timing right

Arrange cover before the event, not on the morning of it. Most insurers need details of the car, the drivers and the circuit in advance, and some apply a minimum notice period. It also pays to tell your normal motor insurer that you are doing track days. Non disclosure can cause problems on an unrelated claim later, and some road policies will continue to respond for the drive to and from the circuit if the insurer knows what the car is being used for.