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Getting decent insurance for the 'ring - impossible!


:RedZed:

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A few of us are heading to the ring next month, this prompted me to look into insurance options. As far as I can tell, this is the situation:

 

Normal UK policies specifically exclude the 'ring. They are allowed to do this.

Track day insurance companies exclude 3rd party cover. They are allowed to do this.

 

So, no matter what cover you have, if you use the 'ring, leak some oil and cripple a few people by accident, you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life.

 

I think I'll just spectate!

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Have you seen their charges for if something goes wrong?

 

Sky Insurance do track insurance, just not for the ring, something about doing it in the past and it almost killed the company when someone had a big whoopsie daisy.

 

At the ring your biggest problem isn't hitting another car, it's the armco costs, the closing the track to repair the armco and recovery costs. THEY'RE what will bankrupt you! It's only going to get worse with the sale of the ring to an American company :(

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Ah, found these:

 

Cost of crashing on the Nurburgring

These include Armco repairs, safety car attendance, vehicle recovery, track closure, hospital stays and helicopter fees. I recommend avoiding these. If you can't, then the following price-list may help:

  • Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150
  • Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)
  • Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)
  • Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each
  • Replacing armco post: €39 each
  • Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)
  • Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour
  • Recovery truck: €250 (inc VAT)
  • Hospital stay & air ambulance: Let's just say, do NOT go there without travel insurance! (Though a European Health Card - which replaced the E111 - may cover the hospital bit.)

Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% VAT.

The record armco bill I'm aware of is €15,000. That was a car that managed to flatten a very impressive length of armco between the Quiddlebacher Hohe bridge and the crest on the approach to Flugplatz. But even a minor bump can turn into a surprisingly expensive day out.

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Just seen this:

 

http://www.insuremytrackday.com/faqs/

 

Will you pay for any damages caused to another vehicle that I make contact with on the track?

Your track day insurance policy will only cover damage to your own vehicle. Track day participants are liable for damage to their own cars (regardless of fault) and sign disclaimers to this effect before going onto the circuit. Participants go on track at their own risk and standard motor insurance conditions do not apply.

 

Do you cover “Touristfahrten†days at Nurburgring Nordschleife?

Yes we can provide a quotation to cover for your car on a Tourist day at Nurburgring.

 

Do you cover damage to the Armco barriers at Nuburgring Nordschleife, as I understand I am liable for repair/replacement costs?

Yes you are indeed liable for damage caused to Armco barriers at “The Ringâ€. Our track day insurance policy for Nurburgring Nordschliefe automatically includes cover for up to £2,000 of costs for the Armco truck attendance plus removal and replacement of Armco. There is an option on the quote request form to increase this sum insured to £4,000 for an additional premium. In order to verify the claim you will need to provide a copy of the invoice from Nurburgring and you will be reimbursed for the costs.

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I don't know, but I'm not taking the risk!

 

According to the 'ring rules, they won't let you on without insurance but unless people are doing it without 3rd party cover most Brits aren't covered!

 

hmm knowbody ever stops and asks when we questioned it we were told its like going to santa pod a purchase of the ticket and swiping it through the gate was the same as signing a waiver saying you **** up its your own issue

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I'd also say don't crash within a few miles of the ring either! Your insurers will presume you totalled on the ring and moved the car off for an insurance claim. They'll have to prove it, but it will slow down your claim :)

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I'd also say don't crash within a few miles of the ring either! Your insurers will presume you totalled on the ring and moved the car off for an insurance claim. They'll have to prove it, but it will slow down your claim :)

 

dash cams ftw

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I'd also say don't crash within a few miles of the ring either! Your insurers will presume you totalled on the ring and moved the car off for an insurance claim. They'll have to prove it, but it will slow down your claim :)

So all in all, just don't crash and you will be fine ;)
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So imagine this:

 

Your rad explodes (not impossible)

Ensuing panic means you spin into the armco

Car is a write off (£7K)

Armco damaged (£4K guess)

GT3 behind you hits your coolant and spins into the armco

GT3 is a write off (£70K & armco £4K)

GT3 clips a biker, writes off his bike (£8K)

Biker needs air ambulance and is crippled for life (£500,000)

 

 

Value of £600,000, ish. Just for a quick 10 min lap of the Ring. Massively unlikely to happen, but it's at your own risk.

 

 

Or you could do a trackday out there, get the whole use of the straight and insure yourself up for about £1000. Bargain, I reckon.

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So imagine this:

 

Your rad explodes (not impossible)

Ensuing panic means you spin into the armco

Car is a write off (£7K)

Armco damaged (£4K guess)

GT3 behind you hits your coolant and spins into the armco

GT3 is a write off (£70K & armco £4K)

GT3 clips a biker, writes off his bike (£8K)

Biker needs air ambulance and is crippled for life (£500,000)

 

 

Value of £600,000, ish. Just for a quick 10 min lap of the Ring. Massively unlikely to happen, but it's at your own risk.

 

 

Or you could do a trackday out there, get the whole use of the straight and insure yourself up for about £1000. Bargain, I reckon.

 

And more importantly, keep your house :lol:

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It was actually a comment Ekona made in another thread that made me do some more research.

 

I'd forgotten about the hire cars, that might be the best bet. I was more interested in driving around 'in general' than specifically doing it in my own car.

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According to the 'ring rules, they won't let you on without insurance but unless people are doing it without 3rd party cover most Brits aren't covered!

:scare: Didn't know that.

 

I'm not sure how accurate the source is but here it is:

 

http://bridgetogantry.com/2/index.php/nuerburgring-guide-by-btg/46-guides/344-nuerburgring-insurance-an-inconvenient-truth

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It was actually a comment Ekona made in another thread that made me do some more research.

 

I'd forgotten about the hire cars, that might be the best bet. I was more interested in driving around 'in general' than specifically doing it in my own car.

 

the higher car swifts when i was there were rapid guessing having alot more race set up than alot or road sports/super cars makes a big diffrence

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How many of you on this thread have actually driven on The Ring or been to visit.

When I went all I had to do was go to the ticket booth, state how many laps I wanted to buy and then pay and go do my laps.

At no point was I asked for any proof of insurance or sign a waiver form.

Plus, who says you're supposed to hammer it around The Ring?

My first ever lap was reconnaisance and just take in the sights while keeping to the right.

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How many of you on this thread have actually driven on The Ring or been to visit.

When I went all I had to do was go to the ticket booth, state how many laps I wanted to buy and then pay and go do my laps.

At no point was I asked for any proof of insurance or sign a waiver form.

Plus, who says you're supposed to hammer it around The Ring?

My first ever lap was reconnaisance and just take in the sights while keeping to the right.

 

been once and did the same thing on first lap think it was like a 15 minute lap next 2 laps were a little quicker

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No-one asks you for proof of anything, but that doesn't mean squat.

 

The Ring can be very slippy in places, and tbh if you're not going to push a little bit then is there any point in going? You're not going to drive balls to the wall, but even treating it like a fast country road drive you're still taking a huge risk.

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It was actually a comment Ekona made in another thread that made me do some more research.

 

I'd forgotten about the hire cars, that might be the best bet. I was more interested in driving around 'in general' than specifically doing it in my own car.

 

I put a link up at 11.28 to them.. :scare:

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