Getting started

Sim Racing

Safety

Skills and Knowledge

Tracks

Misc

The Ultimate Guide to Track Day and HPDE Insurance

Track days and HPDEs are exciting events where you can experience the true performance of your car. Regardless of whether you’re trying to set fast lap times or just have fun, we all expect our cars to leave in the same condition they came to the track in, minus some fuel and tire wear.

But sometimes, things don’t go as planned and your car gets damaged, whether by going off track or colliding with another vehicle. To avoid high incidental costs from the track, we highly recommend you purchase track day insurance for any events you sign up for.

Virtually zero regular car insurance policies will cover your accidents on the track, so track day insurance can be the difference between a five to six-figure bill or a three to four-figure deductible.

How track insurance works

Normally, you purchase track insurance on a one-off basis for however many days your event is, so you don't need to commit to a recurring premium. Some providers offer an annual policy option that provides better value for obsessed track rats or those with multiple track vehicles.

If your track-insured car is damaged at the track, you cover the deductible and the insurance provider covers the rest of repairs or the full value if the car is totaled. This provides peace of mind when you’re exploring the limits of your car on track, especially when driving an expensive car or your daily-driver. Repairing a Porsche or Corvette yourself can be very costly.

How much does it cost?

The insurance cost is based on factors such as the value of the vehicle (including modifications), the track, your experience, your previous claims, and more. For example, a 20-year-old Miata is much cheaper to insure than a Ferrari 488.

For a single track day in a $30K car, you may have to pay $150-250. In a $70K car, you may have to pay $350+.

How is the value of the car determined?

Unlike traditional insurance policies, which determine the value based on proprietary algorithms and multiple factors, you simply select the value of the car + modifications that you want to insure. This way, if your car is only worth $30K stock, but you added $20K of modifications, you can insure the full $50K value. It goes without saying that the greater value you insure, the higher the premium.

Is track insurance worth it for me?

We recommend track insurance for everyone, but especially for beginners. Since your normal insurance policy doesn’t apply, having track insurance as a safety net is crucial. The exception is if your car is worth less than $20K. If you get quotes from the companies below, you’ll notice the premium generally stops decreasing as you go lower than $20K.

Track insurance companies

With all of these companies, your instructor and an additional driver will be covered.

These companies are all pretty good, and we have used several of them in the past with no issues. We recommend getting more than one quote from different providers to see what’s best for you and your budget.

Track insurance is one of those things where you must read the FAQs and fine print to make sure your track, event, and car can be fully covered. For example, some of these providers only cover HPDEs, which must have an instructor present and an educational element, and not open track days.