Getting home from a track after having an accident

[Knuckles]

For those of you who drive the car to the track, how do you get home from a track day if the car is undrivable?

Say it's been crashed or it's had a break down, do you have some kind of cover to get home or do you just ring a recovery firm and pay through the nose?

The reason I ask is after my breakdown at oulton the other month ended up costing me £200 to get back home (18 miles away) so I'd hate to think if I had a breakdown at any other track in the country.

FYI I had the car towed outside the gates and although the rac guy was aware that the breakdown I had could've happened on the road, because I was at a track I wasn't covered.

So yeah, how do you prepare for this?

 

[Advikaz]

What I've seen many do is push it out on to the road

Followed by "oh no my cars spontaneously rolled 14 times in a 30 limit and needs recovering"

 

[Knuckles]

What I've seen many do is push it out on to the road

Followed by "oh no my cars spontaneously rolled 14 times in a 30 limit and needs recovering"

I keep hearing people suggest that, but the breakdown guys aren't thick, how often does that work?

Especially when you have a boot full of wheels and tools lol

 

[adamlstr]

A swift 50 to the recovery driver must surely be the best option?

 

[McGherkin]

They didn't tow you far enough away.

Personally with the Westfield it was towed in a race shuttle and the MX5 is going to be on the back of a flatbed.

Mind you, I like this.

 

[ForceIndia]

When the clutch went on the 172, I nursed it a mile from the track. Got someone else to take my helmet etc home. Then rang greenflag and got taken home.

 

[Advikaz]

I keep hearing people suggest that, but the breakdown guys aren't thick, how often does that work?

Especially when you have a boot full of wheels and tools lol

Used to see it happen a fair bit

Not sure if it still goes on like it used to..

 

[Stay Puft]

I just risked it, and hoped I didnt crash. I was a good 3hrs from home (Portsmouth to Bedford), but probably would have did the above.

 

[LukeSi]

I had a breakdown when I was competing at croft. Pulled the numbers off and covered everything then drove a couple of miles away (as much as I dared with a dry power steering system) and rang the AA.
Had the bumper off already when they came and said I'd come up to watch as I was thinking of competing next year to explain why I was so far from home haha.

 

[iridebikes]

Do recovery guys really give a s**t then? Thankfully I've always been okay but a mate of mine blew the diff up in his bimbimmer and got recovered less than a mile away from the venue no problem?

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

 

[chris blue]

Had a chat with the RAC guy that i called to help sort broken accelerator cable (He got me going, but still not sorted completely) and asked him whats happens if you are on a track. He said no chance if you are on the track/ in the circuit, but if you are outside you should be OK. Got the feeling you should have a decent back up story to hand tho.
Would be real upset if they gave me the finger, as paid around £120 a year for the last few years
Hope it never happens, but full cover in place in case t does

You can get insurance, and think the circuit tow truck drags you off the circuit for free anyways? Thats why they want the towing eye fitted?

 

[Ads29]

Mind you, I like this.

My uncle's got a series 1 Landy, not sure it would hold the weight of a clio though

 

[JB21]

I've just declared mine SORN and it will now be trailered next year due to this dilemma. Local guy charges £50 a day for a car transporter and I'll just hitch it up to the Mondeo, job done.

 

[Knuckles]

Do recovery guys really give a s**t then? Thankfully I've always been okay but a mate of mine blew the diff up in his bimbimmer and got recovered less than a mile away from the venue no problem?

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

It seems so, although i stressed that the car wasn't drivable and needed a tow truck, they sent someone out to try and repair it first.

When he arrived he explained that unless the car breaks down on a public road (no track days, no racing, no autosolos, no green laning etc) you're not covered and will have to pay to be recovered.

You can get insurance, and think the circuit tow truck drags you off the circuit for free anyways? Thats why they want the towing eye fitted?

Does the insurance cover you to get home if need be?

The trucks take you off the circuit, but they can't take you out of the grounds because of their insurance. At oulton at least.

The guy could've towed me up to the bridge/entry, but then I'd have had to push it up and over the bridge with a car that didn't start and had no brakes at all lol. Wouldn't have been fun

 

[Potatoes]

This thread is giving me the horrors... I'd always wrongly assumed my breakdown cover included this.

Does trackday insurance cover recovery or what should we do to cover this?

 

[JP83]

As above, I'd ditch all evidence. Nothing they can do to prove that you were on track - you could have merely been there to watch, see mates, and your hard road driving style caused the issue.

 

[MarkCup]

When my 172 Cup locked itself into 2nd gear I just drove it home at 40 mph maximum and with lots of planning ahead at junctions!

Luckily I only lived 7 miles from the track...but then later on I had to drive it the 35 miles to Rentech. That was a painful experience.

 

[...]

Been recovered by the AA and RAC from the paddock at a track day , no issues no lies told , no problems .

AA have this wording unless its changed

Participation in sporting events
Assistance for vehicles broken down as a result of taking part in any “Motor Sport Event” including, without limitation, racing, rallying, trials or time-trials or auto test. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the AA does not consider “Concours d’elegance” events, track test days for road-legal vehicles or rallies held exclusively on open public highways where participants are required to comply with the normal rules of the road, to be Motor Sports Events.


if your road legal then its fine .

 

[JamesBryan]

I've seen loads of AA vans at trackdays, so it must be pretty common. They can't all be getting charged for it as Harv said.

 

[JamesBryan]

That quote of @harvsurrey is on page 18 of the AA terms and conditions pdf.

 

[Potatoes]

Phew!

 

[Paul.M]

That's handy information to have thanks @harvsurrey.

When a friend of mine (adey on here that had a turbo 182) had his gearbox go on track we pushed it about quarter of a mile and then phoned the AA, the guy knew exactly what we had done but was great with us and recovered him no issues.

 

[Dave LM]

Last year I had the engine on my R26 fail in a big way at the main straight at Snettetton, and I was towed off recovered off the circuit and into the paddock car park.
I have breakdown cover through HSBC, I gave them a call and they dispatched a local recovery truck via Greenflag (I think). I was transported with the car to my local garage in Stevenage, which is about one hour away without any questions asked.

The recovery driver didn't seem bothered at all about my car being recovered from the track, maybe I was lucky, or maybe he was just happy with a job being subbed out to him.

 

[Knuckles]

Well, I know who I'm changing my breakdown cover to.

In my experience at least, the rac say that you can do one when it comes to track recovery.

I'll be ringing the aa to check this and telling the rac not to renew my policy if the aa will collect from a track

Although I don't think the recovery guys are the problem, it's the mechanics who get sent out first. If I'd have had just a recovery truck like I asked I'm sure there'd be no questions asked

 

[...]

RAC used to be very good as they are closely tied to the Motorsport Association ( it is the RAC MSA of course)

Do check on recovery limits though as they only recover so many times per year


Honesty is the best policy with them.


I think AA won't recover accident damaged cars but RAC will

Do check that though

 

[Knuckles]

RAC used to be very good as they are closely tied to the Motorsport Association ( it is the RAC MSA of course)

Do check on recovery limits though as they only recover so many times per year


Honesty is the best policy with them.


I think AA won't recover accident damaged cars but RAC will

Do check that though

I didn't know that.

The me hand did say to me "I know this fault could've come about on the road, but because you're here, you're not covered"

I was honest from the start ringing up saying "hi, I've broken down at oulton park"

"Is that a country park?"

"...err, no, it's a race track... I've not been racing though"

Haha

 

[...]

Yep my caviat to all the track recovery stuff is you can always get an ill informed person on the phone who isn't going to budge . I have never had an issue and maybe called them 3 or 4 times over the years , once was my tow car not starting , how could they even argue that ?? .

i did end up towing my cars about , and then later had them taken for me especially euro events as we used to have the elise and the westfield ,so drove the elise there .

 

[Chris_Beer]

My first track day I planned for any breakdown / things failing etc for a couple of weeks. On the day I left all the parts at home and took tools only. Went to pick up my mate, and ended putting the tools in his house!

Basically had no where of storing it and didn't want a car full of parts and tools flying around.

The backbox clamp came loose from the mount once, but borrowed a couple of spanners off someone and the rest of the day was spot on thankfully.

In the back of my mind, I had AA breakdown and just tried to forget about it tbh as it would of affected the way I was driving on the track all together worrying if it was going to break.

 

[chris blue]

The beauty of going to a track as a Club group. Wouldnt want to leave anyone stranded!

As said, the RAC bloke i spoke to said recovery and 1st stage repair, so long as not ON track or circuit. Just outside is fine. (Tell me what they do if you are just spectating and breakdown then)

But AA looks good if they will attend. Will be on my renewal list

Makes me think that track DAYS are maybe a bit rich for an older car, just a couple 20 min seshs when at car shows.

 

[M.C..]

If you are towed outside the gate you could always say you have been on track and drove to get petrol and the car broke down, how could they prove that the car was not driven to the gate and stopped.

 

[shiftspark]

Does the insurance cover you to get home if need be?

If you mean trackday insurance you can also get recovery including a total write off being recovered. I used Moris last time.

 

[Knuckles]

If you mean trackday insurance you can also get recovery including a total write off being recovered. I used Moris last time.

That's exactly what I mean, bang on! Cheers for that

 

[shiftspark]

Have look here, says from £9.99
http://www.moris.co.uk/Track-day-insurance

 

[Knuckles]

Have look here, says from £9.99
http://www.moris.co.uk/Track-day-insurance

Well, they're getting a call next year.

That's epic cheers for that

 

[shiftspark]

Just read the blurb they will take you 70 miles then £1.90 pm after.
I would assume other trackway insurance would offer similar/better ?

 

[Knuckles]

Just read the blurb they will take you 70 miles then £1.90 pm after.
I would assume other trackway insurance would offer similar/better ?

I'm pretty sure the rac take you 10 miles then £25 thereafter lol.

So they get my vote. Haha.

 

[AlanWak]

What is now the Motorsport Association (MSA) sold the RAC (Recovery/insurance) organisation many, many years ago. They are now totally separate entities.

As a Boundless by CSMA Member, I have cover from Britannia Rescue. As long as you are on the public highway or an accessible location such as a garage forecourt, then they will recover you from motorsport events. Note that this service is only available to CSMA Members, not non-CSMA Members.

Britannia Rescue is part of LV. Britannia and Frizzell Insurance used to be owned by CSMA many years ago but were sold to LV. The benefits CSMA Members received continued. I have free road section rally cover while competing on events under my LV insurance policy.

Check and see if you can join CSMA. It used to be only open to Civil Servants, but far more can now join. You can also join if you have family members who are Members. I save loads through CSMA, the savings easily cover the annual Membership fee.