I hate to admit it but I financed part of my car. I'm aggressively paying the remainder off and am on track to pay it off in 9 months total. Problem is, I would like to take it to the track before I have finished paying off the car. HPDE insurance would be a must (even with the car paid off fully).

Has anyone taken their car to the track while still owing money on it? If so, how did you feel about it? Was it even fun taking it to the track, knowing that you would be paying off a debt on a crumpled mess of a car if something happened?

thanks guys

 

gap insurance? lol

Also I heard that if your insurance knows you're taking the financed car to the track, they might cut you off.

Not sure how the bank/security holder would feel if the car got wrecked when still being financed..

 

You don't have to drive like a maniac, lad. Go out there and and live!

And on track there is extra room for error.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Hq6wGlb14

Most groups that run in the Northeast would put an instructor in your car if you are a rookie. The theory is that it's supposed to be about driver education.

But even if you get the track day insurance, the deductible is about $2,500 if I recall correctly.

 

The problem with this is sometimes its not your fault but you still end up in a wall or having contact with another car.

 

Drive within your limits and be aware of your surroudings. I think track time is safer vs the majority of folks you see on driving on the street.

 

I personally don't see the problem, particularly if you are going to get HPDE insurance. Worst case scenario is you total the car, use some of the money from the HPDE insurance to pay off the remainder of the loan, and the remainder of the insurance money toward a new car. How you feel about that risk is a personal choice, but in that scenario you've paid off your debt and not done anything shady whatsoever. I doubt the lender cares what happened to the car, as long as you pay off the loan. Heck, you could just keep making your payments until it was paid off!

The other possibility is that you damage the car, but don't total it, in which case you take it to a shop and pay to have it fixed. You're out of pocket the HPDE insurance deductible.

The OTHER possibility, about 99% likely if you drive careful and within your limits, is you have a great time and nothing bad happens to your car!

 

^ This

I still owe a little on my s2k and have been to a few track days and a bunch of autocross events. Like everyone said, drive within your limits. You have nothing to prove out there, it's about learning and having fun. Go to a track with very few walls and a lot of runoff if you're that worried.

Why do you hate to admit that you financed? Most people do. Not everyone is made of money.

 

Boy, I don't want to hijack the kid's thread with all of my goofy videos. But it's one of those nights.

So I ask: Are we mice or are we men?

Life's too short kid. Buy the track day insurance and take the car out. The worst that can happen is that you wreck the car and kill yourself. But if you live, I promise that you'll have a grin so wide on your face that it won't come off for two weeks.

Anyway, driving north on the NJ Turnpike on Thanksgiving weekend is far more dangerous by a factor of 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEDB3qV2tT4

 

I definitely agree with this. During my commute, there are at least 3 fender benders both ways. I would definitely be less aggressive with my car until everything is paid off and becomes a dedicated track car. This car is too dang fun to drive to be confined to freeway entrances and back roads.

 

My car's not financed, but I've done my fair share of HPDEs. Never bought insurance. I've even spun once at Summit Point Shenandoah and went 4-off at VIR with no damage (Shenandoah was pure luck though, that place has walls everywhere).

If you're not out there trying to win the track day and your car is properly maintained, the likelihood of anything bad happening is near zero. Get out there and have fun, but buy the insurance to cover your ass.