996tnz

Wet (but not NITT wet) and a great day for all with no major damage I think. The quick trip down from Auckland was pretty sodden though. Will post a race shot or two tomorrow. Bloody good fun. Home and heading for the sack as I'm pretty much toast. Was up late the night before jury rigging an engine mount then up again at 4.15 am to get down there.

Enjoyed the rennlist catch up though.

Paul - so glad to see you reunited and on the road in a 911 again.

Macca - there's more than one good book in you I reckon.

Maxem

With my 964 and the track days I did in that, I seemed to satisy Prestigo with my previous clubsport history and also the Ray W Tuition we have had from time to time. Since that car has gone and I now have another, I haven't yet insured it with Prestigo. But looking at the increasingly high hoops I'm inclined not to. I am not very interested on an annual basis having to seek out professional tuition. My motivation for track days is not setting blistering lap times nor taking risks so I am more inclined to self insure on track from now with the SC. There must come a point (as I find with my other insurance providers) that you prove yourself as a good risk and don't have to keep doing so. Now if You were away from the track for a few years - fair enough but this is not the case with the RSG regulars. When I get the more expensive 911 T on the track, I will follow Prestigo in the first instance but am prepared not to proceed with them if it gets too hard. My opinion only and everyone has different tolerance levels.

nzskater

For those insuring older cars, there's also the Swann option; from everything I've heard/read they're cheaper, and have much lighter requirements for cover on track days (and give cover for a wider range of events). I know Craig P uses them, and I'm sure some other RSG members do also. If I remember rightly, there's room to arrange a policy that suits you (ie more km's per year), either by going directly or through a broker. https://www.swanninsurance.co.nz

pcarplayer

I've insured with Swann. Half the cost (less than $500) there policy wording seems reasonable and they cover club tack days and track days where you are participating in professional instruction.

Prestigio never got back to me with a quote though it was estimated closer to 1K than 5 hundie

Speaking of instruction has anything been finalised for the 28th? I kept an eye on the RSG page but it has been pretty inactive

John McM

I think I need to talk to Swann. Currently, for 4 cars I'm paying $3,800 per year. Last claim was 1993 when I was T boned in Vanuatu and my licence has no demerits. Given I can only drive one car at a time and the two most valuable are garaged and alarmed my insurance is expensive. I need someone who recognised my individual risk.

As for track cover, circulate at 9/10ths in the dry during Playdays and I fail to understand how you can have a driver caused accident. There's plenty of run-off and unlike the road you know exactly what's around the next corner.

Macca

Prestigio requirements get harder as more claims are made on them. I believe at least two sizeable ones have been via RSG members on the track over the last couple of years. I'm fairly sure if we were all insured with Swann like we are with Prestigio we could find them puckering up by now. I'm also fairly certain Swann won't insure for out track tours and Targa. Track insurance is very cheap in NZ compared to UK or USA. All that said its really good for us to have choice so I think Swann should be supported for their efforts and they are obviously very cost. The cost of insuring a 90k car seems vastly different from a 290k car I might add. Definitely something to be said for keeping the value at risk down on the track even if it's just from an overhead point of view!!

peterC2S

Racing Ray and Steve R will both be doing instruction that day - based on the numbers who have indicated they would like tuition I'd say you should get a couple of 15 min sessions.

There will also be a 20-30 min on-track session at the start of the day doing laps in groups of 4-5 cars following lines behind Ray/Steve. Will start slow and gradually build so you can get a feel for the flow of the track.

Ray/Steve will run through the formats at driver briefing at the start of the day. I'll be sending an email with the timings and how the day will run in the next day or so.

Macca

Well done mate. Kudos to you. Great piloting. Sounds like wet is your thing!

John McM

As a risk professional specialising in credit risk (lending money) I find understanding insurance risk practices interesting.

With banks you have retail products where your lending is part of an homogeneous portfolio, which is akin to mainstream insurance and then you have judgmental lending where we look at various aspects such as industry, balance sheet, character etc and make a customised decision.

Prestigio (viewed from afar) is a customised insurer covering a risk that few others will. They should understand the risk better than most but I don't see that in the conditions or cover. They cover all cars and all conditions. I think they have misread the risk and over conditioned the cover based on the driver.

Lucky I'm not doing the risk analysis because based on what I have seem I would decline cover on wet tracks and would limit cover on expensive cars and those capable of quick laps or where set up is at the envelope of the cars performance. For example I would cover Herman on street tyres in the dry with no harness. I wouldn't cover the risk with track tyres and a four point harness.

Macca

^^^ 100% agree.

I think we live in the twilight of the golden age. Or at least the period just prior to its death throws!

Within 5 years I doubt many of us will be-able to afford to attend regular Hampton Quinn track days in our Porsches for casual laps.

Furthermore I predict underwriters will remove cover from resellers/insurers for these risks before that time or price them accordingly. Specialist underwriters will exists but like in the UK these will be event based and priced and very prescriptive and expensive.

IMO this is why Rennsport Gruppe has gained popularity and will continue to flourish at least in the near term whilst its members are prepared to create demand at a price point.

I don't wish any of this to happen, but I have to day it seems inevitable to me.

Risk is to be averted at all costs in future modern society. We will be legislated until we can no longer harm ourselves or others. In a decade or two it will be illegal to play with yourself in the shower for fear you may slip on the soap and give yourself an injury.

John McM

Watch the authorities jump on 2k cup regs when/if there is an injury accident.

Wouldn't it be great if Taupo became a renegade space? Buy laps like the Ring and go for it. A great break on a Road trip. Maybe allow new road drivers to practice on it. Free for all.

CS Mende

Seriously - how much down and what kind of cash buffer do we need to do this?

What I'm unclear on in NZ is when does MSNZ get to stick their head in and inject rules?

Maybe it's just (incorrect) perception by me, but I dislike these pseudo-governmental bodies in NZ who seem to be able to step in under the guise of safety & society in order to line their own egos.

Make it the RSG, rebel, car club heaven, uncles regular, chump car series, 2k cup. I feel like I'm constantly stumbling over people who have pulled out of this hobby due to politics of a sanctioning body.

Is Taupo a good track for bikes? Could a kart track be mapped out on the extended piece?

John McM

Chris, there's a saying in the hotel business that it's the 3rd owner that makes the money because they buy at a price where the existing cash flow supports the valuation. The problem with being the 3rd buyer is that you are not sure how much deferred maintenance there is.

I think buying a race track is a similar prospect. $4,400,000 may well be based on existing cash flow. I don't know. If it isn't, then it becomes about the new revenue. Again I have no idea where the cream is with a track

Btw just saw this on TV about Star Wars: American cinema sales 1.9 billion; World DVD sales 3.7 billion; World toy sales 12 billion.

Clearly the money isn't in the cinema.

kiwi 911

Good times last night with Pete getting some bling for his trophy cabinet (well done mate)

John McM

Well done Pete.