I just realized OpenTrack Insurance (with whom I insure my GT3 for every event I drive) will no longer be insuring drivers for VIR who select the individual events as of 2022. The website states you’ll need an annual policy to be insured at VIR DE events.

Can anyone shed some light as to why this change has occurred? Too many claims from VIR events? I typically drive VIR 2-3 times per season so this will effect me one way or another. I’ll either need to find another provider or bite the bullet and pay for an annual policy.

 

This was brought to my attention on a thread I saw yesterday. I use the annual policy and when I checked it out it looks like they flagged some key tracks as annual only, this includes NJMP, WGI, and VIR (looking at east coast tracks only ). My guess, these are busier Open Track events (mo business) and this is a ploy to get you to upgrade to an annual policy. My bet is that this policy will not last throughout 2022 and they will open these tracks back to the regular event only subscribers.

 

^^. Thanks for the quick reply. Makes sense as a profit generator but as a long time customer who prefers to purchase the events individually, I’m not a fan. I hope this doesn’t bite them in the *** because I’ll look elsewhere for my track insurance if this is purely a money grab to force customers into purchasing an annual policy.

 

Which is exactly why I think they will re-think that policy. Remember Open Track used to be annual only, they added per event insurance for a reason - $$$$.

 

Did you try reaching out to Steve? I'd ask him since he is the one making the decision and has the answer. He's a really nice guy and PCA racer.

 

+1

OnTrack is not run by some faceless bureaucrat - you should reach out to Steve. It is either an oversight or the omission is based on risk.

 

I insure through Open Track single event policies, and was informed that starting in 2021 they will no longer cover events at VIR unless you have an annual policy.

 

There is some confusion here. Open track is not On track. Steve Kaatz is with On Track and is based in NY. Open Track is in the midwest somewhere.

 

Good catch. Then the easy solution is to switch to On Track

 

It’s OpenTrack that has issued the announcement of no coverage for individual policies. I had erroneously listed OnTrack in my original post which I’ve corrected.

 

The team at OpenTrack is also small, and dedicated to their product and our sport. Also not faceless bureaucrats. I had the pleasure of talking with both Ben and Jerod in the early years, and when I had suggestions for them they arranged time to talk on the phone. I have no idea what is behind this change, but often this kind of thing is dictated by the underwriters.

if you have a mostly stock track car it’s probably fine to jump around to find the face-value terms that work well for you. If you are insuring a purpose built racecar (e.g., a 20k car with 80k of bespoke mods), then OpenTrack has some advantages in the unfortunate case that you need to file a claim.

 

Hey Everyone,

Ben Phillips with OpenTrack here. Glad to see there has been some discussion around our recent changes to five of our covered tracks. I want to open a dialogue and am happy to answer any questions you may have.

This year we have been making some changes to our program to deliver more value to annual customers. We launched our Drive Better program, which is FREE driver coaching from professional driver coach Andy Lee, as well as cool webinars, track guides/pro-rips, and on-demand video content. This supports our motto of helping people to Drive More through unlimited insurance and Drive Better with awesome coaching content.

The decision to make these five tracks exclusive to the annual program is an effort to continue enhancing our offering for more frequent drivers.

As ​​​@Jabs1542 mentioned above, we launched with Annual Unlimited and added the on-demand product in 2018. While we still love the daily product and will continue offering at about 100 tracks across the US (at the most competitive rates in the market), the Annual Unlimited is the core of OpenTrack and where we truly add the most value for customers. And yes, we do see fewer crashes with Annual vs. Daily.

In short, this decision will not only add value for frequent drivers on-track, but will help OpenTrack to provide the most competitive insurance coverage in the market and invest in driver coaching resources for you all, well into the future. If you're getting on track 6-8+ days per year, you should look into our Annual program. There is no better value in all of tracking.

What questions can I answer?

BP

 

Thank you, Ben.

What is the full list of tracks that this limitation applies to and why these specific tracks?

 

Hey Peter,
Hope you're great. Thanks for the questions.

Here are the tracks:
- Watkins Glen
- NJMP
- VIR
- Sonoma
- Palmer Motorsports Park

This decision was based on internal performance data (sales, claims, etc).

The original hypothesis we had when we founded OpenTrack, that drivers who get on-track more frequently throughout the year tend to be more heavily invested into the sport and focus more time on improving performance, continues to be proven correct. Tracks which are more difficult/easier to crash at become increasingly more dangerous for drivers who do not have the opportunity to drive them regularly.

We are more committed than ever to helping participants in the track community drive more and drive better, and continue to make our Annual Unlimited plan the best value in the track insurance market.

Lastly, if you haven't compared our Annual program to event coverage recently, it really only takes a handful of events per year to breakeven on cost... and our annual carries half the deductible vs. event policies.

Thanks,
BP

 

The numbers just don't add up at 6-8 days per year, not even close. My GT4 is $500 for a weekend with Ontrack at WGI, NJMP or wherever. I buy a 3 pack for a 10pc discount. I quoted a yearly with OpenTrack and it was $5400. That means I have to do 11 events just to break even. Track season in the NE is 7 months April to October (maybe a few weeks either side if the weather is good), so that's almost 2 events per month. Even for someone who tracks frequently like myself that is a lot. Perhaps it makes sense for the California guys who can track for 12 months of the year, but those tracks are not being blocked for single events.

Where I did use OpenTrack was for a single day event, as that was cheaper than Ontrack which costs the same regardless if its 1,2 or 3 days. That's the market you should be leaning into, not subscriptions.