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 Two years ago today I had an unfortunate accident at the track with my 2005 Lotus Elise that resulted in its demise. It was absolutely devastating for me at the time and it has taken this long for me to even post about it. I tracked the car often and while I resisted the urge to make it a track-only car, I rarely brought it back to street trim (brake pads, rotors, wheels/tires, and audio equipment) after the weekend was over. Once I had the Boxster Spyder there was really no need for something like that on the street as the Porsche was better in almost every way to the Lotus. After I bought the Porsche I promised myself I wouldn’t spend too much on mods for the Elise and that lasted about four months. Since I had all the power I wanted (275whp and 1950lbs with a full tank) the suspension and braking was next on the list. I ordered stainless steel brake pistons for the front, stainless steel brake lines, a rear toe link upgrade, and 46mm Nitron single adjustable coilovers (500lb front, 600lb rear). I was able to install everything but the toe links myself and ended up shipping the car to California to have a Lotus shop fix my mistakes. Through some clever maneuvering I managed to have work pay for my ticket to California and I drove the car back to Arizona on Thanksgiving Day. The car felt amazingly composed on the way back and it felt good to have the car running after being down for the summer. The next day would be the start of a three-day track weekend at Firebird Main in Phoenix. I love this track due to its use of the dragstrip where I usually saw over 150mph and a series of corners afterward that flowed really well. It was the first track I drove the Lotus on back in 2010 and unfortunately it’s where everything ended nearly three years later. Something was off that morning. Most of my track buddies wouldn’t be able to attend until Saturday and I had an odd feeling that morning as I was walking to the paddock. I started to question why I was still doing track days. Had I lost interest? Had I conquered the car? Should I move past DE and into TT or a spec race class? It certainly didn’t affect my focus on the track but maybe my heart just wasn’t in it that day. I even ran without the GoPro; something I had never done before. In the second session of the day I experienced what I believe to be a rear suspension failure and slammed the side of the car into a concrete barrier. I don’t remember pushing the car particularly hard as I was trying to understand the new suspension setup. Just as I straightened the wheel and applied the brakes the rear end snapped violently to the left and I became a passenger headed toward the scene of an accident. I was shaken up a bit after the impact but the safety gear did its work and I was in one piece. I knew the front and rear clam were done for but I was holding on to hope that all was not lost. I asked the marshal to make sure the tow truck used the rear toe hook that I recently installed. The moment I knew the car was done came when he told me, “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Your wheel is over there.” The impact had ripped the rear left wheel from the axle. I went to the hospital despite being completely fine and came back the next day to pick up the pieces. I haven’t done a track day since then. I couldn’t bring myself to track the Spyder again and I wasn’t ready to commit to another expensive track-focused car. I think about returning every single day but it’s not likely to happen until next Spring. This was a difficult loss for me. I spent hundreds of hours and an absolutely ridiculous amount of money getting the car perfectly the way I wanted. Just looking at the dyno plot with the linear power delivery and flat torque curve makes me sad even to this day. I had the car for over 4 years and nothing sparked my enthusiasm and love for automobiles like the Lotus did. I will be back on the track someday. It may not be a Lotus. Maybe it will be a pre-built, track prepped M3 or a Spec Miata. Something relatively cheap with no emotional attachment so the next time I bin it there are no hard feelings. Then I see the C7 Z06 coming and get bad ideas… A few pictures of better times. Phoenix International Raceway 2010 (still N/A, 1910lbs wet)  Supercharger install 2010   1.9L engine swap 2011  Dyno plot 2011  Firebird Main 2012  My garage in 2012  Thanksgiving 2012 
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Nov 26, 2014 09:40
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Zoom Zoom, motherfuckers
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I had a BMW 540i 6-speed for about nine months but after my recent move to Colorado it completely fell apart mechanically in the cold winter. I only have one garage spot and I have no desire to chip ice off a windshield in 5-degree weather so everything had to go. I wasn’t crazy about selling the Porsche but it made sense. I now have 2014 STI hatch and despite knowing it’s the perfect daily driver for Colorado there’s a part of me that will never be completely happy with it. I don’t care for practical cars with four doors and a spacious trunk but it's incredibly fun in the snow and the AWD is an interesting dynamic coming out of corners so I'm just having fun with it and racking up the miles. Ultimately I decided to sacrifice two years of Lotus or Porsche fun to save up for the next chapter when I move back to Phoenix in 2016. I change my mind every single day on what I want to get next. Sometimes it’s that 997.1 GT3 I’ve had my eye on for years and other times it’s another RX-8/Lotus combo like I had before. Right now it’s a 991 C2S daily and the best $15k track car I can find. I’m sure I’ll change my mind tomorrow.  
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Nov 26, 2014 09:43
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drat, that's a tough story. I had forgotten about your Elise until I saw the pictures and thought "oh yeah, what happened to... oh.  "New Z06 and nothing could possibly go wrong.
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Nov 26, 2014 12:33
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EVERYWHERE 
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Has it really been two years? I remember when you picked up the spyder. What a good looking automobile. Definitely interested to see where things end up too. Work related relocation? meatpimp posted:
 You slay me.
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Nov 26, 2014 14:54
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Ugh, that's rough. I was wondering what happened to your cars the other day... I've never even done a proper track day but I don't think I could commit to doing it regularly in anything other than a car I don't mind getting beaten up a fair bit. A wreck like that would still hurt a lot but I'd still feel a lot better banging up a spec Miata / spec E30 / first-gen RX7 than I would a daily driver.
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Nov 26, 2014 16:45
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How are you emotionally when you think about getting on the track again? I know that "I'm a passenger now and everything's going to hell" feeling all too well, and I still get uncomfortable when I think about my most recent accident. That said, Spec Miatas are amazing track sluts.
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Nov 26, 2014 16:55
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When I saw the thread title, I figured it'd be something like someone backed into you in the parking lot. It's seems better to me that it happened on the track, though maybe not better for you getting back onto the track again in the future. Those Boxster Spyders are beautiful cars. I was trying to explain to my father in law that a boxster spyder was cooler than panamera turbo, despite the power and cost difference, but some people just don't understand.
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Nov 26, 2014 17:56
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Well, when you get the bug again just know that AMP is motorcycle friendly and therefore has very little poo poo to hit in runoff areas... as I can personally attest to with two lowsides and a 100mph+ offtrack excursion there.
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Nov 26, 2014 17:57
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Miata with a 1UZ
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Nov 26, 2014 19:51
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meatpimp posted:drat, that's a tough story. I had forgotten about your Elise until I saw the pictures and thought "oh yeah, what happened to... oh. America is on a roll lately. Z06, GT350, Z/28, even the Hellcat. I've seriosuly considered all but the Hellcats. That's insane. I think my top pick might be a "Grand Sport" version of the C7 with the widebody, aero and brakes from the Z06 but an N/A engine. Forced induction on the track is a headache and few manufacturers manage to make something that can last more than a couple laps. ssjonizuka posted:Has it really been two years? I remember when you picked up the spyder. What a good looking automobile. Yeah, relocated for work. I moved out here two weeks before my company announced the Phoenix campus was closing down. I'm rarely on the good side of timing but it could not have worked out better, I just had to shed my fun cars for a bit. Yeah the Spyder was something special. Given all the drivetrain problems a GT3 can have (not to mention the costs, like $30k+ for an engine rebuild), the Spyder is an incredible value with the GT2 buckets and manual transmission. Mine had the sport seats but if I had to do it over again if go buckets no question. If I want to track a Porsche in the future, that would at the top of my list. Fun fact: It lapped just as fast as the Elise at AMP and was almost effortless by comparison. IOwnCalculus posted:Ugh, that's rough. I was wondering what happened to your cars the other day... Track insurance is the key. It's massively expensive but you can get a $20-25k car insured for 6 weekends in a year for about $1200 and as long as you budget that in it's really not that bad. I definitely won't be doing track days without it in the future. Safety Dance posted:How are you emotionally when you think about getting on the track again? I know that "I'm a passenger now and everything's going to hell" feeling all too well, and I still get uncomfortable when I think about my most recent accident. It's going to be terrifying. I know I'm not invincible anymore. I used to push so drat hard. I remember once I was sliding the rear end inches away from a wall lap after lap and not giving it a second thought. You can't have moments on track where you're thinking "what if something breaks" because you'll be a danger to others if there's a moment of hesitation. It'll be tough from a mental perspective to get back on track for sure. In the interim I'm trying to keep the core skills reasonably sharp with frequent visits to the go kart track. I'd like to get into a spec karting league in Denver but I don't know where to start looking. MomJeans420 posted:When I saw the thread title, I figured it'd be something like someone backed into you in the parking lot. It's seems better to me that it happened on the track, though maybe not better for you getting back onto the track again in the future. Agreed. It died doing what it was meant to do and it kept me safe. Can't ask for anything more. And yeah the Spyder was something special. I'd say it was like the 1M, it was somehow better than the sum of its parts. I'm surprised Porsche let it be that good to be honest. BlackMK4 posted:Well, when you get the bug again just know that AMP is motorcycle friendly and therefore has very little poo poo to hit in runoff areas... as I can personally attest to with two lowsides and a 100mph+ offtrack excursion there. I love that track. Tons of runoff, long straights. The guy that owns it has a GT3 Cup with a custom exhaust setup that passes sound there. That's the only bummer about that track and I hate the NIMBY assholes that forced it but he really put the screw to the city of Litchfield Park with the zoning contract. I'm just happy it exists. Where in Phoenix are you?
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Nov 26, 2014 20:36
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Pr0kjayhawk posted:I love that track. Tons of runoff, long straights. The guy that owns it has a GT3 Cup with a custom exhaust setup that passes sound there. That's the only bummer about that track and I hate the NIMBY assholes that forced it but he really put the screw to the city of Litchfield Park with the zoning contract. I'm just happy it exists. It's a pretty drat good track and I kinda like the exhaust restrictions because assholes think it's cool to run open header BECAUSE RACEBIKE(CAR). I'm in Scottsdale... really close to Fountain Hills. I'll be at AMP on 12/6 and 12/7 for XCELTrackdays.
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Nov 26, 2014 20:50
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That was a cool read. Thanks for sharing. I want a Lotus now. What are they like without the supercharger?
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Nov 26, 2014 21:19
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For some reason I thought everyone knew already. Good times working on that in the garage.
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Nov 26, 2014 21:25
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Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.
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Nierbo posted:That was a cool read. Thanks for sharing. I want a Lotus now. What are they like without the supercharger? I have no personal experience with them, but 180 hp in a sub-ton car sounds like a grand old time to me.
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Nov 27, 2014 00:09
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BlackMK4 posted:It's a pretty drat good track and I kinda like the exhaust restrictions because assholes think it's cool to run open header BECAUSE RACEBIKE(CAR). Their sound restriction is really low but I totally agree with you on the asshats that run open headers. I saw (heard) a Porsche 914 with open headers once at PIR and thought that guy was just a massive dick. You're making and extra... 2hp? Awesome, you're now up to 122hp and everyone for 2 miles can hear you. The racing community needs to be good citizens. And that kinda makes me a total hypocrite because I was over the 95db limit when I cut my redline down from 8400 to 6500. If I had to do it again I'd sacrifice 5-10hp for something that could pass sound and not be a menace on the road. Left Ventricle posted:I have no personal experience with them, but 180 hp in a sub-ton car sounds like a grand old time to me. There were times I missed being N/A. When the car is that light you can feel the extra 40-ish pounds added by the supercharger and related equipment in corners. Obviously the power made up for it. I remember coming into the last corner before the Nascar straights at PIR and just standing on the brakes at the last possible second while I was still N/A. I felt like it was going to pull my eyeballs out. My instructor was laughing his rear end off at how late I was braking into corners. Adding another 115whp taught me a lot about throttle control mid-corner though. I spun twice while I was N/A and only once (womp womp) when I was supercharged.
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Nov 27, 2014 00:34
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No real contribution but man that blows.
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Nov 27, 2014 01:00
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Why not just do a track Miata the next time around that way you aren't heartbroken if you crash (and not out as much money)? Spec classes will be on the table too, which are pretty awesome. A track day Miata is in my 10 year plan and if all goes well spec within 15.
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Nov 27, 2014 07:47
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If you track a miata, consider a window net please: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWjXzvVoL0
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Nov 27, 2014 14:51
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Man, dude. I didn't know that's what happened to the car. Glad you're alright.
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Nov 27, 2014 15:46
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Mat_Drinks posted:Why not just do a track Miata the next time around that way you aren't heartbroken if you crash (and not out as much money)? Spec classes will be on the table too, which are pretty awesome. Spec Miata is a mess, haha.
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Nov 27, 2014 16:54
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BrokenKnucklez posted:No real contribution but man that blows. Seat Safety Switch posted:Man, dude. I didn't know that's what happened to the car. Thanks, much appreciated. drgitlin posted:If you track a miata, consider a window net please: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWjXzvVoL0 I saw that. He was lucky to walk away with only a broken arm. I was never terribly interested in wheel-to-wheel racing. I mean, of course I want to, but there are quite a few things that go with that. People tend to take it quite seriously and I'm not sure I'm ready for a truck and trailer. If I go the cheap track cat route, I think something like this would be perfect: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/4756043881.html I was pretty handy with the Lotus though and I got accustomed to being one of the quicker cars out there. It was really special to drive and like someone here said, its looks say "gently caress you I'm a sports car."
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Nov 27, 2014 18:43
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Ah yes, going from one car that is known for breaking toe links to another car that is known for breaking rear LCAs. (E36 M3s are fast, but there's a bunch of dumb poo poo that goes wrong with them on track) For alternatives, have you considered a 986 Boxster/Cayman or a C5Z06?
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Nov 27, 2014 18:57
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Aw man, I was wondering where the posts about this car had gone, that's a bummer. Glad you were ok though.
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Nov 27, 2014 19:14
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Phone posted:Ah yes, going from one car that is known for breaking toe links to another car that is known for breaking rear LCAs. (E36 M3s are fast, but there's a bunch of dumb poo poo that goes wrong with them on track) It looked like that M3 I posted was built by someone that knew what they were doing. Obviously I'd need to do a ton on research on a new platform. Every street car is going to have issues to address, I guess it's just picking your poison. Even GT3s need help. I've seen some 987.1 Caymans fully track-prepped with a giant Interseries wing for about $35k. I know it would be crazy fun but those engines (M96 derivatives) are not ready for track duty. They fixed so much with the 997.2/987.2. Haven't thought about a C5 Z06 though. I've heard they're capable. How much do they run and and what things need to be fixed to get them track-ready? There are a ton of tracked Corvettes in the Phoenix area.
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Nov 27, 2014 19:47
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I think for the C5Z06, the only real issues are cooking the power steering fluid and some high speed oiling issues in sweepers. I'm not sure of what the fix is for the power steering, but the oiling can be fixed with an Accusump. It's pretty much the fastest car you can buy for the least amount of money and issues. The interior's poo poo, but GM partially designed it that way to encourage you to remove it.  If you really like tinkering with cars, you can do a VVT swap Miata or K24 swap and just have a rock solid lapping car with cheap consumables. If you want to make me insanely jealous, you could always do a ZZW30 MR-S with a 2GR V6 swap. It'd be just like your Elise.
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Nov 27, 2014 21:37
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I had a ton of fun with my old VVT swap NA. 145whp and 2350 or so lbs race weight. It got ate up in the straights by 911s and vettes but it could hang in the corners.
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Nov 28, 2014 05:48
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Phone posted:I think for the C5Z06, the only real issues are cooking the power steering fluid and some high speed oiling issues in sweepers. I'm not sure of what the fix is for the power steering, The C5 has been around for long enough that I'm sure someone out there sells a bolt-on cooler. A quick glance at Google says the Z51 and Z06 come with a small cooler stock.
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Nov 28, 2014 18:18
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I take it back, I don't think it's the fluid that is the issue, it's more of a symptom of the power steering pump taking a big fat dump.
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Nov 28, 2014 21:13
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Do like some engine swap dudes and run an electric powersteering pump out of an MR2.
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Nov 28, 2014 22:03
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Didn't someone else here have an Elise rear swaybar endlink shear off on some mountain road and spin him out? I love my ugly $300 E30 track car. It's incredibly fun and I was owning a douchey guy in a McLaren 650s last track day which always feels good.
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Nov 29, 2014 04:46
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Pr0kjayhawk posted:Haven't thought about a C5 Z06 though. I've heard they're capable. How much do they run and and what things need to be fixed to get them track-ready? There are a ton of tracked Corvettes in the Phoenix area. I have a friend that used to do HPDE's in his C5 Z06. I remember him saying that he'd get cooked in the cabin when he put longtube headers on it, exhaust wrap helped with that. He also had issues with his transaxle fluid overheating and it getting hard to shift by the end of the session. I'll have to ask him if he installed a cooler for it, since I know he had tried different oil weights. Otherwise it's been a solid track car.
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Nov 29, 2014 07:59
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Phone posted:I take it back, I don't think it's the fluid that is the issue, it's more of a symptom of the power steering pump taking a big fat dump. Couldn't you just de power the rack like with Miatas? 
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Nov 29, 2014 13:23
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aventari posted:Didn't someone else here have an Elise rear swaybar endlink shear off on some mountain road and spin him out? It was a toe link or control arm. Can't remember who's car it was though, I think someone from the CA crew.
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Nov 29, 2014 16:29
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FatCow posted:It was a toe link or control arm. Can't remember who's car it was though, I think someone from the CA crew. I think it was Comrade Flynn? I remember seeing the pictures of it in a thread. OP, sorry to hear about the demise of your Lotus and the sale of the Porsche. Both of those are on my must own someday list. Enjoy the hatch, I enjoyed mine while I had it.
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Nov 29, 2014 18:04
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Pr0kjayhawk posted:Track insurance is the key. It's massively expensive but you can get a $20-25k car insured for 6 weekends in a year for about $1200 and as long as you budget that in it's really not that bad. I definitely won't be doing track days without it in the future. What do you use for insurance? Everyone seems to suggest Lockton, though they only cover certain events. Do you simply not go to events that they don't cover?
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Nov 29, 2014 22:44
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Aflicted posted:I think it was Comrade Flynn? I remember seeing the pictures of it in a thread. Yeah I think it was Comrade Flynn. I think he's in a GT-R now? ColdPie posted:What do you use for insurance? Everyone seems to suggest Lockton, though they only cover certain events. Do you simply not go to events that they don't cover? I haven't used Lockton Affinity but it's what most of the Rennlist guys use. That's what I'll do if I can't find an insurance company that covers HPDE (as in, documented from an agent in writing saying I'm covered). Some people have had luck with traditional companies but I haven't heard of anyone making a claim either. I just plan to be super honest when I'm shopping around and do an agreed value policy. I think they follow certain organizations (like PCA or BMW CCA) but I haven't spent any serious time researching it.
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Dec 1, 2014 08:37
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