A friend of mine was at an autocross and his buddy was contacted by his car ins co. They said autocross is risky behavior and they would drop him in he didn't quit. They checked the internet. If I raced I would request that my results be posted as anonymous. First it's the warranty thing, now it's insurance.

Jim

 

which company?

 

Uh oh, this could create problems for lots of people.

Brandon

 

I am raising the B.S. flag on this one. If the car is damaged in a speed contest, then it is your baby, but otherwise, it is none of the insurer's business.

 

that does suk for people that autocross...does the insurance company have the right to do that?

 

Ok I can clear this up, I am an Insurance Broker..This is a complete load of B.S.- What company is it?

 

Doesnt surprise me.

 

I asked my friend which company it was when he told about this and he didn't know the company. I'll call him and see if he can contact his buddy and find out

I agree with the BS flag. Insurance isn't going to cover anything autocross related anyway so why should they care? I've raced in the past and I have an excellent driving record. Just because a person races on a track doesn't mean they are a bad driver on the street.

Jim

 

when my results were posted, i posted it up with my nickname, not my legal name... so mitsu or geico? kiss my a$$

 

I wouldn't doubt it. Insurances companies have their own investigators looking insurance fraud. Somehow the insurances company correlate credit scores to insurance premiums. It appears they can do whatever they want.

 

If ne1 gets dropped by their insurance co in ny or ct they can pm me....until then dont worry about it!

 

I really dont know why every one is soo spooked about this kind of stuff... I dont think that insurance companies will take the time to pay someone to look at internet postings, the same to deny warranty's..

But just for another argument lets say insurance companies and auto makers frequent this and other websites.

1. if your worried about it dont post your times/results...mods ect... just speak in general terms so you are not admiting to anything.

2a. If someone posts an ET a mod ect. and the company says we have evidence that you did yada yada to your car, or raced in any event... how can they prove anything by something typed on an open screen.

2b. For this to be a legitamite way to deny a claim insurance/warranty. its to easy to poke holes in : IE... you stay logged on (not entering username and password each time you enter the site/s) Anyone could have posted using your name... they cant prove you posted unless you admit to it.... They have no way proving that what you said was accurate when posting (its basically an assumption that what you said/supposevly said is acurate)

I just dont see how any internet social forum based post can hold up in any type of court if someone really wanted to fight that a warranty/insurance claim was declied..

All in all just refer to point #1...

just my .02 (im not an insurance agent/lawyer ect so i can be totally wrong , but this is how i see things)

 

There was actually a write up in a magazine a while back about Subaru checking the results of scca events and voiding warranties, which is SUPER hypocracy bull-caca because they give you a 1-year SCCA membership with your WRX/STi...

As far as "risky driving", the irony is that autocrossing is significantly safer than driving on, say, the DC beltway or any other major congested route. It's a controlled course with saftey equipment and personnel readily available, without traffic. He11, I risk my life every morning and night dodging speeding schoolbuses... oops, I mean SUVs and minivans... who think they're driving an Enzo in and out of traffic while ignoring their overly-active kids and talking on the phone... Now THAT's risky behavior

-The End

 

So we have an insurance broker with a BS flag, and someone else who thinks it's reasonable.... as far as I'm concerned if I damage my car at the track, it's my deal. If I hit some ice on a backroad on the way to work and plow into a tree, then that's a claim that's going to my insurance. Whether I race once a month at a sanctioned racing event is really none of my insurers business. If they want to make it their business, I'll take my business elsewhere (and take 2 cars and house insurance with me). the ins co stands to lose a lot more from harassing weekend warriors than they stand to save in possibly fraudulent claims (or claims that arise from worn parts failing, POSSIBLY due to autocross events). I can't say I've ever seen an AX event that was more demanding on the car than the crap we're forced to drive in on a dialy basis- no potholes, no curbs, no kids running onto the track to avoid suddenly (tell you what- my chicane skills definitely help in that situation), no soccer moms who WON'T wait for that red light, no old people who don't know which lane they're in (seriously, I had that happen to me last night! ). i guarantee AXers take BETTER care of their vehicles (because of these events) than the average driver does. I argue that my car will last much longer than the Lancer my wife's friend drives- because I take care of my car, because I want it to be in top condition for AX events.....

What's next, my medical insurance drops me because I can't run a 6 minute mile? because I drink alcoholic drinks (a potentially risky behavior)?

</soapbox>

 

Excellent point, and if I can add this: Chances are someone who takes the time to drive on a track and learn how to do it well is going to be a much better driver on the street. HeII, insurance companies should give them a discount