Track Day Insurance Explained: HPDE Cover, Cost per Event and Why Your Auto Policy Excludes It

Last Updated on October 16, 2026 by Syed Sarim Naqvi

Track day insurance is a per-event or annual policy that pays for damage to your own car during high performance driver education (HPDE), track day or time trial events, and Lockton Motorsports’ program manager says premiums run about $190 to $230 per event for a $30,000 car and $560 to $600 for a $90,000 car. The catch is that most standard auto policies now exclude track use, and track day cover typically does not include liability to other drivers.

Key Takeaways

Hagerty says most standard auto policies do not cover HPDE events, and insurers have added exclusions for “track,” “racing surface” and similar wording
Lockton’s Ryan Staub quoted about $190 to $230 per event for a $30,000 car, $370 to $410 for $60,000 and $560 to $600 for $90,000
Confused.com says UK track day insurance is usually around 1% of the car’s value, with entry-level single-day cover from around 60 pounds
Policies usually cover physical damage to your car, often at agreed value, but not liability to other competitors
Hagerty’s per-event HPDE policy, underwritten by RLI, excludes Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren makes

What Is Track Day Insurance?

Lockton Motorsports describes its policy as covering what standard auto insurance will not: damage to your car when you take part in HPDE, track day or time trial events, from the time you enter the track grounds to the time you leave. BimmerLife, republishing Lockton material, says it covers street-legal cars and non-licensed track cars, includes two drivers per event at no extra cost, and covers both minor scuffs and a total loss. Hagerty offers similar per-event cover for cars while on the track or in the paddock, plus an annual non-competitive track policy.

Why Does My Regular Insurance Exclude It?

Hagerty’s FAQ says that in the past decade most auto insurers added exclusions for track, high performance, HPDE-type, racing or speed contest events, or time on a racing surface. Atlanta Motorsports Park says many policies exclude damage inside a facility designated for racing, even if you are not racing, and that policies covering track driving on a limited basis often have a $150,000 limit and many exemptions. NASA Speed News notes the trend began about ten years ago, which is when track day insurance emerged as a product.

Cover	What It Pays	Key Catch
Standard auto policy	Road accidents	Commonly excludes track, racing surface and HPDE use
Per-event HPDE policy	Damage to your car on track and in the paddock	Not liability; some makes ineligible with Hagerty
Annual non-competitive track policy	Track use across the year	Terms and exclusions vary by insurer
Off-track cover	A non-licensed track car in storage and transit	Lockton does not cover wheel-to-wheel racing

How Much Does It Cost?

Speed Secrets quotes Lockton’s program head: premiums depend on vehicle value, deductible, track and event organizer, and typically fall between $190 and $230 per event for a $30,000 car, $370 and $410 for a $60,000 car and $560 and $600 for a $90,000 car. NASA Speed News reported a $165 weekend cost at one set of tracks. Rennlist says packages of 6, 9 or 12 days can lower the per-day cost. As an illustration, not a quote, those Lockton figures work out to about 0.6% to 0.8% of the car’s value per event, which is below the roughly 1% Confused.com cites in the UK.

What Does It Cover and Not Cover?

Rennlist notes track day policies typically pay agreed value, including modifications, much like collector car insurance. It also stresses that these policies generally do not cover liability if another competitor sues you, and that the only liability you typically bear at a track day is damage to facilities such as a guardrail or tire barrier. Lockton says it does not cover wheel-to-wheel racing, but covers modifications in an HPDE or time trial crash and offers off-track insurance for non-licensed cars. Confused.com adds that a standard policy may not cover your track car on the road either.

Is It Worth Buying?

Speed Secrets quotes Lockton’s program head saying the decision is no different from any other insurance decision: value may be low for a cheap, dedicated track car owned by someone with a healthy bank account, and high if you have a loan or use the same car as your primary vehicle away from the track.

What Should You Check Before Buying?

Eligibility: Hagerty excludes Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren makes from its HPDE policy
Event type: HPDE and time trial are covered by some policies, wheel-to-wheel racing is not
Value basis: confirm agreed value includes your modifications
Deductible: it changes the premium and your out-of-pocket cost
Liability: understand that other drivers’ claims and track damage may fall outside the policy

How Does This Connect to Other Vehicle Cover?

Track cars often share traits with collector vehicles, covered in Classic Car Insurance Explained. For loans on a performance car, see Gap Insurance Explained, and for liability above your base limits read Umbrella Insurance Explained. Other recreational vehicles are covered in ATV and UTV Insurance Explained.

FAQ

Does my auto insurance cover track days?

Hagerty says most standard policies do not, because insurers added track and racing exclusions.

How much does track day insurance cost?

Lockton’s program head quoted $190 to $230 per event for a $30,000 car and $560 to $600 for a $90,000 car.

Does it cover liability?

Typically no; it covers damage to your own car.

Is wheel-to-wheel racing covered?

Not by Lockton’s HPDE policy.

Can I insure a Ferrari?

Hagerty’s HPDE policy excludes Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren makes.

Is there an annual option?

Hagerty offers an annual non-competitive track policy.

Are modifications covered?

Lockton says it covers the cost of the car and its modifications after an HPDE or time trial crash.

Glossary

HPDE: high performance driver education, a non-competitive track event.
Time trial: a timed lap event, not wheel-to-wheel racing.
Agreed value: a value set in advance for payout.
Paddock: the track’s pit and parking area.
Off-track cover: insurance for the car when not on the circuit.

Sources

Hagerty: Track Day Insurance FAQs (exclusions, RLI, ineligible makes, annual policy)
Speed Secrets: How Much Does Track Day Insurance Cost and Is It Worth It? (cost per event, value reasoning)
NASA Speed News: On Track and Insured (origins, $165 weekend, wheel-to-wheel)
BimmerLife: Track Day Insurance From Lockton Motorsports (what the policy covers)
Atlanta Motorsports Park: Getting Track Day Insurance for Your Car (racing facility exclusion, $150,000 limit)
Rennlist: What to Know About Track Insurance (liability, agreed value, packages)
Confused.com: Race Car Insurance (UK 1% of value, from 60 pounds)

Published October 2026. Prices and plan terms vary by insurer and change often; always read the event definitions, exclusions and liability terms, and refresh this article periodically. Some sources are insurance sellers, so compare independently.

Celebrity Coverage