Wait, you guys insure NASCAR?
NASCAR? Okay, not really. But we LOVE cars. We built this business on writing auto insurance, and we write garage insurance for auto dealers, auto body shops and mechanics better than just about anyone in the business. So we know something about insuring cars.
But what if you had a stock car, just like one of the NASCAR racers that you cheer on all year?
What if you pulled up to your friend’s cook out and jumped out the window of your slick Ford Mustang race car to the shock and amazement (and a healthy serving of jealousy) from your buddies?
Are we crazy? Sure, but we want to be the first to answer this (impossible) question. Besides, what’s that old saying?
All rights Colombia Pictures. Don’t sue us, guys.
But how would you do it? Is there even an insurance company that would cover your NASCAR car?
Turns out yeah, there is.
We reached out to our good friends at National General Insurance and asked them about it. They do auto insurance better than just about anyone in the industry, and are one of our oldest partners in protecting your cars and trucks.
So what did they say?
- You’re crazy.
- You’re not serious, right?
- You’re crazy.
- I mean, yeah, we can do it. But…
- You’re crazy.
So yes, they can do it. And yes, we are crazy.
BUT LET’S SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO INSURE A RACE CAR ISN’T THAT COOL?!
“And John Jackson in the Alliance Insurance car is dead last.”
Insuring the Value of the Car
As you probably know, NASCAR vehicles are expensive. They are basically 100% custom made, and by basically I mean they don’t make their own nuts and bolts but the rest is put together by hand.
The engine is the most important part of this automotive work of art. According to How Stuff Works, “The total cost of these engines, which take more than 100 hours to build, is anywhere between $45,000 and $80,000 [source: Martin, Hendrick Motorsports].”
So the average race car engine costs more than the car you drive to work. Try not to think too much about that.
The tires for these vehicles are also special, with Goodyear saying that they are made to withstand “2-3 Gs in the turns,” and “4,000 pounds of load” on the right tire when cornering. Each 11 inch wide tire costs between $300-500.
The body of the car is also custom made to be as light and safe as possible. Check out this video about the chassis and see how design affects safety. It’s from 2017 but it’s still relevant today.
But if you wanted to buy one, even used it could vary wildly in price, from $500 for a busted up, old model to $100,000 for pretty much the real deal, ready to go. Check out this site for examples.
All in all you’re looking at $150,000 for a fair estimate of value. That’s roughly the equivalent of a new Bentley Bentayga (starting at $167,725).
SIDE NOTE – But it doesn’t hold a candle to a brand new Lamborghini or a Ferrari. A Ferrari 488GTB will set you back $256,550 on average, while a Lambo Aventador will take you to the cleaners for $421,145! Formula One doesn’t look so bad now, does it?
So now we know the value of the vehicle we are going to be insuring. That’s the physical damage protection, or Comp & Collision if you are solely responsible for the accident that damages the car.
Now let’s look at liability.
Hey! Slow down! That’s expensive!
Insuring the Liability of the Car
“Liability”, as we say in our Ultimate Guide to Auto Insurance, “pays for the damage you do to someone else in an auto accident.”
While most liability rates come from your location (different areas have different numbers of drivers on the road or higher numbers of accidents reported), and your own personal history (past accidents and tickets), there is another factor.
You will be driving a car that can go 200 miles per hour. It is DESIGNED to go that fast. The faster and more dangerous a car, the higher the risk factor.
That’s simple enough to understand, right? We all know someone who hit another car in a parking lot when they were going 10 miles an hour. Imagine hitting something at 100 mph. Or 200!
Those speeds usually end up in fatalities.
And, as I’ve said in my blog on Auto Liability, “The worst case scenario, ending someone’s life in a car accident, is the most expensive, with an average cost of over $1 Million dollars for each fatality.”
Any accident can result in a lawsuit. But accidents where someone is killed are very likely to have someone suing the responsible person.
Liability protects you from harm you do to others – AND lawsuits that others bring to you as a result of those accidents.
The bottom line is that it is going to be very, very expensive to insure the liability for your NASCAR car.
If you bump me you’re paying for the paint job!
The Real Cost of Insuring Your NASCAR Car
So here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.
According to our friends at National General, insuring your NASCAR car for a year is… $9,000!
Nine thousand dollars to protect your car, yourself, and others on the road – all with you behind the wheel of your very own NASCAR stock car.
I have give a huge hand to National General. I honestly expected it would be much worse, but they got back to me in no time with a real, honest to God quote for this car.
A 2020 Ford Fusion NASCAR stock car. Insured for $9,000 a year. Full coverage.
So there you have it. If you can figure out how to get one of these and drive it around legally, give us a call. We’ll make sure you’re covered.
And if you’re driving, well, anything at all in the meantime, give us a call anyway. We do auto insurance better than anyone, and in a way that makes sure you’re protected. So why not get a quote and see what we can do for you?
Click below and let’s get moving.
Click me.