So the unthinkable happened last Thursday during TNiA. Coming out of turn 3 in Heartland Park, I hugged the inside curb a little too closely. The rear end kicked out, I thought I could recover, as it wasn't a snap oversteer situation. Since I was so close to the inside of the turn, the rear end pushed the front wheels in to the grass and at that point, there was no countersteering to save it. I stepped hard on the brakes to slow the car down. I could have hit the concrete barrier at 60 or 70, but it slowed down enough to hit at 40. Car was set to Race 1/Track Mode. Front tire pressures were at 37 psi and rears were 35 psi. It was poor line choice on my part, as well as pushing hard when I should have backed off because I felt that the tires were getting greasy. I reviewed the PDR and I can somewhat confirm my theory on how and why it happened.
There was a black CT5V Blackwing just behind me who may be a member in this forum and could perhaps shed some light on what he saw.
I was having a great time driving the car on track, and then in the blink of an eye, wreck. The car is insured through Hagerty/RLI. Their deductibles are very high, but I insured enough to financially cover the vehicle in the event of a total loss. Always get track insurance. No exceptions. If you can't afford track insurance, you can't afford to track your car. If you can't afford the 10 or 15% deductible for track insurance, you can't afford to track your car. Simple as that. But if it were going to be repaired, I would be on the hook for 15% of the insured value, which is no small amount. I have the money, but it'll hurt the wallet. I am physically fine, though there is a Cadillac shaped welt on my left had from when the steering wheel airbag deployed. Slapped me right on the hand for my terrible driving. The safety systems worked, and I walked away. Didn't even feel sore the following day.
The car is now being assessed in Eveland Brothers Collision Center in Merriam, KS. Probably the best and most expensive collision center in this region. They work on Porsches, MBs, exotics, and other high dollar cars. They also happen to be a certified GM collision repair center, so they know what they're doing. I've used their services many years ago, and I couldn't even tell that said car was ever in an accident. I told my collision center agent to spare no expense with this estimate, since I'm on the hook for so much if it is repairable. If there's so much as a scratch, replace it.
Damage is pretty severe, as you can see. Front end is toast. No leaking liquids due to how far back the radiators are mounted which is good. The radiator/AC condenser got pushed back slightly. I never bothered to restart the engine. Underneath, I can see a broken LCA on the passenger side. Passenger side rear quarter panel is in rough shape. Will likely need a cut and weld and blending of paint. Rear bumper is toast, as is the passenger side tail light. Exhaust tip is scratched. Passenger side wheels are gashed deep, and the front tire is toast. Rear is questionable. All airbags deployed, no glass, roof, or pillar damage from the naked eye. The body panels seem to all line up just fine. Obviously, I don't have the expensive tools to measure frame straightness, nor have I been able to see underneath.
My guess is that it'll cost anywhere between $35-$45K to repair. Due to Missouri's 80% total loss law, there is a good chance it could be repairable, since it's insured for agreed value rather than market or cash value. Barring some sort of unrepairable frame or unibody damage, I can see the body shop and Hagerty/RLI pushing to repair it, because this is good money for the body shop, and insurance is gonna want to pay the least amount. I insured it for how much I owe on it, plus 15%, which would cover the deductible in the event of a total loss. Repair bill needs to reach well above $55k to have any hope of it being totaled.
Stand by for pictures.
There was a black CT5V Blackwing just behind me who may be a member in this forum and could perhaps shed some light on what he saw.
I was having a great time driving the car on track, and then in the blink of an eye, wreck. The car is insured through Hagerty/RLI. Their deductibles are very high, but I insured enough to financially cover the vehicle in the event of a total loss. Always get track insurance. No exceptions. If you can't afford track insurance, you can't afford to track your car. If you can't afford the 10 or 15% deductible for track insurance, you can't afford to track your car. Simple as that. But if it were going to be repaired, I would be on the hook for 15% of the insured value, which is no small amount. I have the money, but it'll hurt the wallet. I am physically fine, though there is a Cadillac shaped welt on my left had from when the steering wheel airbag deployed. Slapped me right on the hand for my terrible driving. The safety systems worked, and I walked away. Didn't even feel sore the following day.
The car is now being assessed in Eveland Brothers Collision Center in Merriam, KS. Probably the best and most expensive collision center in this region. They work on Porsches, MBs, exotics, and other high dollar cars. They also happen to be a certified GM collision repair center, so they know what they're doing. I've used their services many years ago, and I couldn't even tell that said car was ever in an accident. I told my collision center agent to spare no expense with this estimate, since I'm on the hook for so much if it is repairable. If there's so much as a scratch, replace it.
Damage is pretty severe, as you can see. Front end is toast. No leaking liquids due to how far back the radiators are mounted which is good. The radiator/AC condenser got pushed back slightly. I never bothered to restart the engine. Underneath, I can see a broken LCA on the passenger side. Passenger side rear quarter panel is in rough shape. Will likely need a cut and weld and blending of paint. Rear bumper is toast, as is the passenger side tail light. Exhaust tip is scratched. Passenger side wheels are gashed deep, and the front tire is toast. Rear is questionable. All airbags deployed, no glass, roof, or pillar damage from the naked eye. The body panels seem to all line up just fine. Obviously, I don't have the expensive tools to measure frame straightness, nor have I been able to see underneath.
My guess is that it'll cost anywhere between $35-$45K to repair. Due to Missouri's 80% total loss law, there is a good chance it could be repairable, since it's insured for agreed value rather than market or cash value. Barring some sort of unrepairable frame or unibody damage, I can see the body shop and Hagerty/RLI pushing to repair it, because this is good money for the body shop, and insurance is gonna want to pay the least amount. I insured it for how much I owe on it, plus 15%, which would cover the deductible in the event of a total loss. Repair bill needs to reach well above $55k to have any hope of it being totaled.
Stand by for pictures.
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