I assume many if not most Prime members/NSX owners have 6 (or greater) figure incomes
LOL. Other than a few Doctors.. I think that assumption would be mistaken. I'm sure the NSX vendors wish the NSX guys were like the F-car guys thou, I've heard of one F430 guy just last week buying 4 new OEM wheels at MSRP, chunk down 13K and not even blink an eye about it- service first. NSX Club? Right.. after the NSXCA discount they will be asking you to pay for shipping.
Most sales are second hand early models, with few ever seeing sticker on late models. Relatively, the NSX is a very affordable platform right now. Still, I think you would be hard pressed to find all that many 30K and under cars at area track events... I frequently see cars valued higher like newer BMW sedans and what not. I know six figures in many urban areas isn't what it used to be anyway, but as a matter of best guess I'd shoot for less. Most attendees are definitely there, to borrow a line from Tom... on a wing and a prayer... and losing a 30-50 grand plus asset will be a really big deal for them, as it would be for the vast majority of car enthusiasts from any car club. Others are most definitely welcome to their contrary opinions on this detail- but never lose sight of how many are there with their spiffy new car for the first time just to try something new. Novice groups get packed.
Thus, here are my options:
1.
Sell the NSX and get another car to track, such as an old 911 ($10K or so)(issues: maintenance on 15-20 year old Porsche???);
2.
Keep the NSX and get a Miata to track ($2-5K) (issues: (a) risk major spousal issues because then I'd have 3 cars and I'm keeping my daily driver (CTS-V) and (b) I have no place to store the Miata);
3.
Keep and continue to track the NSX just trying to be as reasonably careful as I can be; or
4.
Keep the NSX and don't track it or anything else because I'm afraid of my own shadow...
By the way, anyone know whether a forward facing child seat can fit in the back seat of an old 911 without having to move the front seat all the way forward? If so, that'd be kinda cool to be able to take my wife and daughter for Sunday drives....
IMHO, not an option you should ever have to consider. I am of the opinion that with a combination of good facilities, proper staffing, common sense, and a take no BS track master things get done right.. everyone has fun and takes their rides home in one piece. Does that mean that accidents cannot happen? They are rare, but absolutely not.
Could the car in front of you dump fluids? Could your engine catch fire or wheel studs fail? Could someone put a wheel off and roll over? Could a rare group mis-match happen whereas a veteran spooks a novice in his run-group and contributes to an incident unknowingly? The answer to all is yes, and they have.
However... could shelves fall off the back of a truck and kill someone? Could an elderly drive run a red light and crack your head open with their shiny chrome bumper as you have right of way? Could an impaired driver cross the center line in a blink of an eye causing you to check-out? Could a moron on his PDA slam into you? Again, sure, and they do everyday.
For everyone, it is a high stakes game of risks management, and some play the game better than others.
So far as I am aware, underwriters have nothing to go on. There is no statistic clearing house for DE driving or open lapping days. So, none of us really know what the facts are or are not. This is all relatively new, and I have heard the ripple with track enthusiasts as things have been changing lately.
I think it is very wishful thinking to depend on generalist policies to cover on-track incidents. However, policies state what they do, and you get the coverage that you pay for. If they do not specifically exclude it, then coverage is implied and they should cover it and drop you in good faith. Not happy with your provider's updated policies? Move on. As demand ramps up, hopefully more options will emerge lest otherwise perhaps demand will surge for Miatas or carting.
However, I think it would be horrible for track and driving enthusiasts to get lumped into the category of storm chasers. As many of us know.. there is perception and then there is reality. Many of us have years of events with no problems- doing what we do best.. having fun and bringing our cars home in one piece.
It's a passion with genuine stakes, and it is inherently an environment where there is no room for mistakes. It is one of the only sports that you put everything on the line. Those whom are not critical thinkers and do not consider all the variables out there won't last long. I'll provide an example.
It was pouring down rain in miserable conditions at the last Audi day last year with hydaulic fluid scattered.. the slowest paced lapping day ever at PIR.. and and some driver approached me and hassled me for let-bys and not 'pushing it harder on the back section'. Ok, mind you, I'm hitting 39mph in the corners and 89-91mph on non-directional dry tires in a ME RWD car over wet leaves in a car that cost four times as much as his.. mind you without stability control systems, AWD, or F1GSD3's to save my butt. Every time his ESP light came on I would have been in the grass. Interesting day for egos. I immediately replied, "Ok, well perhaps I just value my ride more than you do because any pro team manager will tell you that racing in the rain just costs cubic dollars, and I didn't fax in my coverage form in advance for this event" and walked away- ego well intact.
My point being, judgments aren't always made in the drivers seat- they start when you sign the waiver at the gate. You put your expensive 50, 75, or 100 grand sports or race car on a race track in an environment that is "everyone for themselves" and you better be re-assessing all the details all the time making good decisions every second. As Alan mentioned, that's why the used NSX sounds a lot better than the GT2 for his purposes- not everything is about performance. Would you take your NSX to a demolition derby or care if someone in a SCCA spec miata traded paint with you? I think so.
The best verb age I've ever heard ushered at a track meeting was BE PREDICTABLE. You get guys stopping at corner worker stations on blind corners or doing something genuinely stupid out there and the risks begins to multiply exponentially for everyone.. and there are already too many things that can't be controlled. I probably bumped myself between run-groups a handful of times this year because I thought there was an idiot in my group. It's not like you are always out there with pro drivers be aware.
So, the best I can offer is make good decisions, starting at the gate. For some, that live their lives in the safety zone... this very well might mean not showing up with hardware as expensive as an NSX until more progress is made in this area, or getting something more affordable like a Formula Ford or Spec Miata.
I can promise you one thing, things are changing over the next several years.. and quite likely the days of paying a few hundred bucks a quarter will soon be long over. You want full stated value coverage out there.. on a six figure sports car on a race track.. it is going to cost you big... no different than it does at any other pro racing avenue. You also need to do your research, and make sure your cashiers check is going to a legit company as most of the specialty track insurance providers in this area have either backed out very quickly after a year or two or turned out to be vapor ware.
So what could they possibly be thinking? 
