Motorsport UK has put in place a new Master Road Section Top-Up Insurance Policy, arranged by Kingfisher Motorsport and underwritten by First Underwriting, in a move designed to keep grassroots disciplines on the road as wider motor insurance conditions tighten.
The arrangement gives participants access to the minimum third-party cover required by law for vehicles operating on the public highway during sanctioned events.
Cover will extend to all Motorsport UK-permitted events that use the open public highway, either in full or in part, such as the road section of a stage rally.
The governing body said the policy was developed in response to shifts in the insurance market that have made cover harder to source and more expensive, with knock-on effects for grassroots disciplines including road rallying, trials and multi-venue autotests.
The strain reflects wider dynamics in motorsport underwriting, a segment shaped by concentrated appetite, high-severity exposure and context-heavy assessment that does not map onto mainstream motor models.
Specialists active in the space have noted that losses are less frequent than in road portfolios but can be significant when they occur, with one observing that insurers writing these risks have around a decade of experience and "have paid the losses."
The backdrop in mainstream motor is also unhelpful. EY's December analysis projects that UK motor insurers face a return to losses in 2026, with the net combined ratio worsening from 101% to 111%, driven by claims inflation, higher reinsurance costs and softening premiums. EY UK insurance partner Dan Beard has described it as an "increasingly challenging market."
First Underwriting is a specialist managing general agent (MGA) serving the UK market, with capacity backed by a £1 billion five-year arrangement with Accredited that was first announced in January 2022.
Kingfisher Motorsport, which sits within Kingfisher Insurance Services and is part of NSM UK, has steadily built out its motorsport book in recent years through the previously announced acquisitions of Reis Motorsport Insurance in 2023 and MIS Motorsport's commercial business in 2024.
First Underwriting is itself wholly owned by Kingfisher UK Holdings, meaning the new master policy is brooked and underwritten within a single group.
Motorsport UK chief executive Hugh Chambers said: "I am delighted that we are finally able to announce this groundbreaking scheme for the UK." He noted that concerns had mounted throughout 2025 over both availability and rising costs of top-up cover, prompting work with insurers and internal committees.
Chambers stressed that participants retain responsibility for confirming they hold adequate cover, and warned the market "remains challenging."
The cover draws on the existing event-by-event policy provided by Kingfisher and is designed to sit alongside participants' own motor insurance. Clubs will pay a surcharge on the permit fee, ranging from £25 to £60 per head, which Motorsport UK said improves on prevailing event-by-event premiums.
