Sound level , & other limitations at the track, is it killing the racing we love ?

[archimedes00]

This all started to come out on this thread ,
DIFFERENT ANTI-LAG SETUP .. Looking for Opinions

So to try and do the right thing, I am continuing the conversation HERE as it seems a valid subject worth discussing.

I recently have contacted Judy Varley ( Operations/Track Rental Coordinator ) at Laguna Seca Raceway about the Db level limitations at the track. The info looks like this...

1. Unlimited Sound – Major Race days and SCRAMP Race Promotions and Press days.

2. 90-103 dBa – Minor Events/SCCA

3. 90 dBa – Monterey County Park Events

4. 85 dBa – Skip Barber Racing School days

5. 105 dBa – Testing (Motorcycle and Auto Teams)

6. 92 dBa – Club Events and Motorcycle Schools (*)

7. 90 dBa – Ride & Drives and Commercials

8. 90 dBa – Other Track Rentals

(*) = The only posting ON the site ( Laguna Seca ) listed.
Thanks to Judy at LS for the information above.

To give you an idea of comparable sound levels .

(1) 140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine

(2) 130 dB = A NASCAR Winston Cup race car at full throttle,
140+ if you include all the other cars.

(3) 120 dB = jet plane take-off, amplified rock music at 4-6 ft.

(4) 100 dB = Subaru World Rally Car at IDLE .

(5) 90 dB = lawnmower

(6) 86 Db = Stock STi running at mid/high rpm.

How do you feel about sound and other restrictions starting to choke the racing world ?

[mosc]

I'm torn... I partly agree with you but also I don't mind things like restrictor plates and other restrictions on competition cars. I think it promotes ingenuity and technological advancement to make going around the track more complicated.

Also, A street car is never going to be that loud. Really it's just forcing racing shops to make vehicles that are closer to the street which I don't see as all bad.

I mean, I agree all this can be taken too far but having racing limits in the same ballpark as street limits seems reasonable.

[pzr2874]

I think 90db is a little low as most wrx's are at least that. I would hate to go all the way there just to be told ..... sorry.. .can't compete. They need to at least move the #'s up a little. I mean... not every company makes a silencer for christ sake.

[Black05WRX]

Its why we have tracks so we can do things we cant do on the street, so why make it like the street?

[Nose Nuggets]

aw man i cant remember the exact reason now. i think there are a couple residences over the hill. then there is also all the trailer parking scattered around. you will pass a couple rv camp grounds on your way up A road, its literally 100 feet from 5.

what you have to realize is its not just a race track, its a park. Laguna Seca is owned by the Park Service. There is not nearly enough revenue generated by the track alone to warrant the removal of all the park services, nor would it be adventagious for the state or the Park Service to do so.

the current setup is merely a compromise. it would be worthless as a race track to enforce these limits during high profile race weekends as no one would be willing to race there and the revenue generated from high profile race weekends probably accounts for 80%+ of the racetracks yearly revenue. providing the track to the public through organized car clubs and the skip barber racing school comes with the cost of allowing the other patrons of the park a reasonable level of peace and quiet during scheduled hours.

skip barber achieves this by using a SuperTrap system on all the race cars with adjustable baffles. when the cars get shipped or traded to the other SBRS tracks and crews the CA set SuperTraps stay here and the SuperTraps from other tracks are used there. its a real pain in the ass because all the cars need to be evenly matched within reason for a race weekend and the adjustment of the baffles changes the cars acceleration/top speed characteristics and thus changes the base lap time of the car.

what SCRAMP probably DIDNT tell you is the booth that monitors sound is at the exit of turn 5 on the right hand side. so, if you install a extra bit of exhaust pipe that dumps to the left you can knock a considerable amount of noise off. its not as though some SCRAMP official walks pit-lane with a DB meter.

hope that helps.

[baller_v24]

racing should be loud period, and only restricted by performance class, definetely not by sound. if it's too loud for those residents nearby, they should move. it's like people complaining about living next to an airport. move, if you dont like it. problem fixed. i think it's dumb, but good thing the road course near where i live is in a fairly small town and not too many residential houses nearby.

[Nose Nuggets]

it was a park LOOONNNNNGGGGG before it was a race track.

and if you dont like the restrictions, dont race there. its just as simple for you, as for them, except you dont have to go find a new house, and sell your current house, and move all your shit. you just, dont have to go. see? fixed!

[03 CrazyTaxi]

True, not going is simpler than the locals moving. However, the track does provide an outlet for the people who want to race. If they can't race at a track, they are going to take it to the street. Which would the residents rather have? Noise or dangerous streets.

[Nose Nuggets]

its been my experience that people who want to race on the streets are going to race on the streets. regardless of track availability.