Drive by noise limits
Discussion
Morning all
I’m intending to do some racing this year in the 750MC in RGB, bought a second hand Spire before Christmas and have been doing some bits on it over winter to get it ready (documented on a readers cars thread).
The first race is Donny toward the end of March and as such I’m desperate to get out in the car beforehand. Not necessarily too bothered about it being at Donny, mainly just to make sure if there’s any problems or things I’m generally not liking I can sort them before the race weekend and obviously to give me a chance to see how it drives first - jumping in at the deep end somewhat!
I was either going to take it to Oulton with that being my most local or Donny for obvious reasons. Main issue here is the noise limits - I’m having a longer can made with a removable baffle so I’m quite confident the static test will be no bother which is 105db at Oulton - but the drive by is 92db!
Now on the face of it that sounds very quiet but from reading up I’ve found more people complaining that Donny is actually worse (no static and 98db drive by).
So what’s the score, is it measured from further away at Oulton and therefore not comparable? I’ve read a few stories of people passing at Oulton no bother and not pinging any of the drive by meters only to fail miserably at Donny at what, on the face of it at least, should be easier to pass?
If anyone has any info that would be great, also before anyone says, test days are not on good dates for me and are ludicrously expensive so I really need to try and get the thing on a general TD.
Cheers
I’m intending to do some racing this year in the 750MC in RGB, bought a second hand Spire before Christmas and have been doing some bits on it over winter to get it ready (documented on a readers cars thread).
The first race is Donny toward the end of March and as such I’m desperate to get out in the car beforehand. Not necessarily too bothered about it being at Donny, mainly just to make sure if there’s any problems or things I’m generally not liking I can sort them before the race weekend and obviously to give me a chance to see how it drives first - jumping in at the deep end somewhat!
I was either going to take it to Oulton with that being my most local or Donny for obvious reasons. Main issue here is the noise limits - I’m having a longer can made with a removable baffle so I’m quite confident the static test will be no bother which is 105db at Oulton - but the drive by is 92db!
Now on the face of it that sounds very quiet but from reading up I’ve found more people complaining that Donny is actually worse (no static and 98db drive by).
So what’s the score, is it measured from further away at Oulton and therefore not comparable? I’ve read a few stories of people passing at Oulton no bother and not pinging any of the drive by meters only to fail miserably at Donny at what, on the face of it at least, should be easier to pass?
If anyone has any info that would be great, also before anyone says, test days are not on good dates for me and are ludicrously expensive so I really need to try and get the thing on a general TD.
Cheers
I have no specific experience of noise issues at either being as I have always been well silenced & in different cars to yours but in general if you ask around (cue other replies on here) you will get to know where the drive-by is & just back off slightly/short shift at that point, your time losses over the lap (which you aren't taking anyway as it is a TD) will be virtually un-measurable.
As I said in my opening post the test days are not on particularly convenient dates and they’re about 3x the price of a general TD.
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 14th January 21:36
Yazza54 said:
As I said in my opening post the test days are not on particularly convenient dates and they’re about 3x the price of a general TD.
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
I've passed the static at Oulton then been black flagged for noise when on track. But shifting up 500 rpm earlier sorted it, so if you do trigger the drive by, it's not the end of the world.Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 14th January 21:36
CrutyRammers said:
Yazza54 said:
As I said in my opening post the test days are not on particularly convenient dates and they’re about 3x the price of a general TD.
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
I've passed the static at Oulton then been black flagged for noise when on track. But shifting up 500 rpm earlier sorted it, so if you do trigger the drive by, it's not the end of the world.Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 14th January 21:36
As said, the noise meters at Oulton are further away from the circuit. The Donington one is much closer which is why the limit is higher.
Don`t know specifically where it is at Oulton, but I`ve always found the circuit staff to be really helpful at all circuits with drive-by. If you have a word with them before you go out, do a session then go see them, they`ll keep an eye out for you and let you know what your driveby was. Gives you a good idea if you are close to tripping it or not.
I did it at Donington recently and mine was only 88db on their driveby and that was using all the revs at full throttle down the start/finish straight.
Don`t know specifically where it is at Oulton, but I`ve always found the circuit staff to be really helpful at all circuits with drive-by. If you have a word with them before you go out, do a session then go see them, they`ll keep an eye out for you and let you know what your driveby was. Gives you a good idea if you are close to tripping it or not.
I did it at Donington recently and mine was only 88db on their driveby and that was using all the revs at full throttle down the start/finish straight.
Yazza54 said:
As I said in my opening post the test days are not on particularly convenient dates and they’re about 3x the price of a general TD.
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
As people have said, I wouldn't worry too much about the differences in drive-by for most circuits. Static tests are comparable, drive-by aren't. Have you decided where to run your first test? I'm just completing the refurb of a Contour which I'll be running in RGB this year too. Happy to meet up for a test/track day.Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 14th January 21:36
SoftwareSorcerer said:
Yazza54 said:
As I said in my opening post the test days are not on particularly convenient dates and they’re about 3x the price of a general TD.
Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
As people have said, I wouldn't worry too much about the differences in drive-by for most circuits. Static tests are comparable, drive-by aren't. Have you decided where to run your first test? I'm just completing the refurb of a Contour which I'll be running in RGB this year too. Happy to meet up for a test/track day.Reading up the general consensus is that at Oulton at least, if you pass the static you should be OK. I’ll throw my new can on in the week and do a test with and without the baffle. Pretty confident about the static was just worried about the drive by with it being such a seemingly low figure, but again as I’ve researched the figures for drive by are not comparable from track to track.
Think I’ll just have to give it a crack. When I was at Oulton doing my ARDS there was a proper Audi R8 race car amongst some other tasty stuff that you could hear half way round the track and no one batted an eyelid!
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 14th January 21:36
SoftwareSorcerer said:
I've run my ADR (up for sale on PH, btw) on track days at Donington many times. Absolutely no issues with noise, and it's as loud as the Contour. Can you get a static reading on your Spire?
Might get a chance to have a go over the weekend, waiting for a noise meter to arrive. What kind of exhaust did your ADR have? I know your contour has a large rear mounted silencer ... mines completely different with a short side exit system and 16.5 inch motorcycle can. I’ve got a few different DB killers to try but just concerns me with all the stories I’ve heard about them being so strict on noise there.Edited by Yazza54 on Friday 19th January 15:36
Yazza54 said:
SoftwareSorcerer said:
I've run my ADR (up for sale on PH, btw) on track days at Donington many times. Absolutely no issues with noise, and it's as loud as the Contour. Can you get a static reading on your Spire?
Might get a chance to have a go over the weekend, waiting for a noise meter to arrive. What kind of exhaust did your ADR have? I know your contour has a large rear mounted silencer ... mines completely different with a short side exist system and 16.5 inch motorcycle can. I’ve got a few different DB killers to try but just concerns me with all the stories I’ve heard about them being so strict on noise there.
I didn’t trip the drive by at Donington when my car was 105dB static. decatted 5 litre TVR V8.
And at Bedford, another MSV track like Oulton, I failed the static at 103dB despite extra bolt on cans, but was allowed on when a GT3 Porsche also registered 103.5. We both didn’t trip the drive by, which was set at 87.5 dB. So I wouldn’t be too worried about drive by tests. You can always change up before passing the meters if you are worried
And at Bedford, another MSV track like Oulton, I failed the static at 103dB despite extra bolt on cans, but was allowed on when a GT3 Porsche also registered 103.5. We both didn’t trip the drive by, which was set at 87.5 dB. So I wouldn’t be too worried about drive by tests. You can always change up before passing the meters if you are worried
Go get it static tested before you book. Just find a circuit near you with a track day on, call them in advance to arrange, and then rock up just after the start, after everyone has been tested. They are keen to get you on track, so tend to want to help. It’s no big deal to them to get the meter out again. All MSV circuits seem to use the same type of meter.
Bedford do their tests in the middle of nowhere on the way into the circuit, but right by a couple of small buildings. I always struggled with their test, and it is worse if it’s a damp murky morning.
Bedford do their tests in the middle of nowhere on the way into the circuit, but right by a couple of small buildings. I always struggled with their test, and it is worse if it’s a damp murky morning.
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