Geo

I've worn ear plugs since my second season of karting (19 years ago). The only way I will go on the track w/o ear plugs is if I forget them and I haven't done that in a long long time.

One thing that may help folks get used to them is to try them at the start of a season. Seems to be easier to get used to them. I don't think ear plugs will prevent you from hearing anything you would otherwise hear - if it's loud enough to be heard over the exhaust, it will be loud enough to hear even with ear plugs.

I've found ear plugs to help concentration quite a bit. Much more comfortable.

ZAPmobile

Take it from one who has paid the price for not using ear plugs. I've been around loud race cars all my life and didn't use them, even when crewing at the Rolex 24 I didn't. I now have a large % of hearing loss and a constant ringing in my ears. It may take a number of years before you have a problem but you will. I now wear them all the time when I'm in the car. YOU SHOULD TOO.

DTFASTBEAR

The Professor got it right - wear them if for no other reason than it reduces fatigue and allows you to concentrate and focus more easily. At least, they do for me...

Dave in Chicago

I run a bone-stock exhaust (which is downright comical to hear going by) but have gone to wearing ear plugs in the enduros at a minimum. The first time a Cup car or RSR cracks off an 8k shift going uphill in front of you... WOW, my ears crackled!

I bought the top of the line model at my son's drum school the very next week. I do not feel I'm missing out on anything by wearing them.

SundayDriver

I NEVER WEAR EARPLUGS AND I HEAR JUST FINE.
I SAID THAT I HEAR JUST FINE. DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? WHAT?

Dan in Florida

I almost passed on this thread, but glad I read it. I've worn earplugs off and on when I thought of it, but now I'll make sure I wear them every in every race. Many thanks to Geo, Zapmobile, Prof Helmut and all on this thread,

Dan

RedlineMan

Hey;

Loudest car I've ever watched? The 3-rotor Mazda GTP car. It usually wasn't long before the exhaust would catch the bodywork on fire, but while it was on track is was brutal. The loudest car I've ever been on track with without question is a GT3R/S/R. Those things are just savage. My ears ring for laps after they go by.

Hearing loss, like many things, is insideous. It creeps up on you. Noise never used to bother me, but now I can't even take the sound of an air ratchet or a blow gun for long. I don't think I've suffered too much hearing loss, but my tolerance has sure changed. I carry ear plugs in my pocket, and when I'm fabricating I wear them all day!

leif997

I always wear them....have been threatened with doctors bills by more than one guy after doing the 8500 rpm fly by in the RSR......I made the mistake of putting racer's tape over them (my radio plugs) on my ears once and the sound was deafening...it was like sticking my head in a drum....just wear them...you will be thankful in the long run.

aeshultz

The Professor nailed it, as usual. Spend any time on track with rotaries, any RX-7s, etc, and you'll wear earplugs for sure. Doesn't help that I used to work in the live sound business - already lost a chunk of hearing.
And straight pipe 944s are nasty in their own way. Mine wears it's stock muffler - the way I drive, I never miss the couple of HP lost.

Greg Fishman

No doubt. I had TWO pass me at the same time during a race, as they split me I about had a code brown moment. The rest of the race I was wondering if I would have blood coming out my ears from broken ear drums...

Jase007

They're the loudest cars I've ever run with in HSR.

Especially bad when you are in a 3 hour enduro with them at Sebring. Even when waiting for my stints in the pits ... I'd put my earplugs back in and cover my ears with hands as they passed. :lol:

A second more modern candidate ... the grand-am cup mazda RX8. Ran with one at the HSR / SVRA Walter Mitty last year ... really F-ING LOUD.

A third candidate ... sidepiped '60s era mustangs and vettes. If you are racing them in a 911 ... you pass and re-pass just about every lap [they get the straights you get the corners]. End of a straight with a R turn ... you outbrake and repeatedly ... for hours on end .... get you left eardrum blown in on their blip / d-shifts.

I've raced with 964 - 996 cups for a couple of years ... IMO nowhere near as loud.

spazegun2213

This is why i love rennlist!

Thanks for everyones point of view, it looks like I'll be investing in a set of earplugs asap!

Geo

Good golly, loudest, most ear splitting car?....

Well, I've not heard the 3 rotor Mazdas, but at the 6 hours at The Glen in 79 there was this BMW (I think a 3.0 CSL IIRC) that had the most incredibly ear splitting sound. It was the only car I've ever plugged my ears for as a spectator when it went by. I thought my ears were going to bleed. It was simply unreal.

bravocharlie

I just went through this exercise a week ago. I needed ear impressions for custom ear phones for my two way radio. Any competent audiologist can do this in about 20 minutes.

While there, I had a second set of ear impressions made and ordered a set of plain ear plugs for when I'm at the track and not hooked up to my radio. If they're comfortable, you'll be more apt to wear them. Custom plugs are not that expensive and will provide better protection than the $3 variety.

MPD47

M1's make the same glorious noise in race spec. I carry ear plugs with me to most race events I spectate. I *hate* putting them in at F1 races, but after a few laps you have to.