Driver8

We have heard that same rumor, but as far as we are aware they have not made any changes to db level from last year.

Gofishracing

Contract says 86 db. Just updated. My wife can scream louder than that. It is what it is- Perhaps Limerock is trying do discourage non members since they have it as 89 for members.

Gary R.

Where are you getting this information? 85 has never been mentioned to me and is virtually unattainable at speed, even by a street car. It was 91 on the track, 89 on the street last I heard, I hit 90 and was warned of being close this past year, but took no action and was fine.

Driver8

We have received official word from Lime Rock that all muffled PCA events in 2011 will have an 88 db limit.

If you are running with groups other then PCA I would suggest you check with them to see what their db limits are.

Aaron

Driver8

There has been a great response to this event and it is almost sold out. If you are thinking about attending, I would not wait much longer.

Thanks to everyone who has already signed up!

Gofishracing

A friend did some further historical research regarding the DB level at Limerock. The most recent update that he could find from the State on CT was 1979. Please note-soft site at 35 MPH is 90 DB. That would mean they can make the DB level lower than what the state. It's their playground.

Gary R.

* Soft site includes surfaces covered with grass or other ground cover; hard site includes concrete, asphalt, packed dirt, and gravel surfaces.


The chart above is easy enough to find, just don't know how pertinent it is to a race track as it is for public roads.

This is from the CT Regs -
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/regula...-1through7.pdf

"Sec. 22a-69-1.8. Exemptions
(e) Noise created by the use of property for purposes of
conducting speed or endurance events involving motor vehicles
shall be exempted but such exemption is effective only during
the specific period(s) of time within which such use is
authorized by the political subdivision or governmental entity
having lawful jurisdiction to sanction such use."

I read that as "the asshats that moved to Limerock and decided the track was too loud"..

Gofishracing

Yes- Limerock would be classified as Soft. Highway allowed DB levels are higher.

Gary R.

Last time I was there it was asphalt...

Gofishracing

I thought I saw you in the grass !!

Gary R.

Oh trust me, i've been in the grass a FEW times... in the woods once too!

Gofishracing

What about the Lake. ? lol

Gary R.

Never made it in there, though there was 6" of water over by the woods!

Gofishracing

Here is an update: 03/03/2011
From: Skip Barber, Georgia Blades and Scott Mayo

As you know, exhaust noise has always been an issue at Lime Rock Park. We operate under a 1959 Court Injunction that stipulates: the number of weekends (10) that we can run unmuffled; other times we aren’t restricted (Tuesday afternoons); the decibel limit for all other track days; and bans Sunday track use. There have been no changes in the injunction and we don’t anticipate any court ordered reductions in noise levels. But we have growing criticism from some of our neighbors; some of which is justified:

1. Significant manufacturers like Porsche, Mercedes (AMG), and Ferrari are building street legal cars that at high speed and full throttle are “on the edge” of our required decibel limit. Given the right atmospheric conditions they go over the edge

2. There has been a major increase in the number of small manufactures building great track cars that are too noisy “out of the box”

3. More and more of our track users have cars in these two categories

4. The Skip Barber Racing School has steadily increased its use of “noisy” Miata’s rather than relatively quiet single-seaters

5. There are a small number of SCCA race cars, mostly Porsches that turn up at multiple club events for “cheap” practice. They almost always need to “test” their “improved” exhaust systems, making too much noise in the process

For 25 years the track set a limit 1 dB level below the injunction requirement to be safe and never exceed the mandated limit, unless the exhaust system broke. Cars were checked while stationary, before going on the track, 1000 RPM below the redline, and theoretically never got on track if too loud. There was no on-track testing to check for compliance as there is now. Porsches had the most trouble complying and it was common to have a Lime Rock exhaust system.

Over the years the 1 dB margin has vanished and on-track testing has replaced stationary checking. A common scenario is that a car runs 4 or 5 laps; is too noisy; comes in to correct the problem (often with steel wool); goes out again; the steel wool blows out after a few laps and it takes a few more laps to get the car in. Then the process starts all over and by the end of the day the car has run multiple noisy laps.

And now we have more complaints.

We are going to deal with this proactively:

· We are going to reduce the total noise

· We are going to have a sound engineer calculate the total reduction

· We are going to tell the town what we have done and we are going to stick with it

We are NOT:

· Going to court to try to change the injunction

· Going to complain about the injunction

· Going to criticize the states motor vehicle laws or the measuring system

· Going to make the economic argument that the town needs a viable track – they know that

We want to stand in front of the town and say:

1. The total noise is down_____%

2. All quiet days are quieter

3. Even the biggest professional race, the American Le Mans Series, is down 2 dB

We are going away from a “one size fits all” dB limit; assigning every club a limit we think is reasonable in terms of cost, impact on performance, and effect on entries. We know “reasonable” doesn’t always mean “easy” or “cheap.” The new limit, effective immediately for your club, PCA CVR is 88 db.

The two big problem groups are the school’s Miatas and some Porsches, regardless of what club they run with. The school is fortunate – they have a new sponsor, Borla, who is building them all new complete exhaust systems. They have already tested under 83dB, their new limit at Lime Rock Park. This is a tremendous reduction – they have been running 88-89 dB, and they use the track more than 100 days each season.



Not so easy for some Porsches, so all Porsche clubs go down 1 dB; but we are going to rigidly enforce this. This 88dB limit is for non-race Porsche days – not for Porsche cars regardless of what club they are running with. So a Porsche limit would be:



88 dB Porsche Club Day

105 dB Porsche Race Day

87 dB BMW Club

86 dB PDA non-race

88 dB SCDA

88 dB Lime Rock Drivers Club

105 dB Tuesday afternoon Test & Tune

PLEASE don’t let anyone come for testing or a club day with an unchanged car that was too noisy last year. This isn’t about “beating the system” by short shifting or lifting off the throttle while being checked. This is about lending real meaning to the phrase, “We’re all in this together.”

Driver8

Registration is now closed.

Thank you to all who registered!

See you on April 8th.

Aaron B. Ambrosino
Hudson Champlain Region PCA President
president@hcp-pca.com