Track days - engine noise
Discussion
Hi everyone
Apologies for my total ignorance but I know absolutely nothing about cars. My boyfriend is a huge car enthusiast and for his birthday I want to book him a track day through Javelin at Donnington.
He has a Porsche Carrera from 2010 which hasn't been altered in anyway.
javelin have told me that the course has a noise limit of 98dba and if you fail, you can't drive and it's not refundable.
His birthday isn't until August but I want to book now so that it doesn't fill up and I have absolutely NO idea if the engine of his car will be too noisey. Being turned away would be the worst birthday and it's 250 pounds! (Just think of all the dresses this could be!)
Does anyone have any idea if his car may fail? I don't know if I'm asking an impossible to answer question as the man at javelin had no clue.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Apologies for my total ignorance but I know absolutely nothing about cars. My boyfriend is a huge car enthusiast and for his birthday I want to book him a track day through Javelin at Donnington.
He has a Porsche Carrera from 2010 which hasn't been altered in anyway.
javelin have told me that the course has a noise limit of 98dba and if you fail, you can't drive and it's not refundable.
His birthday isn't until August but I want to book now so that it doesn't fill up and I have absolutely NO idea if the engine of his car will be too noisey. Being turned away would be the worst birthday and it's 250 pounds! (Just think of all the dresses this could be!)
Does anyone have any idea if his car may fail? I don't know if I'm asking an impossible to answer question as the man at javelin had no clue.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
This interested me and after some googling ...
Under EU Directive 92/97, a new car has to be below 74dB(A) - although this is tested by "driving the vehicle into the test area at a speed of 50 km/hr and then accelerating at full throttle through it past a microphone." How this related to full throttle at 100+ mph...
In practice, I would expect any car able to pass EU type approval to be fine for a track day.
You could always phone your local Porsche dealer - it won't help of course...
Under EU Directive 92/97, a new car has to be below 74dB(A) - although this is tested by "driving the vehicle into the test area at a speed of 50 km/hr and then accelerating at full throttle through it past a microphone." How this related to full throttle at 100+ mph...
In practice, I would expect any car able to pass EU type approval to be fine for a track day.
You could always phone your local Porsche dealer - it won't help of course...
I'm sorry, balls-out, but your comments about the EU passby testing bear no relevance and are a little misleading. That test is different in every way to a circuit noise test, and the results from one will tell you absolutely nothing about the other. Many cars that pass the type approval will read well over 98dBA in a circuit noise test.
I know that some 911 GT3s have encountered problems at quieter days like 98dBA, I haven't heard such stories from normal Carrera owners so my gut feeling is that the car would be OK. The dealer will be no help to you, and nor to be honest is anecdotal experience on forums because individual cars do differ.
Are you able to use the car without his knowledge? If so, by far the best approach is to pop along to Donington on the morning of a track day and ask the marshals to noise test the car and tell you the results. They won't charge any fee for this, plenty of people with noisy cars do it to try and get a gauge of how close they are to the limits. Take a look at the calendar on Donington's website to see when the next track day is, if you get down there for around 8am they'll be testing lots of cars before the start of the day.
Atmospheric conditions play some part in the reading, but so long as you're 96 or below you should be safe whatever happens.
Some people may advise using a smartphone app to measure the car yourself. Apart from being physically difficult without someone to help you, I do not advise this, as they can be woefully inaccurate. There's no substitute for getting a proper measurement at the circuit.
I know that some 911 GT3s have encountered problems at quieter days like 98dBA, I haven't heard such stories from normal Carrera owners so my gut feeling is that the car would be OK. The dealer will be no help to you, and nor to be honest is anecdotal experience on forums because individual cars do differ.
Are you able to use the car without his knowledge? If so, by far the best approach is to pop along to Donington on the morning of a track day and ask the marshals to noise test the car and tell you the results. They won't charge any fee for this, plenty of people with noisy cars do it to try and get a gauge of how close they are to the limits. Take a look at the calendar on Donington's website to see when the next track day is, if you get down there for around 8am they'll be testing lots of cars before the start of the day.
Atmospheric conditions play some part in the reading, but so long as you're 96 or below you should be safe whatever happens.
Some people may advise using a smartphone app to measure the car yourself. Apart from being physically difficult without someone to help you, I do not advise this, as they can be woefully inaccurate. There's no substitute for getting a proper measurement at the circuit.
The above advice about trying it out is good, and is also applicable to ANY track day anywhere in the country if another is closer/dates fit better.
Alternatively you could see if anyone on here has a noise meter that lives near you, I have one & am in the Leeds area if that is any use.
Alternatively you could see if anyone on here has a noise meter that lives near you, I have one & am in the Leeds area if that is any use.
Thank you everyone for the replies
I'm not insured on his car so I can't really drive it. The one time I tried I couldn't get it in gear and stalled many many many times!
Malory Park is another option which has a limit of 105dba. Is it worth maybe booking that one instead or is a difference of 7dba not really worth it?
Is Mallory Park a well known track or not? I've not heard of it, then again I've only heard of Silverstone and the track days I found there were around £400 😱
I'm not insured on his car so I can't really drive it. The one time I tried I couldn't get it in gear and stalled many many many times!
Malory Park is another option which has a limit of 105dba. Is it worth maybe booking that one instead or is a difference of 7dba not really worth it?
Is Mallory Park a well known track or not? I've not heard of it, then again I've only heard of Silverstone and the track days I found there were around £400 😱
A standard Carrera will certainly not be above 105dBA, so if you're really concerned that day at Mallory would be a safe bet. They only get a few days a year that are allowed to be that loud. It's a really nice circuit, smaller than Donington and not so challenging, but also much much cheaper as it's not as well known and has never held a Formula 1 Grand Prix. As you've noticed, Silverstone is bloody expensive for being the best-known and current F1 host.
Decibels aren't a simple measurement, they're a logarithmic scale, and an increase of 10dB represents a sound ten times louder - so 105 is very much worth considering vs 98!
Decibels aren't a simple measurement, they're a logarithmic scale, and an increase of 10dB represents a sound ten times louder - so 105 is very much worth considering vs 98!
Donington has a drive by test and I don't recall ever being tested static there. My Radical is almost impossible to get through a static test anywhere, but it didn't cause any problems at Donington, so I am almost certain that you won't have any problems.
If you speak to Colin at Javelin, he will have a very good idea if similar cars have had problems and is therefore best placed to offer advice.
Anyway, any girlfriend who books a trackday for their man is a very rare creature, so whatever happens, if he doesn't buy you at least £250 worth of dresses, jewellery and an expensive holiday in return, ditch him and give me a call.
If you speak to Colin at Javelin, he will have a very good idea if similar cars have had problems and is therefore best placed to offer advice.
Anyway, any girlfriend who books a trackday for their man is a very rare creature, so whatever happens, if he doesn't buy you at least £250 worth of dresses, jewellery and an expensive holiday in return, ditch him and give me a call.
Sigmamark7 said:
Donington has a drive by test and I don't recall ever being tested static there. My Radical is almost impossible to get through a static test anywhere, but it didn't cause any problems at Donington, so I am almost certain that you won't have any problems.
If you speak to Colin at Javelin, he will have a very good idea if similar cars have had problems and is therefore best placed to offer advice.
Anyway, any girlfriend who books a trackday for their man is a very rare creature, so whatever happens, if he doesn't buy you at least £250 worth of dresses, jewellery and an expensive holiday in return, ditch him and give me a call.
Sigmamark7. I'm not sure what is going on this year but my Radical SR3 has also failed at Snett, Bedford and constantly Brands. They reported me at 111db drive by when it had been 101 the year before?! To get round it we really packed out the exhaust and stuck a 82mm baffler on it. If you also have just one pipe, get the other end cut open to disperse the noise as well. We're now at 99db. If you speak to Colin at Javelin, he will have a very good idea if similar cars have had problems and is therefore best placed to offer advice.
Anyway, any girlfriend who books a trackday for their man is a very rare creature, so whatever happens, if he doesn't buy you at least £250 worth of dresses, jewellery and an expensive holiday in return, ditch him and give me a call.
I'd be surprised if any std 911 failed a standard test, and amazed if it failed 105. 105 is deafening. You'd have to have a hole in the exhaust to fail a 105 test.
One tip - the test at the circuit is at a specific number of rpm, say 3/4 of maximum. Some people, not me of course, absolutely not m'lud, take the opportunity to tell the tester that the redline is 500rpm lower than that written in the manual. The car is tested at a lower engine speed, at which it is less noisy. Of course telling lies is naughty and I'm sure that you'd never do it, so just get your bloke to tell the scrutineer a porky.;)
One tip - the test at the circuit is at a specific number of rpm, say 3/4 of maximum. Some people, not me of course, absolutely not m'lud, take the opportunity to tell the tester that the redline is 500rpm lower than that written in the manual. The car is tested at a lower engine speed, at which it is less noisy. Of course telling lies is naughty and I'm sure that you'd never do it, so just get your bloke to tell the scrutineer a porky.;)
As risky an idea as fibbing to scrutineers generally is, every track day I've been to at Bedford they already know what the standard rev limit is and just tell me (correctly) to hold the revs that equal three-quarters of that. As we all register our cars in advance, they have plenty opportunity to check what the limiters should be on each, assuming they don't already know from seeing one previously or from their considerable experience.. I've never tried lying elsewhere, but the knowledge the guys have would put me off that idea. I suspect anyone asking your limiter is doing so to confirm, rather than actually find out.
In any case, trying to blag a car through when you know it is too noisy puts the whole circuit in jeopardy, particularly if there isn't any drive-by testing to regulate you throughout the day.
In any case, trying to blag a car through when you know it is too noisy puts the whole circuit in jeopardy, particularly if there isn't any drive-by testing to regulate you throughout the day.
OP anyone telling you go to Dony to get it tested is talking b
ks. It's a drive by test not a static so the only way to test it would be to pay the money, don a lid and drive around the track and I don't think you'll be doing that from one of your posts 
Neither would a static test help you in the slightest at any other circuit.
The Noise Manager of whom someone else spoke is called Fliss and she's lovely and may be able to help. Otherwise the suggestions of posting on the Porsche section on here is a good one.
Good luck and hope you get a correct answer.
Edited to add: thinking further I would suggest your boyfriend would enjoy a day there with Bookatrack who run plenty of dates there, and if you ring Jonny or Sarah they will do their best to help you. I used to run Lotus on Track here in the UK and BaT are my favoured TDO when I'm not doing a Lotus day.
ks. It's a drive by test not a static so the only way to test it would be to pay the money, don a lid and drive around the track and I don't think you'll be doing that from one of your posts Neither would a static test help you in the slightest at any other circuit.The Noise Manager of whom someone else spoke is called Fliss and she's lovely and may be able to help. Otherwise the suggestions of posting on the Porsche section on here is a good one.
Good luck and hope you get a correct answer.
Edited to add: thinking further I would suggest your boyfriend would enjoy a day there with Bookatrack who run plenty of dates there, and if you ring Jonny or Sarah they will do their best to help you. I used to run Lotus on Track here in the UK and BaT are my favoured TDO when I'm not doing a Lotus day.
Edited by Stephanie Plum on Wednesday 29th July 19:20
theres really no way in hell a standard porsche will fail the noise test at Donington. 98db drive by is really really loud, that'll equate to about 110db static, which is really loud
I mean for chrissakes, donington has a fricking airport next to it, which also has to abide to the 98db limit!
I mean for chrissakes, donington has a fricking airport next to it, which also has to abide to the 98db limit!
brillomaster said:
theres really no way in hell a standard porsche will fail the noise test at Donington. 98db drive by is really really loud, that'll equate to about 110db static, which is really loud
Have we established its 98db drive-by and not static as I asked this question earlier on?Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff