NickHolt Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Some people have been asking about practice at Thunder Hill Raceway this week. THR will be having practice on Thursday, July 8th, from 4:00 p.m until dark. This practice is for anyone except the ROMCO teams. Driver is $20 and anyone else is $15. Grandstands are free. We will also be having practice on Friday, July 9th, from noon until dark. This practice is for anyone including the ROMCO teams. Driver is $20 and anyone else is $15. Grandstands are free. I plan on being at both sessions with the dB meters. Please be aware that THR takes dB readings both on the front straight (back 100 feet from the track in the infield) and on the back straight (about half way down the back straight behind the billboards). In order to compete at THR all cars have to pass the 96 dB test at both measurement locations. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no 24 racefan Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 what is the pupose of checking the db readings from the inside of the track the trailer park is on the outside of the track not in the infield joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted July 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 what is the pupose of checking the db readings from the inside of the track the trailer park is on the outside of the track not in the infield First, as you have correctly noted, the purpose of the 96 dB rule is to reduce the noise level at the housing area located to the north of Thunder Hill Raceway. We are not doing this for any other reason. We have been very strict in enforcing this rule since we are trying our best to keep the City of Kyle from closing us down due to the noise that originates at the track. Second, the neighbors are about a third- to a half-mile away from the track. It makes very little difference whether the cars are going down the back straight or the front straight since the track is only about 300 feet wide and the housing area is quite a distance away. That 300 feet difference between the front straight and the back straight is meaningless at that distance. We take dB readings on both the front straight (in the infield at a point 100 feet away from the edge of the track) and the on the back straight (at a point 100 feet away from the track behind the billboards). We have learned that both locations produce identical readings if the exhaust system exits under the car with a turndown pointed directly at the ground (not pointed either to the inside or the outside of the track). However, if the exhaust is pointed either towards the infield or towards the outside of the track, the readings are very different depending on whether you take the reading from the infield (front straight reading) or from outside the track (back straight reading). If a car has its exhaust exiting the car through the passenger door (or just under the passenger door) and pointing towards the outside of the track, the readings are very high at the back straight measurement location. We are likely to see readings in the 104-108 range on the back straight if this is the exhaust configuration. If a car has its exhaust exiting the car just behind the driver's door (or just under that location) and pointing towards the inside of the track, the readings are very high at the front straight measurement location. We are very likely to see readings in the 104-108 range if this is the exhaust configuration. So, if a car is able to obtain 96 dB or less at both locations, we know that car is under the noise limits. But, of course, the practical question is whether or not it makes a difference at the housing development. The answer is yes, it does make difference. The track owners have spent time over in the development on more than one occasion while races were being run at the Raceway. There is a clear increase in noise levels for cars running their exhausts out the side rather than down towards the ground. And there is a clear decrease in noise levels when cars meet the 96 dB requirements on both the front and back straight locations. This is why we take readings at both locations. I hope this was not too long and detailed an explanation, but this is an issue that is of extreme importance to Thunder Hill Raceway and to the stock car racing community. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Nick, if the reading is 96 db behind the signboards, what difference does it make if the veh. is on the front straight or the back straight? The neighbors accross the way are going to hear the 96 db or whatever it is by the time it gets to their location. No one away from the track can hear what you are hearing with your ears or the db meter on the infield because you are down in a hole. Whatever you read at the billboard is what they will hear. thanks, Mike Garrett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Be thankful,some tracks are 92db at 50ft or less.make sure thee exhaust is turned down and not just away from the meter and there should not be a problem.Nick maybe you could get the sheriff out there to write tickets to the drivers that go over,a friend of mine said they had that situation at IRP back in the 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandit Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 You have to do what you have to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted July 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Nick, if the reading is 96 db behind the signboards, what difference does it make if the veh. is on the front straight or the back straight? The neighbors accross the way are going to hear the 96 db or whatever it is by the time it gets to their location. No one away from the track can hear what you are hearing with your ears or the db meter on the infield because you are down in a hole. Whatever you read at the billboard is what they will hear. thanks, Mike Garrett Mike, We have gone the neighbors and sat in their yards more than once over the past six weeks. There is absolutely no doubt that any car or truck with the exhaust system pointing out either side of the car or truck is much louder than the cars that meet the dB rules at both the front straight and back straight locations. Of course, the real goal of the dB rule, as you have correctly pointed out, is to lower the amount of noise the people living next door to the track actually hear. We have absolutely no doubt that the 96 dB rule has reduced the amount of noise leaving the track. And we have absolutely no doubt that the only way to make sure this continues is to take the dB readings at both the front and back straight locations. I know that this rule makes it difficult for the trucks to comply since the vast majority of them have exhaust systems that exit behind the driver's door pointing towards the infield. But every ROMCO car was at or below the 96 dB limit on both the front straight and the back straight on their last visit. And every TAMS modified was at or below the 95 dB limit on both the front and back straight on their last visit as well. If ROMCO and TAMS can do it, I'm sure the ARTS trucks can do it too. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw_stck Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Be thankful,some tracks are 92db at 50ft or less.make sure thee exhaust is turned down and not just away from the meter and there should not be a problem.Nick maybe you could get the sheriff out there to write tickets to the drivers that go over,a friend of mine said they had that situation at IRP back in the 70s. I think that the whole "sherrif idea" is a bit extreme..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted July 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 outlaw_stck I think that the whole "sherrif idea" is a bit extreme..... You and me both! Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrungot Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 The girlfriend would love to see the exhausts pointed straight down.. she is tired of having to repeat herself all day on sundays from me having the radio at max to hear everything!!!! Politics are a funny game and I think anyone can see THR's Work is keeping the sharks away!!!.. I haven't heard of any follow up stories on New 8 maybe we should call them and tell them whats going on.. but then again.. let the sleeping dog alone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no 24 racefan Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 nick i dont understand, if the db readings are good on the back strait away then why does it matter if they are loud on the inside of the track i still cant figure it out. if the exhaust exits to the driver side check them on the on both of the strait aways from the signs if they are under then they should be ok to run joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banker36 Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Joe, I believe Nick is just trying to get several perspectives on the cars exhaust DB readings. Hes fair and square I have been on the back straight with him during practice sessions 3 or 4 times and I can say that I would trust the way he gets his readings. If the car is quite on the back straight most likely he will work with you then. Very few cars have been trailered cause of the Db issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted July 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 no 24 racefan, The neighbors do not live right behind the signs on the back straight. They live about 1/3 to 1/2 mile away from the Raceway. Any noise generated at the track (whether it originates from front straight or from the back straight) travels to their houses some distance away and it doesn't matter to them what part of the track the noise is coming from. In fact, it is impossible for humans to detect a difference in dB level from a noise source that was 1/2 mile distant or from the same noise source that was 1/2 mile plus 300 feet distant. So, we take the readings on both the front straight and the back straight to make sure they are both 96 dB or less. I don't know how to make it any clearer than that. Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97car Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Yes I agree the sheriff deal was a little extreme,I was just stating what a friend of mine said happened at IRP,must have been in the mid to late 70's. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers,must have been about the time for the begining of the demise of the zoomie headers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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