Skip advert
Advertisement

Track day tips: noise limits explained

Track days noise limits can often be a problem if your performance car is on the louder end of the spectrum. Here's all you need to know about modern noise regulations

Track days exhaust

Track days are a blast. The chance to drive harder than you ever could on the road, and getting the adrenalin pumping epitomises the thrill of driving. But there’s a downside: noise. Those few seconds when you have your car decibel-tested can be the most nerve-wracking of the entire day – fail and it’s likely you won’t be allowed near the track at all.

Advertisement - Article continues below

> evo Trackdays 2022: dates, tickets, booking info

Why are there noise limits?

How is it that race tracks, of all places, have come to have noise limits? There are four main parties involved, book-ended by the track day attendees and the people who live nearby. In between lie the track itself and the local council. The council has a responsibility to its residents, but also needs to be mindful of the benefits the circuit brings to the local economy, so most lay down guidelines that stipulate not only noise limits but how often and at what times the track can be used. If the track breaks these rules – which are often monitored remotely by the local authority – it can face being shut down. It’s a balancing act for all concerned.  

Testing your car

On arrival to your track day (normally) prior to the driver briefing a circuit official will carry out a static test. A sound meter is positioned half a metre from the exhaust at a 45-degree angle, with the car of held at three-quarters of maximum revs. Exceeding the prescribed dB ceiling will result in a fail. The same goes for the drive-by reading (measured at a distance of 20 metres) when you’re out on track, not all tracks have drive-by testing, though.

Are they the same at each track?

Some circuits must adhere to stricter regulations than others with local residents pushing for quieter noise limits or the track to be closed down altogether. Trying to safeguard their existence, many circuits are being constructed with noise containment in mind, but such methods only do so much.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

Bedford Autodrome, evo’s home circuit, has some of the toughest regulations in the country – a 101 dB static limit and a 87.5 dB drive-by reading – and this is despite spending a fortune building noise defences. ‘Well over half of our development costs go into fighting noise,’ chief instructor Phil Ellis told us. Bedford is not alone.

But it’s the Croft situation that has sent shockwaves through the industry. ‘We were served with an injunction last year,’ circuit manager Tracey Morley told us. ‘A local resident has been against us for over 13 years and had tried various ways of closing us down, finally bringing a private noise nuisance case.’ Croft had to cancel all track days and very nearly went bankrupt before agreeing to restrictive new regulations. The new quiet drive-by limit is just 70 dB averaged over an hour.

Keeping within noise limits

Some circuits can help if your car fails the decibel tests. For instance, at Castle Combe a firm called Merlin Motorsport can fit a temporary additional silencer to your car’s exhaust. ‘A foot-long pipe out the back may not be pretty,’ explained Rodney Gooch, sales and marketing director of Castle Combe, ‘but it’ll make the difference between taking part and going home bitterly disappointed.’

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

However, the easiest way to ensure your car passes the noise test is to keep the stock exhaust system. ‘If we have trouble, it’s almost always something with a sports exhaust,’ said Phil Ellis. ‘With the exception of one or two Ferraris there are very, very few standard road cars that break the sound limits.’

Will they change?

So is it likely that noise regulations will get even tighter? ‘We don’t believe so,’ said Ellis, and most people we spoke to seemed to agree that a successful compromise has been reached. ‘Ultimately local residents are our neighbours,’ Ellis continued. ‘We don’t want to upset them, but neither do we want to compromise our business and the people who come here to enjoy driving their cars.’

Take a look below at the restrictions governing noise limits at UK tracks

 

 

Static (dB)

 

Drive-by (dB)

Anglesey

 

105 (95 on quiet days)

 

101 (77 on quiet days)

 

Bedford Autodrome

 

101

 

87.5

 

Brands Hatch

 

105 (evenings 102)

 

92

 

Bruntingthorpe

 

98

 

87.5

 

Caldwell Park

 

105

 

n/a

 

Castle Combe

 

100 (at 4500rpm)

 

94

 

Croft

 

105 (88 on quiet days)

 

70 (average over an hour)

 

Goodwood

 

105 (98 with >9 cars)

 

101 (96 with >9 cars)

 

Knockhill

 

105

 

n/a

 

Lydden

 

105

 

n/a

 

Mallory Park

 

105

 

n/a

 

Oulton Park

 

105

 

n/a

 

Mondello Park

 

105

 

n/a

 

Pembrey

 

105 (102 for bikes)

 

n/a

 

Rockingham

 

105

 

103

 

Silverstone

 

105

 

n/a

 

Snetterton

 

105 (102 evenings)

 

n/a

 

Thruxton

 

90

 

n/a

 

Find more on track cars, track days and track driving through the links below...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Don’t miss the last evo Trackday of 2024
evo Trackdays 2024
News

Don’t miss the last evo Trackday of 2024

The 2024 evo Trackday calendar is down to its last event. We’re going out with a bang with a full day at Goodwood on 19 September. Book now
13 Sep 2024
Free Brands Hatch track day for evo readers
Alpine evo trackday
News

Free Brands Hatch track day for evo readers

Join evo and Alpine Cars UK for a complimentary trackday to drive the A110 S
5 Sep 2024
Free Brands Hatch track day for evo readers
Alpine evo trackday
News

Free Brands Hatch track day for evo readers

Join evo and Alpine Cars UK for a complimentary trackday to drive the A110 S
5 Sep 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best fast estate cars 2025 – performance cars with space and pace
Best fast estates
Best cars

Best fast estate cars 2025 – performance cars with space and pace

For do-it-all transport, nothing nails the brief like a fast estate. These are the very best, from familiar names to hardcore specials
29 Nov 2024
Used Porsche 911 (997, 2004-2012): review, history, specs and buying guide
Porsche 911 997.1
Features

Used Porsche 911 (997, 2004-2012): review, history, specs and buying guide

The 997 might be the ultimate goldilocks 911, blending modern technology, performance and reliability with a slender footprint, feelsome steering and …
29 Nov 2024
BMW M135 xDrive 2025 review – all-wheel drive hot hatch eyes Audi S3
BMW M135
Reviews

BMW M135 xDrive 2025 review – all-wheel drive hot hatch eyes Audi S3

The M135 has lost an ‘i’ and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
30 Nov 2024