Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Didn't stop you Saturday...

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Hey Dave you wuss....

Try it with RWD, 450bhp and only 1020kgs

davyboy

Stop it!

My poor old girl, 12 years old and for the last 10 she has done 2000 miles a year.

I have not had her 2 months yet and use her every day and have already done 2 track days and over 2500 miles!!

I'll see what Clare says

Mike Rainbird

Were the lower noise limits due to it being a weekend or are they now fixed at 85 permanently?

Sounds like the noise meters could have been out somewhat, they require calibrating every 12 months.

We have a track day there on Feb 01, so I will be bringing a fully calibrated noise meter with me for comparison.

Chris,
You big girl's blouse, you're selling it because it is too scary for you, so how can you make such comments .
LOL

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Mike....Shhhhhhhhhhh.....don't tell everyone....how the hell am I s'posed to be able to sell it if I let them know I'm ( the driving GOD ) scared of it.....poor girlies

Anyway.....I'll still give you a lap headstart over 20 laps and catch you

Lizzywizz

Simon & Tony, you shoulda come over to Donno yesterday afternoon. Mikee got the half day for £35 and I paid £20 to be 2nd driver! Between us we got in about 40 laps and it was perfect weather with a good mix of cars including 4 other scoobs.

Knowing Mikee we'll be there for the next three weekends as well!!!!...no complaints from me as long as I get to drive

Lizzy

Clarebabes

Dave Why ask me? If you wanna do it, you've got to do it!

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Hi All

Nice to meet a few people at the weekend. I was with Gossy when he spun (everytime I was passenger) Jinx or what I also went in the ferrari and guess what the guy spun that too Grass cutting with Gossy was interesting but felt very safe Thanks to Tavia also for the passenger ride You WERE the latest on the brakes Cheers Ian Sadler for taking me up there Sorry I can't put names of who I met but there were so many

Paul

mutant_matt

Page seems to be broken - this may fix it....

CraigH

Just spoke to Bedford regarding the refund.

They say it is up to SIDC to sort it.

Why should SIDC be liable for this? It's not their testing stds is it?

Pete can you comment? I know SIDC are the organiser but why should you be liable for refunds without Bedford reimbursing you?

CraigH

Good job you said that James,

Was just getting me bat and setting off for JP's house

Phil

I understand Pete and JohnB are in discussions with Bedford and the individuals who did not run have been asked to confirm that fact to JohnB so that the paperwork can be tied up and confirmed.

I'm sure Pete/John will keep those involved fully informed

Phil

johnfelstead

if there is any justice, the SIDC should withhold some of the funds from everyone (and refund us), i didnt get on track until 12:00 due to their stupid individual drive by noise testing, so i had just over half a day on track.

Pavlo

I think it would be a good idea if the SIDC had their own noise meter, annually calibrated, which would allow independant "experimentation" for the static testing at least.

Paul

Phil

The event is of course prepaid.

They are not daft

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

I was noise metered down at Castle Coombe last year. Don't know what the limit was but I got through no problem (MY94 WRX, Scoobysport downpipe, centre and backbox, Blitz Induction kit) Anybody who knows my car knows it ain't quiet, but it passed when the bog standard Boxster in front of me failed (and I couldn't even hear him inside my car!)

mutant_matt

Phil,

As expected. So I expect we'll get diddly squat out of Bedford then...[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Matt.

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

All SIDC/Scoobynet members are invited to Oulton Park on the 17th December....open pit lane....you WILL be on track from 9.00am - 4.00pm with an hour for lunch.....no noise probs guaranteed....all for........... £70 !!!!!!!!!!!

www.track-action.co.uk

Just a thought peeps

Craig...I'll even give you a bed for the night and a nice warm garage to store your motor

Redkop

Matt - Bedford gave refunds to people that had failed the db test, but who had paid on the day. If SIDC have already paid in advance, I can't see that they can discriminate between the two if they have already issued refunds because of their ineptness!

Phil

I believe all people not allowed to run have been asked to contact either Pete or JohnB so that this can be taken up with Bedford.

So please email them ASAP so that the club can do there level best to resolve the problem

Phil

ARRON BIRD

I am still waiting for a refund.
I did try to cancel the day before as I had no car!!!!
Now thats what I call an expensive day out!!!!!
Any news Pete????

Phil

Aaron

Yours was a diferent matter as you tried to cancel the day before

Which to be honest was no fault of the club but then I understand you were black flagged in your mates car

TALK ABOUT BAD LUCK

I do know the club is doing its best by liasing with Bedford to try an achieve a fair result

Please be patient

Phil

ARRON BIRD

Phil I am patient.
I just want my dosh back

Cant earn it that quick!
And dont talk to me about luck and cars!!!

I understand that Andy O`Hara cancelled a few days before and got a full refund???????
I did let you know as soon as I could dont forget.

[Edited by ARRON BIRD - 12/3/2002 4:23:41 PM]

Fat Boy

Hmmm, I wonder where TN got the standard Scoobysport box from (having just left mine in their safekeeping while I used their standard box)? Don't know, or really mind, if it was mine, more likely someone else's who was there on the day. But cheeky buggers if it was mine

CraigH

Chris,

How many times do I have to say no? No means no. I'm not sharing a bed with you

Will think about Oulton

simonburton

FB - the back box I put on was from a friends car - definately not yours mate.

Jonathan Palmer

Having read most of the posts on this topic I feel is important to present the facts behind some drivers’ frustration at the noise situation at Bedford Autodrome last Saturday.

Firstly may I say how good it is to see so much enthusiasm for driving fast cars, fast. That is exactly the purpose for which I designed and constructed Bedford Autodrome. Clearly there are also plenty of seriously high performance cars in the club.

By way of background, for 90% of our operational days, we run corporate motorsport events at the circuit, during which around 40 cars are driven hard, including timing, across our various circuits. These cars include our Formula Palmer Audi single seaters, which run up to 300 bhp with their turbo Audi 1.8 litre engines. Despite around 50,000 drive-by recordings a month, we virtually never have the noise meter tripped by a car passing at more than 87 dB(A). This is because the cars are adequately silenced. Our 87 dB(A) limit is reasonable. With adequate silencing, any road car can comfortably pass this test. Our previous standard Imprezas and the 280 bhp Evo VIs we currently run, were both under 80 dB(A) on this test.

The main reason this day caused numerous problems was because a minority of cars were too noisy, and exceeded the same 87 dB(A) limit that we operate with for all of our corporate events with no problems whatsoever. It is clear from some of the posts that a number of cars were fitted with modified silencers that produced considerably more noise than the standard cars.

We know from our FPA experience amongst others, that it is quite possible to enjoy high performance from tuned engines without making a lot more noise. Many will appreciate that this is done largely to sound good to the driver and impress bystanders. I understand and can see the appeal of this. The problem is that on the road one is rarely on full throttle for very long, and going round and round the same bit of road. Try it, along with 30 other cars, and see how long it takes to generate a complaint! The fact is that on a number of circuits, cars need to be quieter than they do on the public road.

Bedford Autodrome is relatively isolated and usually nothing can be heard of our activities at surrounding properties. Occasionally, however, a combination of a damp day, which increases noise transmission, and a wind blowing towards properties, does mean cars can be heard some distance away. This is what occurred on Saturday. The Westerly wind meant the cars could be heard at some properties 1½ miles East of the track. This is also why nothing could be heard by the entrance, West of the circuit, upwind of the track.

It is very important that we do operate within the terms of our planning consent, which incidentally is permanent, not temporary or needing to be re-applied for each year. We have a good relationship with the local community and Bedford Borough Council and intend to keep it that way. We are certainly not prepared to have an irresponsible few messing things up for the sensible majority.

The biggest problem on Saturday was that a few drivers tried to cheat the noise testing system by various ways, which meant that some cars were lapping on the track making more noise than permitted. I am sure those drivers know exactly what I mean, and the most obvious is not using full throttle, revs or boost past the noise monitor for the test, but then obviously doing so elsewhere.

This meant noisy cars were lapping the circuits. I was in my office, near Horsham Sussex, and had two irate calls by 10.00 in the morning from residents. I called the circuit to see what was going on and it seemed clear to me that a number of cars had cheated the noise test. The only thing to do was to stop everything and re-test every car carefully, using our drivers as clearly some cars’ drivers could not be trusted. Unfortunately this inconvenienced many honest drivers with adequately quiet cars..

We also know cars tend to get a little noisier as they get driven more and harder. In order for us to stay within the 87 dB(A) limit I instructed an 85 dB(A) test limit to be applied, knowing that this would allow an extra 1-2 dB(A) for such a noise increase, and mindful of the approach of some drivers. Incidentally, our noise meter is re-calibrated every night automatically.

I wanted to establish exactly what was going on at my track, which whilst has cost nothing like £30m, is a great source of pride after a huge amount of endeavour and investment by me. I wanted to see whether the complaints were justified or not. Despite having a heavy workload in my Sussex office in the morning, which was to be followed by watching my son play in a rugby match at a school in Seaford, I decided I had to travel up to Bedford and investigate personally.

I arrived, was briefed by my circuit manager and then drove straight down to listen at the complainant’s location. I could hear the cars in the background, but both the complainant and I could clearly identify one or two much louder cars. I drove back and on further investigation it was discovered that another couple of cars were indeed too noisy, when a hand held monitor was used at other locations.

Once these were stopped and everyone was running within the noise limits, the cars were reported as audible but no longer intrusively so.

The problem on Saturday was caused not by Bedford’s noise regulations or our policing of them, but by a number of people with relatively noisy cars trying to cheat the system. Perhaps people will now understand that it is not just passing the noise test that is important, it is about operating within the noise limits the noise test is set up to regulate. I am very sorry indeed for those drivers who were inconvenienced by the actions of those drivers who tried to get round the noise test and ended up creating too much noise. It was they who spoiled your day.

We would be delighted to welcome back all drivers whose cars comfortably comply with our noise regulations. I do not want any of those to return who are knowingly marginal, at best, on noise and hope to get away with it. I would advise people to either use the standard exhaust system, or obtain or have made an effective replacement one for track use on the quieter circuits such as Bedford, keeping any loud version for impressing on the road, if they wish. Properly designed, an effective silencing system will make minimal difference to your cars’ performance.

Although many of you were inconvenienced, I was too. I also incurred considerable expense dealing with the situation. I would have very much liked to have spent my Saturday as planned, instead of having to make an emergency site visit for the first time this year. In future let’s have a more considerate, mature approach from all attendees, so you can enjoy my circuit and we can enjoy seeing some great cars being driven hard.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Jonathan

Thank you for taking the time to post here

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Well thats from the horses mouth, so to speak and thanks or the speedy and well explained reply.

Tony

Ps, sorry to spoil your day

Type R

Top for coming on the forum, and the comments.

Although being a local now has put me off doing Bedford.

Glad in a way I didnt go, my exhaust wouldnt have passed, although got a baffle, which arrived this week.