hey guys, im trying to take my slightly modded X to the track this year. Ive been reading alot on first track day basics and have gathered a good understanding for the necessities.

My question is, some tracks have noise regulations, how strict are they with those? Being that i live in NYC and driving to most all tracks in the NE region can take anywhere between 2-4 hours to travel to. I dont want to travel all that distance and they tell me i cant run. Noise regulations seem to be kinda ridiculous considering its a track. I believe limerock has a 88 db limit, which is pretty damn low. My issue is that, i have an o2 dump downpipe,(which that alone generates more noise probably than the regulations), a testpipe, and the ets v2 extreme. so it is very loud. I do love it though and probably wouldnt switch it out for anything.

I was looking to join EMRA and going through their schedule along with two of my friends. Seems to be the best route to begin.

 

Lime Rock - 86db. Forget it. And yes, they do enforce it.

 

you will never pass lime rock with a dump end of story. i occasionally run with emra...i highly suggest if you want to learn the correct way to do things that you don't do events with EMRA until you run with NASA once or twice. i learned that the hard way. EMRA is a joke for instruction.

 

im not very familiar with how NASA works. From my understanding, in EMRA you sign up and the first day you get an instructor,you get your license and then you can go to any other EMRA event after.

I wanted to go with an instructor atleast 2-3 times because the consensus is that, that's where you will learn the most.

With NASA is it the same? i see on their website that there is an option when registering for an event if you want an instructor to check that off.

Also i guess limerock is no go lol

Thanks for the info. i was pretty set on going with EMRA, now youve changed things up a bit.

 

For NASA Northeast events, if you sign up as HPDE 1, you will be assigned an instructor for the event. While you might have the same instructor for two-day events, there is the possibility that you get someone different on the second day.

After you do multiple DE 1 events with them and they are comfortable with your progress and safety, the instructor will approve you for DE 2. At that point you can begin driving solo.

 

just go with PCA... Prices are much lower than NASA.

As for noise, stick to Watkins Glen and NJMP. Forget Lime Rock, you will get kicked out on your first lap, plus track is not that great to begin with.

There is an event with one of the PCA clubs in August @ watkins Glen. Its a 3 day event and only cost ~$400.. NASA would charge $500 +

 

I'm amazed you can get away with that noise living in NYC. I've gotten one ticket in the Bronx, and three by my apt in BK before finally deciding to buy a quiet exhaust, and I put my loud one on just for track days.

As for tracking, I'm not even aware what EMRA is, but I did two NASA events last year and one with TrackDaze.

My advice is to not limit yourself to how many events you have an instructor with you. As much as you want to be by yourself, every instructor you ever put in your car with you will teach you something/make you faster.

Also look into New York Safety Track possibly just to get some seat time, as it's like 170 miles from us, and possibly the cheapest path to getting track time in between other events.

p.s. where do you live in NYC?

 

Watkins Glen is pretty far from me, 4 hour drive. Im looking into going with NASA at NJMP and Thompson speedway in CT as of right now. As far as the track goes at limerock, ive always heard thats its a good track. but i guess ill never see for myself.

haha ive actually been pulled over 3 times for it. No tickets though. One of the times was my fault, went WOT on first ave in Manhattan to show my friend how loud it is, cop was sitting at the light, lit up right away and pulled me over the next block but no ticket.

I live in little neck, queens. but drive to work on the upper east side every other day.

EMRA has a day or two at NY safety track that i was thinking of doing, looks like a nice track. Trackdaze looks pretty good i might look into going with them once too. Thanks

 

I would focus on NASA events and get proper instruction going up the HPDE ladder. I've seen EMRA "time trialers" show up to NASA TT and they were totally unqualified to be out there solo. NASA HPDE starts you at DE1 with DE1-DE2 instructed, when you are cleared for DE3 you can go solo, and once in DE4 you can request a ride-along for approval to get a TT license. Wheel-to-wheel license requires an additional competition school.

As far as noise levels, an o2 dump immediately makes you unable to run LRP unless its an unmuffled (no db limit) day. NASA NE is doing an unmuffled event there this season, as well as Watkins, NJMP, and Thompson Speedway. The only track in the NE that I know of having a db limit is Lime Rock. They are reportedly very strict about enforcing it too.

 

EMRA does not guarantee you an instructor and attendance was so slim last year that some first timers were going out without them. the instructors are also certainly a lower quality compared to NASA. I still run some events with them just to get seat time and because it fits my schedule...the "competition" is lame. i own the street AWD lap record with them for lime rock and when i did it it was faster than guys running in the next class up (its just funny to say that).

go NASA and be happy and safe. like blackenedwings said...there are some sketchy *** drivers with EMRA.

i happen to enjoy lime rock, its a tight technical track and can teach you a lot but also bite you in the *** very quickly. most guys dont like it because it has a tendency to generate trains/traffic easily just because its so short....ive never really had too much of an issue, but i do spend a lot of time trying to stay away from others.

 

Man...I thought these type of regulations were only enforced on the city courses in Japan...haha

Glad all the tracks we have near us don't have that!

 

Regarding LRP, I attended SCDA's HPDE last May running a AMS DP, Test pipe, and a perrin stealth. No issues. There were many other cars there much louder than mine. That's my experience.

PCA is cheaper and Porsche guys love evos.

NJMP and Watkins Glen, thumbs u p.

 

I'd avoid NYST unless you're running with a well run and organized club that provides good instruction. Getting on track doesn't matter if you're just reinforcing bad habits.

I ran PCA for the first time ever this year and was stunned when I went through tech that they need your car to be teched at a shop beforehand. I've never run into that in 4 years of tracking throughout the Northeast with various clubs. Just an FYI.

Check out Pocono, too, since it's nearby.

 

At my local track, the EVO has one of the more quieter exhaust notes

You should hear the Porsche GT3's

 

Hehe, yup, our turbos quiet things down. Even with an open wastegate. The NA Porsches and Spec Miatas are loud. Grand Am series Mini's are amazingly loud too.