Lola at Castle Combe

[alfaman]

Does anyone know anything about Mike Robert's Lola that was racing at Castle Combe last Saturday?

It was a Lola B2K40 sports prototype I think.

Anyone know its history, former drivers etc....?

[RobC]

Sadly it only did 4 qualifying laps before being pulled off for noise. Dont know any details but it looked the dogs

[ss_collins]

I think its been running round in BritSports

[kickstart]

Sad to think but that will probably be the last seriously quick racing car that sounds like a racing car should, to ever go round Castle Combe

[Paul V]

That was a really nice piece of kit, however the improvised stubby can caused it to whistle a 'tad' on track, and there wasn't any real options to fix it on the day.

I hope they can find a solution as it would be a fine addition to the GT ranks.
Was told 650bhp from the 2 litre engine

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by kickstart

Sad to think but that will probably be the last seriously quick racing car that sounds like a racing car should, to ever go round Castle Combe

Sorry to say it i thought it sounded bloody awful more of a woosh if that's the way you like your cars sounding each to their own!!!

The old jade sounds so much better...then again david krayham's stealth b6 now that sounded good!!

Another car we won't see at combe due to noise of the beast!!

[RobC]

Have to agree, prefer the noise of the Radicals, but I might be a bit bias there

[Paul V]

Originally Posted by gixxer

then again david krayham's stealth b6 now that sounded good!!

Another car we won't see at combe due to noise of the beast!!

FYI - The Stealth does not have a noise problem - the lack of it is due to other reasons.

HTH

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by Paul V

FYI - The Stealth does not have a noise problem - the lack of it is due to other reasons.

HTH

Only going on what was said by one of the commrntators a while ago...but you should know i suppose do you still noise test at combe still paul?

[Paul V]

Yes - luckily not too many problems on Saturday - hats off to the Historics for their efforts.

[R59]

Looks like I won't be coming to Combe at all then. It's going to be a struggle to keep Harry under 108 on the static test, let alone the drive-by, which is where I expect to fail.

The way things look for CC, it'll be small cc only in the future, with wheelbarrow handle exhausts.

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by racing59

Looks like I won't be coming to Combe at all then. It's going to be a struggle to keep Harry under 108 on the static test, let alone the drive-by, which is where I expect to fail.

The way things look for CC, it'll be small cc only in the future, with wheelbarrow handle exhausts.

That's a real shame rob and you're right about the wheelbarrows to that's all that will be racing before long!!!!!!!!!

[RobC]

Originally Posted by gixxer

wheelbarrows to that's all that will be racing before long!!!!!!!!!

Excellent, I might be able to afford to run one of those.....but with the ones with a ball instead of a wheel be excluded

[midgetman]

Hey guys, just a quick question from someone that's baffled. (Off-topic but...)

My reading of the Blue Book is that all National racing cars MUST be under 108 dB(a). E.12.17 covers this clearly.

All these cars that we can't see at Combe any more, does this mean they've been over the limit in the past? Does this mean they're over the limit when they run at other race circuits?

And we're surprised that motor sport is being clamped down on? Pur-lease.

[RobC]

Fair comment, being brought up on trackdays I'm kinda overly paranoid about noise but with a decent exhaust system that's not an issue anymore.

iirc the MSA limit is 108dB but this can be increased by the circuit if they have the necessary permission to do so. As for the Lola, not even being able to pass the static test was a little bit short sighted of them considering Combes reputation for sound testing.

[midgetman]

Short sighted? Plain daft I'd call it. The rules are quite clear - Sports Racing Cars 108 dBa at 0.5m, saloon cars 105. How can you not read the rule book before building a car?

Max (<100dBa)

[R59]

Some of the problem is getting a car to pass the static test, and the drive-by.
As has been seen in the past, a car can pass the static, with say, 106dB, then fails the drive-by at 110dB. Why? load on the engine - that's what it's about. You do the static test on part throttle - hardly open in fact, then the drive by test get's you hard on the gas.

If you read the blue book, the specification for noise testing is laid out, with the environmental parameters such as the area where you should do the testing (how much free space there is around the car, etc..), how many revs to pull based on max on the engine, etc... But it's all part throttle.

On the 45degree almost up the pipe test, mine fits in at 105dB, when run in the GT's that's fine, as a saloon, it's right on the limit.

Castle Combe carry out their drive-by test on the exit of Camp, so they get the car exiting the corner, under hard excelleration, which is going to be worst case. I don't blame them for doing that, it's probably the best place to do it.

I'm still scratching my head in how to de-restrict my exhaust (the silencers that came with the car are smaller bore than the rest of the system), and make it quieter, but when you consider I have over 700gg's to contain, and not a great deal of space, it's going to be a plumbers nightmare!. I've seen a Williams F1 car silenced, to the point where radicals were far noisier, though it needed the boxes re-packing very regularly!

Don't worry 'Combe. As Arnold says.. "I'll be back...."

[gixxer]

Hope so rob we don't get too see a beast like yours very often!

car that is