Castle Combe Needs Your Support

[gixxer]

Howard strawford had said that he'd agreed with the teams to run at 114dba,had also heard a number of other circuits were having similar problems with noise but not. to the extent combe has

[TheNewBob]

I'd like to know what the international races run at - particularly FIA GT and LMES.

I am not aware of any recent complaining at Donington Park, but since there's a major international airport a couple of yards away and a MotoGP round in the summer, I wudn't have thought a GT meeting with just GT2 and GT3 cars would have caused much trouble... so does make me wonder why they might have been running quiet there.

Unless your referring to something else...

[gixxer]

Yes croft has been having problems too,can also remenber someone saying that LMES has to run at 108dba!!

Not sure how right that is Bob!

[gixxer]

Oh and international meetings did run at 118dba at combe last year with the wind blowing towards that village it sounded far to loud as thet put it!!!

[CombeMarshal]

Sorry, I'll try and keep the wind down this year!!!

I can't understand how it could have been that bad anyway, It was raining like mad, they should have been indoors, with the windows shut watching TV!
Lee

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by CombeMarshal

Sorry, I'll try and keep the wind down this year!!!

I can't understand how it could have been that bad anyway, It was raining like mad, they should have been indoors, with the windows shut watching TV!
Lee

wondered what the smell was last year....lee. LoL

[Al Weyman]

they should pass a law that properties near race tracks can only be bought by motor racing enthusiasts and the track owners have to give unlimited track time to all local residents :-)

[TheNewBob]

and a big sign saying "don't you dare complain"

[gixxer]

It seems that the court case was held last week to determine how long the case would take in court.
The council now have two weeks to decide wether they wish to persue the case on the grounds laid out.If so then the case goes to court towards the end of july.

[TheNewBob]

The British F3/GT meeting takes place 25/26 June rather than July - so does this mean the meeting can run as it did last year or is it not going to take place at all?

[gixxer]

Yes but with reduced noise levels GT/f3 will have to run at 114dba instead of 118dba,the circuit had been in consultation with the teams about this and as far as i'm aware it was agreed.

[TheNewBob]

Well, as far as BGT goes - they were quieter at Donington anyway - only the Ultima (see my avatar :-D) and TVR's seemed to be making any noise - so I'd generally agree that they seem to be in agreement...

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Well, as far as BGT goes - they were quieter at Donington anyway - only the Ultima (see my avatar :-D) and TVR's seemed to be making any noise - so I'd generally agree that they seem to be in agreement...

Yes bob it was the TVR's causing the problems last year and they were flippen loud to it was the only car my 9yr old said hurt his ears without the defenders on and he only wore them for that race as he hated them!

[TheNewBob]

They really must run the cars at different noise levels at almost every track or something like that, because in 2004 I thought the TVR's were not particularly much louder than the likes of the Ecosse 360's or the Morgan - although like I say I only saw them at Donington in 04 and 05.

Was at Silverstone for the FIA GT meeting at the weekend... I have vids online (link is in the appropriate thread in the Sportscar/GT section) from it - gixxer I wudn't take your kid to see that, it is (almost surprisingly) a world away from the national series - the noise always pleasantly takes me by surprise every time I see it

But I'd say as long as LNT tone down the noise on their TVR then I really can't see any problems whatsoever with the BGT race at Combe - were their any complaints about the F3 cars?

[Al Weyman]

I went to a track day once and a nearly new TVR Cerebra (I think thats the name) failed the noise test and that was a standard road car!

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I went to a track day once and a nearly new TVR Cerebra (I think thats the name) failed the noise test and that was a standard road car!

I'd also heard that one too AL,had also heard that a few drivers were not happy with the testing arrangements at combe either as only six cars are allowed out at a time and that is due to noise restrictions too.

BOB,think the complaints were more for the GT's but F3 was mentioned in the noise nuisance order.

[gixxer]

Spoke to Howard Strawford at the circuit morning about the noise issue he said it was not going as well as he liked but was still very hopefull of beating this order.It was also traffic chaos as the Japfest was on never seen so many people trying to get into the circuit for an action day they were even using the overflow car parks by 10.30am nightmare!!!

[carsreunited]

I reckon the truth is that the action day crowds get up the nose of the locals. Thousands of people descending onto the curcuit along with the chav element hooning around on the public roads.

At least that was my impression when I went to an action day recently.....

[midgetman]

Carsreunited is right, it doesn't help.

My mother is a Parish Clerk and she got the minutes to the last Council meeting. Howard has applied for another Sunday meeting in place of a Saturday, which the locals don't like, and it's got people talking about "salami" tactics - you know, slice by slice. Really, when you're in a hole why not stop digging?

Actually, some were even complaining about the car boot sales because of the traffic it causes. Comments were made like "destroying the natural environment". Well really, I suppose it's commuting Londoners who come and treat the countryside like a heritage park and expect it to stay like a chocolate box lid all their life. Move down here, put up house prices, not let us work and develop our own area. Incomers? PAH! (Bet they all drive Chelsea Tractors with spray-on mud too)

F/X Max climbing off soapbox and removing tongue from cheek

[Al Weyman]

It certainly does sound that this is one of the real problems, the Action Days. I suppose if you lived in the area and a little local journey for example, down to get your Sunday paper, meant you were stuck in trafiic for an hour amoungst a load of Chavs with cars belting out music load enough to split eardrums you may get the pip. I made the mistake once of entering one of these days at Siverstone thinking it was a normal track day. Well the Chavs music iin the car park all belting out different 'music' and trying to outdo each other was horrendous. Mind you they could not compete with the old Chevy on racing exhaust when I gave it large driving past them :-)

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by carsreunited

I reckon the truth is that the action day crowds get up the nose of the locals. Thousands of people descending onto the curcuit along with the chav element hooning around on the public roads.

At least that was my impression when I went to an action day recently.....

There's also another one that seems to attract a lot of people and that was even worse due to the fact only one entrance was open at quarry,that was due to the MG rally rides were taking place at the back of tower.10,000 people trying to get into one gate was bloody stupid.I think that these two are the exception [japfest,rally action day]most of the others you don't get the tailbacks.
Max you're right Howard is only digging a bigger hole for himself,he did say that things were not going to well with the noise order,but was pretty confident that he'll win!!!

[HiRich]

Well if you meet Howard again, please reinforce to him that noise and traffic are two separate issues.

Noise is:
- Caused by the racers, not the spectators (so a small number of people)
- The circuit's responsibility
- Part of the deal for buying a house near an existing race circuit

Traffic is:
- A different sort of nuisance, that will frustrate even people who have accepted the noise
- The responsibility of the circuit, and also the police and local council
- A clear sign of the income the circuit is bringing into the community
- Clearly, to a large extent caused by cock-ups and a lack of foresight.

It's a classic tactic to deliberately confuse two vaguely related problems, and has to be countered by repeatedly clarifying that they are separate issues with separate solutions. Two priorities, two different action teams. Traffic issues can be improved quite quickly (or at least a few experiments tried). That would also provide some good, quick PR to placate the majority of non-militant objectors.

[gixxer]

Just noticed a post on the castle combe forum that the tailback was back to the the roundabout at bumpers farm and that's 5 miles that is just plain ridiculous for an action day,the circuit is just not ready for big events like that,at least with the superbikes there was additional parking in fields set up and the jams had somewhere to go instead of just two entrances into the circuit more thought is needed me thinks!!!!!!

[TheNewBob]

Maybe they should remove their action days for a year and see how much better things get that way? Could well be a lot of the complaints coming from there rather than a fairly innocent GT race?

I mean, others would argue that they could take away the GT race and see what it's like then, but if it's just a test then I'd say try taking away excessive traffic problems before removing the REAL reasons to be at Castle Combe

[Al Weyman]

Good suggestion but the action days are probably more profitable.