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Green course at Lime Rock Park, in Connecticut, is at 9:00 AM except for a drivers school which starts at 10:00 AM so you set up the equipment to be READY for ten minutes before the green flag. It's not hard really, just set up the Decibel meter, position the microphone EXACTLY 50 feet from the edge of the course, set up the weather station, calibrate the meter and make sure your paperwork is ready. When the cars come out for practice, you circle the numbers of the cars as they go by and write down the DB readings. Reading the meter is the only real knack to sound control. It takes a while for you to realize that sound does travel in a way that can fool your ears. If two cars go by together, you can't use the readings. If a loud car goes by first, chances are you cannot get the second car if it's a quieter car. It really doesn't matter that much if you miss a couple of cars in the beginning of the session, there is plenty of time to get a good sample. I've been doing this for a time and there is no percentage in "getting" a guy who is loud. He gets disqualified, his times don't count, and he goes home angry. I don't get more in my envelope because I "got" the guy. I have actually told competitors that they are too loud so: stroke it past sound, always go by in traffic, or aim the pipe to the other side. I don't care-I just take the readings. The meter is calibrated every winter, we have been doing this for 7 or 8 years, go by 3 times at 105 DB and you're history. It's really a shame since horsepower or winning races does not have to be loud. Rick Bell drove the MECCA Development GT-1 Camaro to 8 or 9 poles and 9 flag-to-flag wins a couple of years back. His readings were 103 DB at Lime Rock and quieter elsewhere. If you have a loud car, spend the money for the right mufflers and concentrate on your line.

Ever wonder why your car is louder in the morning than in the afternoon? We are reading the speed of sound through the air, and since we all banged rocks together under water and KNOW sound travels better under water, the fact that it's usually more humid and cooler in the morning is a pretty good indicator why. BUT throw in the barometric pressure, which forces the moisture molecules together, you get louder-understand? That is why we also have a density, it kinda takes all the weather readings into consideration. Any gearhead will tell you that denser air makes more horsepower down at the strip.

Why am I telling you this? Most people are afraid of sound control because they don't understand it. It has NOTHING to do with Zen or electromagnetism or space creatures. Actually, we are kinda lonely out there at drivers' left just up from the climbing turn. We are right against the fence, you can work sound control from both sides, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ADULT TO DO THIS SPECIALTY!! We could use the help, really. You don't have to run around and push cars, we don't do it in the pouring rain, you can sit down, and with enough people you can do other stuff during the day! Give us a call or stop by...

Scott VanDeWeghe was one of NNJR's Sound Control workers as well as a flagger for many years. If you are interested in working Sound Control, or any other specialty, please call any Board Member listed on page two of this newsletter.

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So, stay tuned ... Darrell has some great ideas for this site and has the ability and time to do so. Its content, look and feel will change in the future. Please send him your comments. He's open to any suggestions from our membership.