“I LIKE IT LOUD”: Fans reject Michael Waltrip’s plea to reduce NASCAR engine noise

Veteran NASCAR personality and ex-racer, Michael Waltrip, has recently urged NASCAR to reduce the 'deafening' sound of the engines. Waltrip has been an advocate of the cause for quite some time now. However, the two-time Daytona 500 winner's suggestion didn't resonate well with the fans.

According to reports, a normal human can withstand up to 90 decibels for eight hours straight. However, the sound of NASCAR engines can shoot up to 115 decibels on the track, adversely affecting the human ear.

Talking about his proposal of reducing the engine noise in NASCAR, Waltrip took to his X handle and wrote,

"I’ve been an advocate of turning down the deafening noise of the engines for years. They are ridiculously loud. I proposed handing the sound of the cars project off to manufacturer partners. Create a decibel level that engines must meet. Give each brand their own unique sound."

Several fans reacted to Waltrip's tweet, with one saying that they preferred the engines the way they are.

"I LIKE IT LOUD actually years ago the Busch series we called the bumble bees were OK. Indycar turbo days was pleasant," said the fan.

Suggesting that one could always get a pair of hearing protection, another fan said,

"If hearing protection didn’t exist I would agree 100%. How about letting people choose for themselves? Don’t like it, wear hearing protection. Do like it, don’t. I can’t understand why something that can be individually adjusted has to be altered to satisfy only a portion of the people."

Here are a few more reactions to Michael Waltrip asking NASCAR to reduce the sound of its engines:

"They aren’t even loud if you wear earplugs. I’ve sat front row with just foam earplugs and been perfectly fine. The cars aren’t near you long enough to be a problem. They just zip by. And under caution when they’re slower they’re not even loud without ear pro. Bad take Mikey," a fan said.

"Been around asphalt outlaw late models my whole life. Sound is intoxicating," added another fan.

"Honestly, how loud they are is one of my favorite parts about going to a race. Strong disagree here," said someone.

Addressing Waltrip, a fan commented,

"Michael, what are you smoking?? Don't you know that fans love the roar of the engines. Why don't you start a race series with electric cars? I actually enjoy " Crank it up!!"

Meanwhile, actions resume at Iowa Speedway as NASCAR goes on a triple header weekend with the ARCA Menards Series Atlas 150, the NASCAR Xfinity Series HyVee Perks 250, and the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 from June 14 to June 16.

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Kyle Larson shared his thoughts on the deafening NASCAR engine sounds

In December last year, Kyle Larson ran a few test laps at Phoenix to test the short-track package. Interestingly, even the former Cup Series champion felt the NextGen stock cars were way too loud.

Moments after taking a spin around the mile-long, low-banked tri-oval racetrack, Larson said,

"I definitely think our race cars are way too loud and probably are still too loud with the mufflers." (2:32)

"I think the cars could be quieter just to help the fan experience," he added.

Reportedly, mufflers were used in NASCAR as early as the 1960s but did not prove effective. The biggest challenge that these mufflers faced back then was managing the heat coming off of them.

A 2005 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) cited former NASCAR drivers Richard Petty and Jeff Burton using hearing aids due to hearing loss from being exposed to high levels of noise week in and week out.

Last year, NASCAR slated six Cup Series teams to try out the mufflers at Phoenix Raceway.

Therefore, finding a way to bring down the sound levels is crucial, and the usage of mufflers could potentially bring down the sound of the cars by 4 to 6 decibels.