No ear plugs (1 Viewer)

BaldyLochs

Nitro Member
I think this has been discussed here before but can't remember for sure..... why is it that some top fuel tuners take off their ear plugs when warming up the motor in the pits? Often in conjunction with stepping towards the rear of the vehicle and observing the exhaust output. Didn't Connie Kalitta say something about hearing the valves click and watching them fire or something like that?
 
I remember Dick Lahaie doing this. I thought he said he was watching the pipes to see if they fired evenly or some thing like that. The guy was brilliant to watch during warmups.
 
LOL, and working in the shop without safety glasses allows you to see better. Welding without a helmet lets you see the beads better. Their ears, their choice I guess...
 
read my lips..........

Actually some one who is around these cars everyday probably can hear slight tuning variations we would not.
and being behind the car the noise is going around you.
 
Sure they can...once. Regardless of what people think, good foam ear plugs are great at filtering out damaging ambient noise once you get used to them. I work around noise all day every day and I can tell you this, once your hearing is gone, it's gone forever.
 
I remember Dick Lahaie doing this. I thought he said he was watching the pipes to see if they fired evenly or some thing like that. The guy was brilliant to watch during warmups.



I used to work in a food production factory on a daily basis and over the years, my ears learned the sound of the machinery's nuances. I could tell how it was running from sound alone. But it was not deafening like a race motor!

The one that defies my belief was Wayne DuPuy. Car is under the awning, motor warming up, thick, eye-stinging, lung-constricting, yellow cloud of nitro, ear drum killing decibels, no respirator, no ear plugs, and he's casually going about business. Meanwhile me and all the other fans at the ropes are crying, running noses, covering our ears, puking, retching lol
 
once your hearing is gone, it's gone forever.
Troof. I have to cover my ears EVERY alcohol or nitro pass or I'm in pain. Still, I want to go to Bristol or Rockingham lol! I was born too late for Lions at Long Beach.
 
I have poor hearing in my right ear, cuz when I was young, I didn't need no stinkin' ear plugs. A nitro motor will do that.... Doc said it was "classic hearing loss". Wife sez "get a hearing aide". I say nothing if I want to keep the peace.... heh heh
 
After getting my left eardrum blasted by a top fuel car about 15 years ago, I put ear plugs in as soon as I get to the track and don’t take them out until I’m leaving.
But, in a side note, when I was crewing on The Invader NFC, I noticed that Glenn Solano, the owner, never wore ear protection. Nor does he plug his ears with his fingers. He never has. Not during warmups or the run. To this day, he’s still got super sonic hearing. He’s been around nitro motors for over 50 years. It’s amazing.
Many times, I’ve been in his shop, standing next to a big fan, talking to another crew member, with him on the other side of the room. He can still hear everything. We couldn’t talk about him because he would always hear us. lol
 
WHAT?

Many years ago I didn't wear ear plugs at the races. How else could you join in the chants of "the spectator side sucks!" while at E-Town?
Then I missed a few years , but went back to Maple Grove in 2007. I don't need ear plugs....I know how loud the fuelers are.
Go to 1000 ft. Here comes the first pair.....
YEEEEOW!!!

Boy they got loud ....by a bunch!

Definitely louder than seeing the Who in concert....

WHO?
 
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