BRITISH motorsport specialist Prodrive has developed a new exhaust silencer, which should help keep speedway racing alive.

In recent years noise complaints have increasingly led to the closure of speedway tracks. As a result, the sports governing body, the FIM (International Motorcycling Fed-eration), has introduced a noise limit of 115db from January 1, 2010.

Using its experience of producing performance exhaust systems for race, rally and road cars, Prodrive engineers designed and homologated a new silencer for speedway and grasstrack bikes in just ten weeks.

It not only meets the new noise limit without any reduction in power, but can be readily applied to existing engines with the minimum of retuning, avoiding considerable expense.

Mick Metcalfe, principal design engineer at Prodrive, said: “Noise is a key element in creating atmosphere in any motorsport and while most race circuits are in rural locations, many speedway tracks are in more urban locations.

“As a result, many have been forced to close while several others are currently fighting for survival.

“The Prodrive 115 silencer was borne out of mine and several others’ passion for the sport.

“I hope what we have managed to do is create something that appeals to the competitors and that will satisfy planning authorities in the UK and overseas.”

Mick, a life-long speedway fan, started working at Prodrive in 1995 and has helped engineer race and rally cars including the Subaru Impreza WRC, Honda and Ford Touring Cars, as well as Le Mans-winning Ferraris and Aston Martins.

With sports like motocross and grass track racing also under threat, Prodrive believes that the basis of its silencer design could be readily transferred to many aspects of motorcycle sport.

It also believes that it could have applications for racetracks suffering from noise compliance.