NASCAR races produce noise levels around 96 decibels in the grandstands, which is loud enough to cause hearing damage during a full race. You need hearing protection rated to reduce that noise to at least 85 decibels, the threshold where prolonged exposure starts causing permanent harm. The good news is you have several solid options, from cheap foam earplugs to scanner headsets that let you listen to driver communications while protecting your ears.
How Loud a NASCAR Race Actually Gets
A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health measured noise at Bristol Motor Speedway and found levels of 96 decibels in the stands. Down in the pits, levels climbed even higher, and inside a race car during practice they hit 114 decibels. For context, NIOSH sets the safe exposure limit at 85 decibels averaged over eight hours, and for every 3-decibel increase above that, the safe exposure time gets cut roughly in half.
At 96 decibels, you’re looking at a safe window of well under an hour before risking permanent damage. A typical NASCAR Cup race lasts three to four hours. Without ear protection, you’re exposing yourself to noise levels that can cause irreversible hearing loss in a single afternoon.
Foam Earplugs: Cheap and Effective
Disposable foam earplugs are the simplest option and surprisingly effective when inserted correctly. Most foam plugs carry a noise reduction rating (NRR) between 29 and 33 decibels. Research shows earplugs attenuate around 25 decibels at lower frequencies and up to 40 decibels at higher ones, which makes them well suited for the roar of stock car engines. A good pair of foam plugs can bring 96 decibels down into a safe range comfortably.
The catch is fit. You need to roll the plug into a tight cylinder, pull your ear up and back to straighten the ear canal, and insert it deep enough that it expands to form a seal. A loosely inserted foam plug can lose half its rated protection. A pack of disposable foam earplugs costs a few dollars at any drugstore or hardware store, so there’s no reason not to toss a bag in your pocket as a backup even if you plan to use something else.
Passive Earmuffs: Simple Over-Ear Protection
Over-ear earmuffs with an NRR of 25 or higher are a popular choice at the track, especially for people who find earplugs uncomfortable. Earmuffs tend to perform best in the mid-frequency range (1 to 4 kHz), where they can attenuate 35 to 40 decibels. They’re slightly less effective than well-fitted earplugs at the lowest and highest frequencies, but for race noise they do the job.
Earmuffs are also easier to put on and take off, which matters if you want to chat between races or during caution laps. Look for a pair that’s ANSI S3.19 certified, which confirms they’ve been independently tested for noise attenuation. Standard music headphones, even expensive ones like Bose, are not designed for noise reduction at these levels and won’t protect your hearing at a race.
Scanner Headsets: Protection Plus Race Audio
Scanner headsets are the most popular choice among regular NASCAR fans because they combine hearing protection with a built-in radio scanner. You can tune into the race broadcast, listen to communications between a specific driver and their crew chief, or switch between channels throughout the race. It transforms the experience from a wall of engine noise into something you can actually follow lap by lap.
Racing Electronics, the official provider at most NASCAR tracks, rents scanner-and-headset packages at the track for about $48, with the option to add a second headphone for $16 or an intercom system for two people for $32. Rentals need to be reserved online before race day. You can also buy your own scanner and headset to use at multiple races, which pays for itself after a couple of events if you attend regularly.
The noise-reducing headphones included with scanner packages are designed for motorsports environments and provide meaningful attenuation. Just confirm any headset you buy or rent has an actual NRR rating rather than relying on generic “noise-canceling” marketing language.
Doubling Up: Earplugs Under Earmuffs
If you’re sitting close to the track, in the lower rows, or near the start/finish line where noise is loudest, wearing foam earplugs underneath earmuffs or a scanner headset gives you the best protection available. This dual approach doesn’t double your protection, though. Research confirms the combined attenuation is far less than simply adding the two ratings together. The European standard estimates that doubling up adds only 6 to 10 decibels beyond whichever single device is better on its own.
Still, that extra 6 to 10 decibels matters when you’re sitting in sustained noise above 96 decibels for hours. If you’re wearing a scanner headset primarily to listen to race audio, slipping in a pair of foam plugs underneath is an easy way to add a meaningful safety margin without giving up the experience.
Protecting Kids at the Track
Children’s ears are more vulnerable to noise damage, and kids are less likely to tell you when something is too loud. Standard adult earplugs don’t fit small ear canals well, so over-ear earmuffs sized for children are the better choice. Several companies make child-sized earmuffs at price points from $10 to $30. The key requirement is the same as for adults: look for ANSI S3.19 certification on the packaging.
Keep in mind that even with earmuffs rated at NRR 22 or so, a child at 96 decibels is still exposed to roughly 87 decibels after attenuation, which is above the 85-decibel safety threshold for extended periods. For young children at a full-length race, pairing child-sized earmuffs with small foam earplugs underneath provides the safest option. For babies and toddlers, specialized infant earmuffs with a snug headband (rather than a rigid frame) are available and worth the investment.
Some tracks rent FanVision or similar devices that combine hearing protection with a screen showing replays, race data, and scanner audio. These can keep older kids engaged while also covering their ears, which solves the problem of children pulling off “boring” earmuffs mid-race.
Custom-Molded Earplugs for Regular Fans
If you attend multiple races per season, custom-molded earplugs are worth considering. Racing Electronics sells custom-fitted pairs for about $100. An audiologist can also make them, sometimes at a higher price. These plugs are shaped to your exact ear canal, which means they seal consistently every time without the fuss of rolling and inserting foam. They’re reusable for years, more comfortable over long wear, and provide reliable attenuation because fit issues are essentially eliminated.
Custom plugs can also be made with filtered inserts that reduce volume evenly across frequencies rather than muffling everything. This preserves more of the natural sound character of the race while still bringing levels into a safe range. For someone who goes to four or five races a year, they pay for themselves quickly compared to scanner rentals and offer better long-term hearing protection than generic disposables that may not be inserted perfectly every time.