More technology from the NASCAR circuit

SportVision may provide “the most complicated graphic in television” with its real-time display of car track position, speed, RPM, throttle position and braking data, but there’s a few haulers' worth of additional technology that goes into support each NASCAR-sanctioned race.

Cellular service

A majority of the 23 tracks that host the NASCAR Nextel Cup races are located in rural areas, where cell phone coverage can be limited. Even where there is sufficient coverage for the local population, adding another 75,000-plus race fans can saturate the system in a hurry.

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SportVision may provide “the most complicated graphic in television” with its real-time display of car track position, speed, RPM, throttle position and braking data, but there’s a few haulers' worth of additional technology that goes into support each NASCAR-sanctioned race.

Cellular service

A majority of the 23 tracks that host the NASCAR Nextel Cup races are located in rural areas, where cell phone coverage can be limited. Even where there is sufficient coverage for the local population, adding another 75,000-plus race fans can saturate the system in a hurry.

And with Nextel being the primary sponsor for NASCAR’s signature race series for the next 10 years, robust cell service is a must at each venue. “It would look bad if Nextel phones don’t work at a Nextel event,” says Mike Robichaud, Nextel’s vice president of sports and entertainment marketing.

To ensure service, Nextel brings in NasCOW, a tractor-trailer with a retractable antenna that provides the equivalent of six average cell sites. NasCOW, which stands for Cellular on Wheels, connects to a T-1 line on site or can use microwave technology to connect into a backbone phone network. At New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, the 26 T-1s were connected to the truck to support the 91,000-plus fans in the stands.

The NasCOW technicians can vary the power of the signal so that it does not extend much beyond the reach of the stands. They can also steer the signal in certain directions if need be.

Two NasCOWs support the racing series, each leap-frogging the other from event to event. Smaller units are placed in the parking areas to provide coverage to tailgating fans.

Race teams

Though NASCAR prohibits the race teams from using in-race telemetry data, technology does play a major role in a racing strategy. Jimmie Johnson’s 48 car team, the series leader going into the Aug. 22, 2004 race at Michigan International Speedway, uses laptops in the pit area equipped with specially built applications for tracking tire sets and pit stop information for his car and the competition, says Chad Knaus, the team crew chief.

“Each tire set is numbered and some have different air pressures in them,” Knaus says. “We put those on if the car is getting ‘loose’ and [the application] tells us which set to grab. That way there’s no need to do a chassis adjustment [which could slow the pit stop time.]”

Johnson’s team also records video of each stop to help coach crew members on technique. When the average pit stop is about 15 seconds for getting four tires and gas, each tenth of a second eliminated can make a big difference.

Future

Time is also of the essence when a driver wrecks and his car catches fire. Not only does the driver have to undo the seatbelt and head-restraint systems, but he also has a tangle of wires that connects his helmet to his radio units. NASCAR is now testing Bluetooth technology that would replace the ¾-inch data cable currently used to connect the driver to the car.

Wireless technology is also being investigated for delivering video feeds to the fans sitting in the stands, says Dan Patin, director of broadcast operations for NASCAR. One vendor says 802.11 wireless technology could work to deliver the video stream, but so far a low-powered television signal shows more promise. The other issue is how to get a good quality video on a screen that’s going to be used in sunlight.