How Does Live Data Impact NASCAR Drivers and Teams During a Race?

Technology plays a big role in aiding NASCAR drivers to stay safe on the race track while pushing their performance to the maximum. It facilitates much from better safety features to engine performance.

Among the most sophisticated pieces of tech that NASCAR uses are its data acquisition systems. These help acquire data that are then used to make on-track adjustments and achieve a better result.

The information is also used to monitor driver behavior and provide valuable feedback that will enable them to stay more consistent in the race.

The newly appointed crew chief of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team Chris Gayle tells CBS Austin about this, “We get GPS data of the location of the car around the race track, we get speed, we get break, we get throttle, we get steering…”

“We have this basically for any lap. We spent a bunch of time doing that and posting videos for the driver to learn like where to land the car on the race track, when somebody’s beating him, and where and when they may be doing it.” Such insights are crucial in a driver being able to extract the best out of the advanced machinery that he is piloting.

The crew chief can see comparison data like the differences in speed between two cars, the variations in their engine RPMs, and even the brake pressure that they apply in each lap. The precise feedback that is offered translates into extremely useful indicators to base their performance on. At the end of the day, every race track is a high-technology battleground.

Tech has also made a deep impact on the aerodynamics of the car. Teams today use simulations and wind tunnel tests to put their cars together with better racing properties. This allows them to race faster around the corners and on straightaways. Advanced materials like carbon fiber have also made it so that the cars are lighter in weight and fuel efficient.

A crucial point of technological advancements in the sport came in 2012 when electronic fuel injection was introduced in place of carburetors. This resulted in better control over engines.

Another front where tech has advanced a lot is in fan communication. Races and other events can be streamed live from anywhere across the world with stability that has never been seen before.