SMT's GhostCar Technology Enables NASCAR To Transition to Single-Car Qualifying Combining the tech and the qualifying format is expected to produce more-compelling coverage By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 9:19 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Last week, NASCAR announced that all three national series will return to single-car qualifying at all oval tracks after five-plus years of using a group qualifying format. Although NASCAR's decision to shift formats was based on a number of factors, one of the primary enablers was the success of SMT's GhostCar/Broadcast Analytics technology during Fox Sports and NBC Sports telecasts.
SMT's GhostCar/Broadcast Analytics system is now being used during single-car qualifying.
One of the other things to make a compelling program out of [qualifying] is, we've seen the use of the ghost car [on television]. That's going to be a big element in presenting a quality show, Scott Miller, senior VP, competition, NASCAR, said in an interview with NASCAR.com. I think fans are going to be able to see which drivers drive in deep, which drivers roll the middle faster, and get off the corners faster and really give the talent in the booth something to talk about.
Miller added that this was a unified decision between broadcasters, teams, and NASCAR after qualifying-gamesmanship issues plagued the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series throughout this season. The changes went into effect for last weekend's NASCAR tripleheader at Dover International Speedway, and the GhostCar technology was featured in Fox Sports' qualifying coverage. The group qualifying format, which was introduced before the 2014 season, will remain for the series' three road-course events.
The GhostCar made its first appearance during NASCAR Xfinity qualifying last week.
SMT's GhostCar/Broadcast Analytics tool debuted during the 2018 NASCAR season as a part of the NBC broadcast package and was used as a direct-to-tape execution mostly during qualifying. Just a year later, GhostCar now fuels live visualizations in both NBC and Fox broadcasts. Now NASCAR and its broadcast partners believe the use of this technology will enhance the on-air product for fans during qualifying - as it did during Fox's Daytona 500 single-car qualifying coverage in February.
Historically, single-car qualifying had a stigma of being boring to watch, says AJ Mead, digital product manager, SMT. This past February, for Daytona 500 single-car qualifying, SMT and Fox debuted GhostCar. The combination of the broadcast video with our live virtual visualization and leaderboard data created a compelling feel. Viewers were able to see in real time how the driver was racing vs. the bubble or pole sitter and visually see where they were gaining or losing.
How It Works: Inside SMT's GhostCar Technology
The GhostCar application is powered by a combination of sources. The application visualizes SMT's RACEf/x tracking-system data - a combination of GPS location data, NASCAR Timing and Scoring data, and car ECU (engine control unit) data - in a 3D virtual environment. The virtual playback is both live and archived for on-demand viewing. SMT has built 3D virtual track and car models using SMT survey data for precision structural and geographic accuracy.
In addition to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, SMT's GhostCar system now supports the Xfinity Series as well.
Feature enhancements like virtual pointers, custom driving lines, custom loop segments, and other user-experience improvements have allowed greater flexibility in how the tool visualizes data within NASCAR coverage.
In 2018, GhostCar was primarily used to visualize one driver's qualifying lap vs. another's. While that is a compelling execution, it was only scratching the surface of the tool's capabilities, says Mead. This season, Fox and SMT have used GhostCar to visualize more scenarios, including a car's performance on old tires vs. new tires and team performance on green-flag pit stops. These additional visualizations are a great tool for the talent to effectively communicate with the audience.
Shift to Single-Car Qualifying Opens the Door for GhostCar Tech
Given the frenetic pace of group qualifying, using GhostCar live was not an option. However, with the transition to a single-car format, SMT's technology will allow the story of qualifying to be told in an entirely new way.
SMT's GhostCar technology will allow NASCAR broadcasters to better visualize competition during qualifying.
When cars hit the track for a live session, the GhostCar application ingests the RACEf/x tracking data, and, through the easy-to-navigate user interface, a producer can cue up any lap from any driver and compare performance vs. any car in the field. The virtual environment allows a producer to place virtual cameras anywhere in the scene to capture compelling vantage points not seen through typical broadcast cameras. The producer has extensive control to customize various scenarios through an extensive feature set.
What I am excited to see is the GhostCar visualization during single-car qualifying at shorter tracks, says Mead. Previously at the super speedways, drivers are full throttle, and there isn't much difference in driving lines. At the shorter tracks, viewers will be able to see the differences in brake and throttle traces, and I expect driving lines to be a bit different. These are all added storylines and talking points for the talent, which should ultimately make for a more compelling television show.
At oval tracks larger than 1.25 miles, teams will determine the starting lineup with a single timed qualifying lap. At tracks 1.25 miles and shorter, teams will start on the basis of the best of two timed single-car laps. The qualifying order draw wil
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing a comprehensive lineup of next-generation POV cameras, purpose-built to power today's connected AV environments, at InfoC...
01/06/2026
Adobe Announces Concept to Vector
Deepa Subramaniam June 1, 2026
0 Comments
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from designers is how difficult it...
01/06/2026
Vampire Feature Night Patrol Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton June 1, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist shapes dark, gritty tone for horror thri...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
31/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Wins 15 Awards at the Canadian Screen Awards - See Pho...
31/05/2026
Taiwan is home to more than 500 NVIDIA ecosystem partners. More than 1 million N...
31/05/2026
As factories move from isolated automation to plant-wide intelligence, manufacturers need AI systems that can connect live machine signals, quality systems, wor...
31/05/2026
The NVIDIA AI Cloud ecosystem is accelerating the global buildout of AI factory infrastructure. Partners are expanding capacity to meet growing demand from ente...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
SMT's GhostCar Technology Enables NASCAR To Transition to Single-Car Qualifying Combining the tech and the qualifying format is expected to produce more-compelling coverage By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
