NHRA Lives in the Cloud for At-Home Editing, Production of Racing Content Sony, BeBop, NewTek, and Grass Valley are supplying the remote workflows By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 12:32 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
As the U.S. sits at a prolonged red light due to the coronavirus, the National Hot Rod Association is still seeing green. Despite being shut out of NHRA's Glendora, CA, headquarters, the production team has kept its foot on the gas pedal in terms of content creation, thanks to an at-home workflow that features cloud-based editing and storage, video recording through Skype, and equipment from NewTek and Grass Valley.
The setup in NHRA's Rob Hedrick's apartment includes a Grass Valley Kula production switcher.
When NHRA built a studio in Glendora, we decided to go with a NewTek TriCaster 460 and TalkShow box, but, when I saw what San Francisco did [to prevent the spread of coronavirus] a few days before Los Angeles went into lockdown, I went up to the office and took the equipment as well as a mixer, says Rob Hedrick, director, postproduction/supervising producer, NHRA. The workflow has been amazingly simple, and we've been cranking out content like we're still working inside of our studio.
From In-Studio to At-Home: Gradual Move to the Cloud Minimizes Obstacles
In the current circumstances, an actual at-home workflow might seem lucky or coincidental, but the NHRA team would probably consider it a product of meticulous planning. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the drag-racing organization was looking to change production from relying heavily on onsite, in-person interaction to a practice that is more agile and adaptable.
We had already started transitioning to cloud-based editing with Bebop Technology after last year's NAB and finished the process by getting our last editor in the cloud a month before [the pandemic] started happening, says Hedrick. We sent people home with their desktops and/or Teradici Zero Clients beforehand.
Clockwise from top left: Brian Lohnes, Tony Pedregon, Jamie Howe, and Lewis Bloom participate in four-way Skype calls to generate racing content.
At a time when many sports-video-production professionals are swimming in uncharted waters with hardwired systems, the NHRA team is already familiar with an untethered infrastructure. In addition to the pair of NewTek products, there is the Grass Valley Kula production switcher. On the intangible side of the operation, BeBop Technology's editing interface is powered by AWS's cloud-based services, and the crew can manipulate footage or upload 20 GB-100 GB of files through any given web browser that can access Sony's Ci storage platform.
The biggest transition that we had was that most of our editors are used to working on a Mac, but, since it's up in the cloud through AWS, it's PC-based, Hedrick explains. Our editors have adapted quickly, and the render times are quicker since it's in the cloud.
No Place Like Home: Apartment Location Provides Stellar Connectivity
The company's steady change in philosophy has turned a Los Angeles apartment from a humble abode to a fully functioning fortress of content. Alongside Hedrick, figuratively speaking, only one other editor is involved in the process.
Lewis Bloom (left) interviews two-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders about how she's spending her time during the pandemic.
With various kinds of social offerings, there are many digital elements to execute, including four simultaneous Skype calls. Although NewTek TalkShow handles that aspect of the workload, the combined total of traffic and bandwidth over the internet may be a source of constant worry, but, in another stroke of happenstance, the apartment is located in prime real estate for clear and uninterrupted internet connection.
Hedrick had chosen an apartment that's only four blocks from one of the most densely interconnected data centers in the world: One Wilshire, or LA1, which allows 0-ms ping time. Also, AT&T's Los Angeles location is right across the street. And, as if that weren't enough, Hedrick has an extra layer of -redundancy in the form of the apartment building's 100-kW generator.
The Content Catalog: NHRA Rewind: Live, Driver Interviews Lead Programming Lineup
For fans of the NHRA, there has been no shortage of content to get them through the time spent at home. As Fox Sports continues to push re-aired versions of past races, Hedrick and company are handling the entity's social-media channels with both short- and long-form content.
On platforms like Facebook, the team has developed a series dubbed NHRA Rewind: Live. For folks who want to relive the action of an old race or hear thoughts from notable personalities, NHRA Rewind: Live has become a two-hour or more program offering a famous drag race that withstands the test of time and voices that fans are used to for an interactive experience. Statistician Lewis Bloom not only joins in on the nostalgia but brings comments from fans into the discussion by monitoring the chat.
Along with these social-media accounts, this content can be seen on NHRA.com and NHRA.tv, the organization's OTT platform. To get this job done, Hedrick has been patching in talent from across the country, including Bloom in downtown Los Angeles, play-by-play announcer Brian Lohnes in Boston, analyst Tony Pedregon in Indianapolis, and reporter Jamie Howe in Georgia.
Throughout this tumultuous time, fans need constant updates about previously scheduled races and the drivers they follow. To quench their thirst, visual bulletins on up-to-date schedule announcements are released on outlets like Twitter, and, for current information on the participants, drivers have made themselves available to detail, i
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
NHRA Lives in the Cloud for At-Home Editing, Production of Racing Content Sony, BeBop, NewTek, and Grass Valley are supplying the remote workflows By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
