Live From Daytona 500: SMT Digitizes 62-Year-Old Race With Broadcast, Team Data-Tracking 2D, 3D applications have revolutionized coverage of motorsports By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Saturday, February 15, 2020 - 5:01 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Over recent years, data-tracking and analysis have become engrained in the fabric of auto racing. On the NASCAR circuit, both fans and drivers alike have embraced the practice to open up a new avenue of content, and in some cases, appreciation of the sport's intricacies. At the heart of these efforts, SMT's broadcast and team analytics are gamifying the Daytona 500 for younger viewers and enhancing the skills of NASCAR's combatants to better the overall product.
Phil Cochran, Associate Producer Nate Karamanski, and AJ Mead play a big part in SMT's graphics.
The first year, we received input from teams and were also looking at other tools that they were using, says Paulus Weemaes, senior director, motorsports, SMT. We wanted to make it more useful for them and we've done that for three years in a row now.
The Installation of Hardware: Cars Get Fitted With SMT Vectors
In order to jump into the virtual world, there needs to be a physical and tangible item in play to grab the data. In every car that fills the grid on the starting line, a contraption known as a vector is clipped to the top of the roof and is the central hub for data gathering and retrieval as the radio antenna. Since each car needs to be visible on the digital track, NASCAR has penciled the installation of the vector into the pre-race routine.
If the car shows up to inspection and doesn't have the proper components, they don't get to go through, says Weemaes. Every [participating] car that's on the track, we need to track, so we don't want to have things running around that we don't want.
This is the most difficult part of the process. Just like the stock cars that drive around the track, vectors need time to warm up with a few warmup laps. When the GPS sensor on the device get acquired and the six cameras being used by Fox are tapped into, the SMT crew is one step closer to virtualizing the cars.
Team analytics provide raw data from the car, like RPM, miles per hour, braking, throttling, and more.
When they do the first practice, it's sometimes a little bit of a challenge to get the lock on the car. Worst case scenario, its only one or two laps, he continues. Connectivity's a bit of an issue. Once you're at the track, there's a lot of stuff going on, but [it hasn't been a problem] in the last five or six years.
Although the car has a lot of moving parts that run off of the same power source, the vector runs independently by itself. It's a strategy to maintain autonomy over their own piece of technology.
The vector itself gets powered by the battery, so there's no car power that goes through this, he says. We have our own little power unit. Which has another advantage because we can turn it on and off whenever we like.
Back to the Drawing Board: Teams and Drivers Interact With Analytics
Aside from tracking on the course, the vector is critical to understanding the dynamics of the actual car. For teams operating in the NASCAR Cup Series, the system is able to compute other information like fuel levels, revolutions per minute, speed, and more. This numerical data that is coupled with 3D virtual renderings of the car is an application called Team Analytics.
One-car qualifying is being executed by another product of SMT named GhostCar technology.
[Some other examples include] steering input, brake and throttle points, if they're doing that good, says AJ Mead, digital product manager, SMT. On top of that, we also give them strip charts, so they can see what is going on all those [2D] telemetry data points.
Sharing information freely wasn't always the case. Prior to 2018, teams were not able to see the activity being done by other participating teams. After deep discussion and the decision to let the information go public, SMT was chosen to facilitate the transition.
They came to SMT to offer some solutions, and that was pretty much the genesis, says Mead. It's driven by Unity [graphics engine] on the front end, and on the back end, we built the database that can archive every lap, every session, and every car.
When it comes time to break down a driver's session, pit crews can use a specified software that allows multiple GhostCar overlays of previous races to adjust performance.
Car locations are captured via six cameras being used by Fox Sports and a GPS signal through each vector.
Drivers can look at this [application] and say, Why is this guy so much better than me? Oh, he's doing this. Let me try that,' continues Mead. From an engineering standpoint, they can look at this and realize that the driver is loose in Turn 2. Just by looking at the charts, they can make wedge and car adjustments.
This application not only improves individual attributes, but also the work ethic of other drivers. As the old saying goes, iron does indeed sharpen iron.
Unlike anywhere else in motorsports, NASCAR opened up this data for everybody, says Weemaes. It has definitely brought the competition a little bit closer.
Broadcast-Bound: Fans Become Educated With On-Air Telemetry
For the fans, the broadcast is their way of seeing behind the data curtain. Talent like Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon are able to work with the virtual renderings from up in the booth.
The broadcast is leveraging SMT virtual graphics like this football field to compare a car's speed over a span of 100 yards.
We had a scenario during qualifying last week and the Fox team wanted to talk about launch,' off of pit row, says Mead. We were able to go b
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
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
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...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
Live From Daytona 500: SMT Digitizes 62-Year-Old Race With Broadcast, Team Data-Tracking 2D, 3D applications have revolutionized coverage of motorsports By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
