
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
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
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...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM
Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...