By Ryan - Posted on July 22, 2009
Recently, NASCAR News agencies have highlighted the use of onboard cameras during races in the Sprint Cup series. A highlight for fans, onboard cameras are not new to NASCAR, but the technology has allowed it to develop with much greater success than it began with. Peter Larsson of Broadcast Sports, Inc. said of in-car camera history, “The first time we ever tried it was 1979 and the technology was just getting to the point to where it was small enough to fit in a race car. When I say small enough, back then it was still 50 pounds worth of gear."
Like the old Virginia Slims cigarettes ads, they’ve come a long way, baby! The new cameras, usually three to a car, are roughly 3 ½” around and sit 4” tall. The roof cam is called the “Big Mac” because that’s what it looks like, and is around the same size. The cameras, with the technology that uploads film in real time, weigh in at ounces instead of pounds. Still crew chiefs speculate that it changes weight and therefore performance of the car, something that NASCAR related officials deny. Lyn Jeffers, a sports media executive who works with the camera companies, NASCAR, and the race teams themselves says, “If there's ever been a bigger farce in my life, it's that the in-car camera slows a race car down. An in-car camera has never made a good race car worse, and it's never made a bad race car run good."
Still, the cameras have made an impact on bringing the race fan even closer to the action. As evidence, take for example the final lap of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Everyone in America has seen the video of Kyle Busch landing on Kasey Kahne’s roof. Another video clip that garnered much attention was Carl Edwards’ flight into the catch fence at Talladega earlier in the season.
Both of these accidents spotlight a critical use of onboard cameras. NASCAR has so many other safety indicators that can be tracked through sensors in the car, and the onboard camera is no different. Visual evidence in the case of an on track incident can enlighten NASCAR officials on issues of safety, either through aggressive driving, or ways they can correct procedures and assess driver protection. Regardless of the griping by crew chiefs, onboard cameras are critical to NASCAR and good for the sport all around.
