Coverage of auto racing’s IndyCar Series on ABC and ESPN will now benefit from the same Sportvision car-tracking technology that NASCAR broadcasts have used for years.
Beginning with the broadcast of the Toyota Indy 300 from the Homestead-Miami Speedway March 19 on ABC, all IndyCar Series races onESPN and ABC Sports, including the Indianapolis 500, will now feature Sportvision's RACEf/x system.
RACEf/x uses a combination of on-board Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) computers, trackside data receivers and specialized cameras to provide viewers with graphic effects and relevant data that allows them to better follow the action.
RACEf/x’s featured "pointer" graphic will identify the Indy cars and track them as they race at speeds in excess of 220 miles per hour. The on-board GPS system captures all telemetry and positioning, including speed, acceleration/deceleration, time behind the leader, exact car position and RPMs. It will incorporate several data elements that will be unique to IRL coverage, including measuring the "G-force" exerted on the driver in a turn. Beginning with the Indianapolis 500, viewers will also be to track real-time data of any car competing in the race by following the race live on ESPN.com.
"This Sportvision technology will have a profound impact on viewers of the IndyCar Series on ESPN and ABC Sports," says Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer for ESPN and ABC Sports. "From now on, fans will be able to better identify the drivers and will have vital information--the same information that the drivers and their crews have."
