Technology has long tracked how race cars perform, frequently revolutionizing the sport. Now the same thing is being contemplated for drivers and crew members.
Motorsports executives have been evaluating how the rise of wearable technology could affect the sport, with some thinking the use of such analytics could be revolutionary, whether for performance and safety reasons or simply entertainment and content.
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Chip Ganassi Racing has experimented with the technology with driver Tony Kanaan.
Photo by: CHIP GANASSI RACING
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Wearables have gained consumer traction in recent years due to the rise of devices like Fitbit, but integration into motorsports has taken longer. But recently, teams, manufacturers and media partners have begun considering opportunities, with some series even tweaking rules and a handful of teams striking deals.
Chip Ganassi Racing has been experimenting with a wearable device on IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan created by sponsor NTT Data, and the team is close to striking a deal with a different company on its NASCAR side.
“We definitely feel like there’s a big opportunity to help us understand more how our athletes are reacting and recovering,” said Steve Lauletta, president of Ganassi Racing. “Being able to track things that will help them perform at their peak levels is a place that we think is going to be another way to build a competitive advantage if we can do it with the right partner.”
NASCAR is permitting drivers to use approved wearables this season despite having no rules that allowed them at the beginning of 2016. NASCAR plans to add stipulations on wearables for the 2017 season (see box) and sent out a memo to teams two weeks ago detailing restrictions, namely that only approved devices be used and that the downloading of the data not happen during qualifying or races.
PIT ROAD ACCESSORIES
Initial wearable devices approved by NASCAR for use starting in 2017.
■ Garmin Forerunner 735XT
■ Garmin Forerunner 235
■ Garmin Forerunner 15
■ Garmin Vivoactive HR
■ Misfit Flash Link
■ Misfit Ray
■ Misfit Shine
■ Polar A360
■ Samsung Gear Fit2
■ TomTom Spark Cardio
■ Jawbone Up2
Source: NASCAR
IndyCar also had no formal rules for wearables this past season but allowed Kanaan to use them.
Teams considering the use of wearable technology in NASCAR beyond Ganassi include Hendrick Motorsports, which is working with sponsor Microsoft, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Team Penske. Wayne Taylor Racing in IMSA also is experimenting with wearables, and Adam Nelson, an executive with NTT Data who is working on Kanaan’s project, said he has been contacted about the technology by Formula One team McLaren.
Among auto manufacturers, Nelson said he also has been contacted by Ford. Ford did not reply to a request for comment by press time.
Higher-end wearables that can withstand the elements that come with racing are being envisioned in multiple ways. Kanaan’s specially made Hitoe shirt has nano-fibers embedded in the fabric, therefore using no wires. Other avenues that are being developed include a device that would be built into drivers’ earbuds, and even a pill to swallow.
“[Crew chiefs] have all the stuff about the chassis and engine coming in — and they need to make decisions about the car,” said Ed Potkanowicz, associate professor of exercise physiology at Ohio Northern University, who is working with Wayne Taylor Racing on its wearables. “Well, I contend that when we get real-time biometric monitoring, we can make decisions about the driver or be telling the driver what he or she needs to do [in regard to their body].”
On the media side, NBC Sports, which shares IndyCar media rights alongside ABC/ESPN, looked into airing Kanaan’s heart rate during its coverage as part of a tie-in with NTT Data, which has advertised with the network. That didn’t happen for this year, but Nelson said it could be re-evaluated next season.
“Some of the things that we’re going to be able to look at would probably not be stuff that we would share to the public, because it’s about people’s well-being,” Lauletta said. “But I do think from a series standpoint, the closer you can bring fans to what’s going on with the drivers in the car and pit crews on pit lane is certainly an interesting place to poke around.”
