Motorsport is fast becoming synonymous with the YB Tracking brand and we have specifically upgraded our systems this year in order to present even better tracking for this sport – just in time for King of the Hammers 2020.
YB Tracking is the choice for Motorsport tracking
YB Tracking has been the race tracking partner for a wide number of industries and is the world leader for off-grid and offshore race tracking. Each year we are chosen by more motorsport race organisers including the Mint 400, King of the Hammers, The Real Way to Dakar, Rebelle Rally and even the Morocco ‘Dakar’ Challenge – some events we have now been covering for 6 years in a row!
Our YB3 trackers can be used for a number of purposes for motor racing. They can obviously be used to show where competitors are on the track, but we also provide leaderboarding, geo-fencing and checkpoint marking. We can show which laps vehicles are on, alert if they are stopped, report on over-speeding through pits, and more!
Data is transmitted from anywhere on Earth (no GSM signal required) via the Iridium Satellite network. The race is then presented to spectators and organisers through the YB Races app on Android and IOS, or via a standard web browser. Organisers can also arrange for the data to be pushed into their specialised systems via an API link, to help with video production for example.
2020 upgrades…
New this year, we’re pleased to announce that our systems have gone from great to exceptional with the changes we have put in place for organisers, pit crews and viewers at home:
Smart Segments Page
Our new smart segments page improves upon the previous leaderboarding, by showing individual stage times for competitors, gains and losses on those ahead or behind them, and gives great data on the relative performance of the vehicles in real time as they make their way around the course.
We have found this view has been really well received by commentators, who can use it in real time to describe the action over-the-horizon and use the data to enhance their delivery!
Specialist Alerting Screens
With 400+ vehicles on a race course, keeping on top of the exceptions is critical to the organisers. A new set of live reporting has been created to show vehicles that have stopped, have missed transmissions, have fired alerts from their units, or have triggered over-speed warnings (through pits for example).
Laps and Filters
While we detect and show the racers on their laps, we had feedback that with so many vehicles on the map it was sometimes hard to decipher. This year we have introduced special new reporting for the organisers, plus improved the YB Races app.
While the app always allowed the public to filter by name and division, we have now allowed the ability to filter by lap, retirements, and a number of other parameters. Early feedback shows this has been a great improvement to usability and makes it clearer to follow such large races on smaller smartphone screens!
The infamous Ultra4-organised King of the Hammers 2020 is the first event to bear witness to our exciting upgrades.
"Being able to follow the segments has allowed us to tell a far more dynamic story. Trying to cover a race of this size and duration, our biggest challenge is keeping the live audience informed on where the drivers stand and having the segments was a massive addition." - Ultra4 Live Webcast Director, Tim Loubier
King of the Hammers
The annual King of the Hammers (KOH) event has been running for over a decade and attracts motorsports enthusiasts from across the globe. Taking place in the makeshift desert city known as Hammertown in Southern California, King of the Hammers week is eight days of qualifying and racing with the toughest one-day off-road race Nitto King of the Hammers taking place on Friday 7th February.
YB Tracking has been working with KOH organisers for over six years now. We track all of the races during the jam-packed week of events. From Ultra4 vehicles, UTVs, motorcycles, T1 desert trucks, and stock to stock-modified off-road vehicles, our devices are strapped to every vehicle to keep track of location and standing.
Our race viewer compliments the live webcast (found at ultra4racing.com/live) brilliantly, so any spectators who can’t attend can still keep up with the progress of the teams in real time, from anywhere in the world.
The YB Race viewer, app and new Segments timing pages have been enthusiastically received by all departments of the King of the Hammers event team. Race Operations are able to swiftly and accurately deploy support staff to parts of the racecourse where assistance is required. Race commentators and event production teams have a higher than ever understanding of the story developing out on this 300 mile course which allows them to deliver more informative and interesting event coverage live during the event.
"The event would not be possible without YB Tracking. Both from a technical and service standpoint YB Tracking is integral to this operation and the event couldn't run as it is without them." - Dave Cole, Ultra4 Executive Director
More information about King of the Hammers on their website: https://kingofthehammers.com/
Want to talk to us about your own race – be it yacht racing, car or bike rallies, dog mushing or something else? Contact us on +44 (0) 2380 00 2029 or email info@ybtracking.com.