Microsoft has teamed up with NASCAR to develop a new Windows 10 race management app for its racing teams. It will be used for the first time today during the Toyota - Save Mart 350 at the Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California.
NASCAR executive vice president Steve O'Donnell and Microsoft's Mike Downey demonstrated the app in a press event on Friday, where the app was shown working on a large Surface Hub screen. It will be used in combination with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform:
By bringing six different data categories, such as historical data, timing and scoring, pit road officiating, video replay and car positioning, into one app, O'Donnell said it would allow race directors to relay messages to teams more quickly than the current system where data is analyzed on multiple screens from multiple feeds. Information can be gleaned during the race as well as immediately afterward, so the goal, at least from a competition standpoint, is that the decisions in what is perhaps the fastest of fast-moving sports can be made more quickly.For example, if there's a violation on pit road, NASCAR officials will be able to cut video and send it to the teams, along with a message. This would replace today's method of relaying the message over the airwaves. NASCAR is counting on this being a more accurate and efficient way to deliver their in-race messages.
Microsoft and NASCAR plan to offer improvements to the app after its debut today.
