An improved system of LED displays will be used in every IndyCar session this year to assist fans with understanding how each car is performing and to aid the safety team in attending disabled cars, it was announced Tuesday.
IndyCar has contracted with a new manufacturer named MoTeC for 2019 to create a version of the system used in IMSA.
“We know that fans at racetracks and watching from home appreciate the LED system that helps them keep track of how their favorite cars and drivers are performing,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said at IndyCar.com. “That’s why we worked hard in the offseason to develop a more reliable system that will have even brighter displays that make them more visible to everyone. Our thanks go to MoTeC and Jon Koskey, IndyCar’s senior director of technology, who led the effort on this important project.”
One feature of the new displays is that they are lighter, which will insure that there are no performance issues. They were tested in simulated race conditions during the offseason and will be mounted on the chassis’ roll hoop in time for the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The system receives data from IndyCar’s timing and scoring system. Continuously updated at the timing loops embedded in the track, the displays show a car’s running position on the leaderboard during each session.
When a driver presses the push-to-pass button, the display will alight a flashing green “PP”.
During pit stops, the displays will transform into a counter showing the length of service in tenths of a second.
One safety feature is that the display can also show when a car has lost power - assisting in the determination of when to deploy the safety team.
The lights will debut with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg’s practice session beginning on March 8. All practice session will air live on IndyCar Pass - NBC’s streaming service from NBC Sports Gold. More than 200 hours of broadcast qualify programming can be seen on this service, which is currently available at the IndyCar Pass on NBC Sports Gold site.