CHARLOTTE, N.C. — tiwi™, an inthinc division focused on driving safety, today announced its technology is being used in a NASCAR® pilot program. The lime green-colored tiwi devices, which are positioned in race vehicle windshields, are being tested as a lap counter system in the Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series races.
“We have had a great relationship with NASCAR for several years, and we’re excited to now be working with them on the competition aspects as well as vehicle and track safety,” said Todd Follmer, CEO of inthinc. “As a company, we are focused on driving safety, and NASCAR has been a natural fit to work with as one of the most safety-conscious organizations in the world.”
The use of the lap counter builds on a seven-year relationship between inthinc and NASCAR. inthinc’s Witness Crash Data Recorder has been used in all NASCAR series since 2002 to record driving data and improve car and driver safety. The data collected has been instrumental in equipment and track improvements and in the development of the COT (“Car of Tomorrow”).
NASCAR’s primary lap counter utilizes an inductive loop system on the start/finish line, which sends and receives a signal to and from a transponder in each car. The tiwi system uses GPS and mapping technology to create a series of zones around any track and counts each time a car passes through specified zones, ensuring a high level of lap counting accuracy. The current backup system requires a member from each team to sit close to the track with a clear view of the start/finish line. Following a successful pilot program of the tiwi device, NASCAR will have the availability of these prime viewing locations at each track.
The tiwi system utilizes proven technology that has been available to commercial fleets for 10 years to reduce accidents by more than 80 percent annually. The tiwi product will soon be released for consumers as a teen driving safety solution that mentors young drivers to dramatically improve driving skills, reduce accidents and increase teen safety.
About inthinc
inthinc combines innovative ideas with engineering expertise to create breakthrough technology that mentors drivers to save lives, prevent accidents and safeguard property. inthinc’s technology dramatically improves driver behavior and has been documented by clients to reduce accidents by more than 80 percent annually. For more information, please visit http://www.inthinc.com.
