MEDIA RELEASE: As the East Coast Bullbars V8 Ute Racing Series continues to grow and mature in terms of driver performance, the Sieders Racing Team (SRT) have been utilising Biometric data to help find ways to improve their drivers’ performance.
Testing a new device developed by Wireless Motorsport, the team are able to wirelessly collect a great array of data on the drivers’ physical state throughout sessions (including heart rate, body temperature and muscle oxygen levels).
The data is logged on the MoTeC dash to line up with all the other car and engine sensors.
“For years we have been monitoring everything about the car,” said Wireless Motorsport’s Chris Blomfield-Brown, “everything except the driver.”
“With synchronised biometric data, we can see exactly where on the track or in what circumstances a drivers stress level increases.”
This information has provided the team with unprecedented insight into one of the most critical components in motorsport.
“We have learned a lot in our recent tests and are seeing ways to help our drivers improve, and the most important observation has been detecting driver stress,” said Sieders Racing Owner, Luke Sieders,
“Stress or anxiety varies in each individual. Sometimes a driver might be affected by a particular corner or section of the other situations such as qualifying or traffic.”
The Wireless Motorsport device has been able to demonstrate that stress plays a key role in the drivers’ performance, with increased stress levels increasing the likelihood of making mistakes on the track.
“One thing has been overwhelmingly clear – the faster drivers are the calmer drivers,” said Sieders, “keeping drivers calm and addressing stress raising situations has already started helping our drivers in improving their on track results”.
Whilst the mental impact of stress has been identified, this biometric device has also quantifiably shown the real impact of overheating and fatigue leading to situations where it’s difficult for a driver to perform at their peak.
“At the first round this year, for example, we found out that we were literally cooking our drivers with body temperatures reaching close to dangerous levels and with this sort of information, we can now work on ways of counteracting all of these mental and physical factors that affect the drivers.”
Wireless Motorsport is developing the biometric device, with the view to making the product available to the market to help improve on-track performances overall.
“Given the remarkable level of competition across the field, we are focusing on small details which can give us an edge.”
For more information about Biometrics for Motorsport visit www.wirelessmotorsport.com
