A racer at any level can benefit from consistency, whether that’s being able to lay down wicked-quick 60-foot times in a heads-up car, or knowing what a bracket car will run down to the thousandth in different conditions. The path to consistency begins with data and there are many ways racers can get this information from their car. By collecting data and displaying it a racer can do less guessing about what a car wants, and make more calculated adjustments based on what they know to help them win.

Having the capability to look at what data the car provides gives racers a distinct advantage — they can see what can be tweaked on the car to make it run better on a regular basis. A racer can see via the data collected where they are shifting exactly or how they are reacting to situations on the track to improve their driving.

It doesn’t matter what kind of racing you’re doing, this data will help make a car perform better across the board. Bracket racers can use a product like the Racepak Sportsman data logger to examine their oil pressure, RPM for wheel spin, and other data points. Heads-up racers can use a data logger to monitor shock travel, converter slip, and G-force readings on a pass.

Racepak’s Chris Vopat explains how racers can use the data to make adjustments to see better results on their time slip.

“Racers use data after a run to look at how the car performed so that adjustments can be made to optimize all aspects of a run to improve the next one. Measuring wheel-spin, for example, may show a driver or crew chief where changes to tire pressure and suspension settings can improve a launch on the car’s next run. Looking at this data also shows the driver where he or she can improve to help the car get to the finish line quicker than it did on the last run.”

To monitor the data in real-time racers can use digital dash that gets its information from the same sensors. This allows for adjustments to be made so a racer can get the best data to make tuning choices on after their pass. “The amount of capability a dash like the IQ3 can provide means that no matter how many sensors a car may have in its data system, they can be monitored by the driver. Plus, all of the data can be arranged however the driver wishes,” Vopat says.

Data helps to drive better performances at the track, so being able to gather it and monitor it are key to any racer’s success. Make sure to check out Racepak’s website to see what data solutions they offer for racers at any level.