VEHICLE GPS TRACKING FOR MOTORSPORT

INTRO

Motorsports are popular events all over the world, including rally type ones. Faithful fans have known that there is almost nothing more exciting to watch a competing car or motorbike running a tricky section of the track while spitting gravel and dust. At the same time, relevant data tracking and monitoring to ensure accuracy of results, timely technical and medical assistance, proper safety measures are vitally important.

CHALLENGE

Motorsports are popular competitive events that take place in most countries around the globe and use customised motor vehicles for racing competitions. There is a wide range of different types of motor vehicles used, such as passenger cars, motorbikes, go-karts, boats, lorries, side-by-side vehicles (SxS or SSV), utility task vehicles (UTV), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROV), all-terrain vehicles (ATV), snowmobiles, etc.

According to a report by market research firm ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global market for motorsport was estimated to be worth US$4.8 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$7.8 billion by 2027. At the same time, the increasing popularity inevitably causes a rising number of accidents, safety issues, and challenges for event administrators, racing team managers and so on. It pushes national governments and event organisers to look not only to implement some stringent laws and regulations but for present-day solutions to be adopted too.

In this case, we focus on point-to-point format motorsport events, such as rally or Baja racing. Some of the major concerns are people's safety, vehicle breakdowns, crashes, congestions, and passing of waypoints (aka checkpoints or control points) events tracking, etc. At any given moment, event administrators and racing team managers have to know the location of each participant and some parameters of vehicles, such as ignition on/off status and speed. They need the data to monitor racing event progress in real-time, calculate time, points, and penalties flawlessly, initiate timely alerts and take the relevant actions, respectively.

That said, is there any way to overcome these challenges by utilising the features and benefits of vehicle GPS devices and the relevant data they track to assist the motorsport industry? Yes, it is, and that is where Teltonika Telematics top quality products and expertise come in very handy.

SOLUTION

To address the challenges, the variety of Teltonika manufactured models can be successfully utilised depending on particular motorsport specifics, terrain, and meteorological conditions. For the sake of example, here we choose the ADVANCED category vehicle GPS tracker FMB204. Its distinctive features - a compact, robust, water-resistant, and dustproof IP67 rating casing with internal high gain GNSS/GSM antennas, and a high-capacity internal Li-ion battery.

Such properties will ensure that the device withstands elements driving on tarmac, gravel, mud, sand, pools of water, slopes, pits, humps, tree branches, leaves, grass, etc. in any weather pattern - from the scorching sun to torrential rain. Plus, the internal battery is very useful if the tracker is disconnected from the main power supply during a race.

How it works - at some point before the start of the competition, all GPS trackers have to be installed in racing cars, set up, and tested accordingly. Types of vehicles may vary and a wide range of different types of motor vehicles can be used - from passenger cars and motorbikes to all-terrain vehicles.

Thanks to extensive functionality, integrated accelerometer, internal Flash memory, and usage scenarios, FMB204 tracks in real-time each vehicle of interest GNSS coordinates, its speed, battery voltage level, accelerometer readings, ignition on/off events, overspeeding, idling, crash events, etc. All the relevant data will be sent to the main and backup servers via the GSM network for its monitoring, analysis, data-driven decisions, actions, and reports using the dedicated race administration software platform.

As a result, racing event administrators and key personnel in charge can conveniently, accurately, and timely track each participant's location on the map, congestions, and deviations of the race route; waypoint reached/missed events and notifications, respectively; speed regime monitoring of each racer on the road sections where it is restricted by event organisers; penalty points (or minutes) calculations and deductions; vehicle crashes, engine fire, and breakdowns ensuring timely assistance of on-site technical support team and, if necessary, paramedics and other things depending on particular event requirements.

Here to add, thanks to the relevant data gathering and dedicated 3rd party software, GPS devices allow not only precisely track racing-related events but also generate important notifications and safety messages via dedicated dashboard-mounted consoles to ensure it is well-organised, safe as much as possible, law and regulation-compliant, has a good reputation, brings the joy to fans, and remains competitive.

Also, software updates and configuration changes for Teltonika vehicle trackers can be made using the recently updated FOTA WEB tool. This is a powerful software solution for the fast and efficient management of GPS devices.

TOPOLOGY

BENEFITS

• Precise tracking of racing vehicles anytime, anywhere along the route - racing event administrators can conveniently, accurately, and timely track each participant's location, congestions, deviations of the race route, waypoint reached/missed events, etc.
• Timely assistance and improved safety - thanks to each racing vehicle speed regime, breakdowns, crash monitoring and instant safety notifications, the required assistance can be provided when it’s needed and where it’s needed.
• Value-adding services on demand - thanks to vehicle telematics data and dedicated race administration software, extra services can be provided, such as road books, GPX files and their management, personal event maps, etc.
• Improved racing events management, administration, and reputation helping to save precious resources, keep the racing events well-organised and compliant, and attract more racing teams, fans, supporters, and investors.

WHY TELTONIKA?

To assist and handle motorsports and rally-type events tracking, monitoring, and administration challenges, we offer a wide range of top-notch vehicle GPS tracker portfolio. Reliable data racing teams and administrators can count on, extensive and practical feature sets, multiple usage scenarios bring plentiful benefits and help to optimise these operations, ensuring the accuracy of results, timely technical and medical assistance, improving safety, and event management overall.

We are the right place to get all you need to succeed - the most abundant variety of top-quality certified GPS trackers, accessories, and solutions for any use case imaginable in vehicle telematics. From the start of the company 26 years ago until today, Teltonika strong and growing team has manufactured 27 million IoT devices, helping to succeed thousands of customers and partners in over 160 countries across the globe.