Fox Sports is using thermal imaging to record the extreme temperatures that developed on NASCAR motor vehicles during their recent Daytona 500.
The thermal images are of particular interest as cars running in the rear of a piggy-backed pair lose air flow while drafting and must eventually switch places with the lead car to avoid overheating their engine. The technology can also reveal the on-track groove cars are using, as well as the difference between tyres about to be changed compared to fresh replacements.
Flir Advanced Thermal Solutions supplied two of its SC8300 HD thermal cameras to Fox Sports to enable it to cover the race. One camera was configured to be portable and used by a roving Fox camera man in the pits. The other camera was mounted on a tripod at turn four, approximately 100 feet from the track. The pit camera was used to acquire thermal images of the activity in the pits and the turn four camera was used to take video of the cars as they passed by at over 200mph.
