RaceCam

Seven Network Sydney engineer John Porter with race car driver Peter Williamson and the Racecam camera system Porter's team developed. The Bell JetRanger in the background provided a microwave link between tracking stations positioned around the racetrack and the race car

RaceCam installed in a Daytona Prototype

RaceCamis avideo camerasystem used primarily inmotor racing,which uses a network of car-mounted cameras,microwave radiotransmitters, andrelaysfrom helicopters to send live images from inside a race car to both pit crews and television audiences.

History

Although a vehicle-mounted 16mm motion picture camera was used as early as 1973, the technology was first developed in the late 1970s by theSeven NetworkinAustralia,who introduced it for the1979 Hardie-Ferodo 1000endurance race atMount PanoramainBathurst, New South Waleswith Sydney-based driverPeter Williamsonable to give commentary from hisToyota Celica.

RaceCam in Australia was unique in that the drivers were often wired for sound and able to converse with the television commentary team during races with toptouring cardrivers such asDick Johnson,Allan Grice,Peter Brockand laterGlenn Seton,Jim Richards,Mark Skaife,Wayne Gardnerand Channel Seven's own commentator turned racerNeil Cromptonall becoming regular users of the system. RaceCam (with drivers doing their own commentary) became a staple of Seven'sAustralian Touring Car ChampionshipandBathurst 1000broadcasts during the 1980s and 1990s.

ESPNhelicopter at NASCAR Nationwide event

Americanaudiences were first introduced to RaceCam atNASCAR's1979 Daytona 500onCBSnetwork withBenny Parsons'Chevrolet Monte Carlo,and later at the1983 Indianapolis 500,whenABCacquired the rights to use a streamlined version of the technology for their coverage of the race. The first Indy winning car with a RaceCam was that ofRick Mearsin 1991.

Over the years, the camera location varied from "over-the-shoulder" in 1983, to rear-mounted (looking backwards) in 1988, nosecone-mounted in 1994, and rollbar/above-mounted in 1997. Later, the above-mounted cameras were improved to be able to rotate 360°. Other camera views have included the rear wing (just above the rear tyre), thegearbox,the driver's helmet ( "Visor cam" ), a "footcam" looking at the driver's feet (to illustrate theheel-and-toe shiftingprocess inroad racing), and a view from the sidepod. Additional mounting locations inside the cockpit gave a face view of the driver, but usually little or no view of the track. The "CrewCam" was another view, mounted on a pit crew member's hat or helmet, showing the point of view of a pit crew member performing his duties on pit road.

In the same time-frame, CBS andESPNbegan using on-board cameras duringNASCARtelecasts from different developers. The large, boxy interior of the NASCAR stock cars allowed modified, nearly regular-sized video cameras to be mounted in the cockpit. CBS used a remote controlled, 360° rotating camera, and 1984Daytona 500winnerCale Yarboroughcarried one to victory.

While Racecam units had become common place in NASCAR, unlike in Australian touring car racing the drivers generally refused to be wired to talk to the television commentators while driving, saying that it was too distracting. In a NASCAR first, at the1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500held at theCalder Park ThunderdomeinMelbourne,Australia (which was also the first NASCAR race held outside ofNorth America), Australian drivers Dick Johnson and Allan Grice talked to the Channel 7 commentators during the race. Johnson, who had been using Racecam since 1982, also created a first for American NASCAR viewers when he was able to talk to the ESPN commentators during the1989 Banquet Frozen Foods 300atSears Point Raceway.When Johnson's car went off on oil during the race, he was famously caught dropping the F-bomb just before riding up a bank.Typically in NASCAR, any conversations with drivers are done before the race, after the race, or during safety car periods as not to interfere with normal driver to crew communications. From the mid-to-late 1990s, mid-race conversations between drivers and commentators fell out of favour in Australia - with sporadic in-race interviews held during Safety Car periods.

Over the years, RaceCam has been refined and led to further developments. Besides the natural upgrades forhigh-definition television,the "Bumpercam" uses a camera mounted on the car's bumper. The "Roofcam" is a camera mounted on a car's roof, which gives a broader view, and a more authentic perspective of the driver's sightlines. Both systems are popular withNASCARviewers. "Clearview" is another system, which removes grit and dust from the lens.

Formula Onehas also incorporates similar technology, with each car featuring a distinctive streamlined "camera pod" mounted above each car'sairbox,giving video from a perspective similar to the driver's point of view, while also allowing a rearward-facing view for cars trailing behind.FIAregulations mandate that a total of five cameras (or dummy camera housings) must be mounted on the car, in a choice of several predetermined positions.

In IndyCar, all cars in the field are equipped with multiple "camera pod" housing units - one each above the roll bar, one embedded within the front nosecone, one in the aeroscreen, and in previous season, one the rear wing, and inside one of the rear-view mirrors - regardless if they are actually carrying cameras in those locations. This rule is such that cars carrying cameras will not have an aerodynamic disadvantage (or advantage) compared to cars not carrying cameras. In addition, camera-less cars carry equivalent ballast in place of the cameras, to ensure all cars have equal weight characteristics.

Driver's Eye

In 2019, theFIA Formula E Championshipdeveloped a miniature camera titled "Driver's Eye", designed to fit within the padding of a drivers' helmet.Evolving out of FIA safety regulations disallowing professional drivers to mountGoProsor CamBoxes to their helmets during race weekends, the first trial was held at the2019 Diriyah ePrixwithFelipe Massaused as test subject.American motorsport apparel company Racing Force Group acquired the rights to the product and it has since been used inFormula One,NASCARand theSupercars Championship.