Since F1 and MotoGP have been doing it awhile I wonder why the AMA has not stepped it up and introduced tire markings? I don't watch F1 much, but when I am watching MotoGP it is nice to be able to quickly identify which rider is running which compound front and rear right. I think it adds quite a bit to the experience as far as a spectator goes. And on the subject of keeping fans more informed. Why doesn't the AMA hook up the front few riders with some telemetry stuff like many of other forms of racing on tv? Its in the rulebook, but I don't recall seeing it on a single broadcast yet this year. That way a layman watching the races can have a better perspective on the speed and skill involved in riding a bike. If you watch a Nascar race they put the little bubbles up on each car and give you the cars current speed as they show the leaders going around the track. I think it would be pretty cool to see the first few superbike riders with a little bubble showing 180mph down the front straight then slowing down to 65 mph as they enter turn 1. Just a few random thoughts I had over the last couple days. AMA needs new fans and a lot of them. Why not give them a product that is easier to watch and has more info?
AMA Pro is experimenting with a system that will have that capability but it is unclear if or when they will use it. The unit I saw and tested had a lot of functionality but we only tested a very small portion of it, according to AMA Pro.
I can see how telemetry would be expensive, but something as easy and cheap as a white band on a tire seems like a no brainer. I wonder what system they were using?
They tested RFID tags last season. They work, but they didn't always stay attached to the tire, much like the stickers they use this year. WSB uses stickers as well, and they stick a little better, they are transfers rather than vinyl decals. If you lose more than one in WSB, you get fined. The stripes might be a good idea, but they are probably labor intensive to apply. Until lots and lots of viewers bump the race ratings and revenue up, I don't think we'll see it.
Are you talking about tire control? The little stickers they use now are pretty funny. So high tech I am sure they are impossible to fool. I am not sure how difficult it is to add a whitewall style stripe to a tire, but almost all car tires come with it and I can't see how it would be that difficult to implement and the manufacture's level. I just see it as a way to get more viewers. If you build it they will come. lol.
I think the issue is that there are double headers. WSBK doesn't release the tire data until the last race has started. The series that have the markings only have one race.
Last I heard, telemetry information during races is banned by the AMA, which would make sense as to why there is no telemetry data. Of course, things could have changed since I saw that show. I cannot remember the name of the show however, it featured the Kawi AMA race teams.
In F1, there is actual strategy regarding tire choice and fuel load, since both soft and hard tires must be used in the same race, so pit stops become paramount, and the viewers can see "racer A is on softs - he will need to pit soon". In the AMA, it would seem that tire choice is often made based on conditions (especially with the production spec tires), since one compound may just plain work better than the other. From what I hear, it's less about race strategy, and more about just finding the compound that works for your setup. Probably not much point in knowing for the casual TV viewer. It's a little different in WSBK and MotoGP, where Pirelli & Bridgestone tailor the tires to the specific track and conditions, and offer a couple compounds that both work well.
I am not talking about telemetry for the riders/teams I am talking about data showing for the TV viewer. Speed, Lean Angle, RPM, Throttle and Brake amounts. Like when they show on board camera. And I really think it would spark more interest if people had a handle on the 4 bikes backing it into T5 at Road America down from the ~180 mph on the straight. True in the AMA races tires are chosen on what works well for you, but there is no doubt that the softer compound goes off more towards the end of the race. So if two guys are going at it in the beginning of the race and the guy with the softer tire pulls a small gap the casual viewer would maybe think hmmmm I should watch that battle and see if the harder tire comes in more or lasts the entire race. The other top forms of racing are doing it and they seem to have a few more viewers.....
Maybe because it's expensive and difficult to manage? Here is a better question. Why doesn't WSBK have on-board cameras? Same reason. -jim
I would imagine (and I am the furthest thing from an expert) that the same devices used to collect that data for the teams is the same devices used to show the telemetry on TV. I'm sure there is a crude method that could be used to gather that information for TV that would be of no use to the teams however, I'm sure it's a pretty penny.
I can see where some of the stuff is expensive to run and manage, but I would think its fairly simple to at least add the bubbles with bike # and speed on a camera view every once in a while. Dunno. Just seems like there is so much technology out there and not much being used to make the show better. The telemetry systems are expensive to some extent, but not that expensive when you look at how much money is involved in the sport and what it takes to put it on tv. I am sure they could limit the access and prevent a team from getting the data. When its legal in racing you cant get your teammates data let along another teams.
It's really about getting a live telemetry signal (customized, at great cost) and having the people to integrate that into a broadcast. The hardware isn't the real expense (that's mostly a one-time investment). The man hours are..... -jim
Ahhhh now that makes sense. I know Jack and #$@#$ about what it takes to put it on the TV screen. I just like the pretty colors.
