Obviously, using good-condition oil is important for any combustion engine-propelled car, but it’s a minimum requirement for a race car. Some racers are so worried about harming their highly-abused motors that they change out their oil at extremely short intervals. Aside from this practice getting expensive, it’s downright wasteful. Others go the other direction and let over-used oil shorten engine life. A company named IntelliStick, has come out with a product (of the same name), that can tell you exactly when your oil is due for a change.  [Read more…]

BradaTech has developed Bluetooth adapters and software specifically for use with Innovate Motorsports‘ entire line of products. Innovate has taken the adapters and combined them into various Bluetooth “turn-key” kits. The Bluetooth technology allows PCs and PDAs to communicate wirelessly with Innovate’s well-known wide-band air/fuel ratio sensor controllers and multi-sensor data loggers. This allows the PC/PDA to monitor and log sensor data in real-time within the vehicle, without needing any wired connections. A shop computer can also be setup to wirelessly download logs after returning from a road test. This wireless scenario can also make life easier during dyno tuning sessions. The Bluetooth adapters can be purchased independently for $150. However, there is a substantial savings when a “Bluetooth enabled” kit is purchased.  [Read more…]

If you’re a Pocket PC/Windows Mobile user, check out Tuning Pad – Session Log. It is free PDA software that you can use to log track session info, after you get back into the paddock area. It makes for an easy way to keep track of tire pressures/ temperatures, camber settings, etc. Version 1.0 has just been made available.

Tuning Pad – Session Log

Injectronic has developed a handy looking combination scantool/ oscilloscope. For the price of $499, the CJ4 packs in many features and expandable options. Even though that price might seem steep to some, it does appear to represent a good value for what you are getting, and should be quite helpful with diagnostics. The scanner mode provides features you would expect in such a device, including: DTC (trouble code) retrieval/clearing, live parameter monitoring (graph or numeric), all 1996+ generic OBDII codes plus most manufacturer-specific codes, freeze frame, moveable cursor, OBDII connection location finder, and an acronym database. After the problem area has been determined via the scanner, the CJ4 can be put into labscope mode, so the source of the problem can be diagnosed. The scope features: 2 channels, 400 kilosampling rate, 0-20V vertical scale, and sensor-specific waveform samples.  [Read more…]

Weight scales are commonly used in the paddock area. Racing organizers often use them to verify race weight legality. They can also be used for trackside chassis setup. If you or your organization bring your own scales to the track, you might appreciate the idea of a setup without wires. Intercomp has just that, with their new wireless ProScale packages. The SW888 system includes all the needed goodies for a hi-tech portable scale system. Billet pads are provided for each corner, along with the required wireless nodes and batteries/chargers. Total system weight capacity is 6,000 lbs and accuracy is displayed to one-hundredth of a percent. The system also includes a PDA with chassis setup software. The weight measurements are transmitted to the PDA for analysis. Optionally, the system can be interfaced with Intercomp’s advanced Race Car Management Software package. The SW888 system sells for $3495.

Intercomp

With the introduction of its MQGPS products, MaxQData has truly made GPS-based data acquisition an affordable option for just about any racer. For a couple hundred bucks, a driver can use the device in conjunction with a Pocket PC PDA or laptop to perform flight recordings. During “flight” mode, real-time status can be displayed on the recording device. Some of the key recording elements are lateral/longitudinal g’s, speed/distance, and lap/segment times.  [Read more…]