Even if you are producing identical lap times to your team-mate, undoubtedly there will be places where they are slightly quicker than you, and vice-versa.

What is the best way of finding out how to go faster?

Data loggers can be complex items to master, as there are often many different channels of data to monitor the engine, chassis behaviour and driver performance.

Almost all data loggers have been designed primarily for analysis of the chassis and engine data, with driver performance analysis almost being an added extra. This can make the software difficult to learn and operate for a driver, with many complex features and display options. The best way to improve is to have a team mate or coach who is quicker than you, and to overlay two sets of data. The other way is to analyse all of your own laps, and you will usually find sections of different laps where you went quicker.

What types of loggers are the most suitable?

GPS data loggers are ideally suited to track driving analysis due to their light weight, small size and the quality and abundance of parameters they can measure.

Without any other sensors having to be fitted, you can measure Speed, Track Position, Distance, Lap Time, Split times, Predictive lap times, Lateral acceleration, Longitudinal acceleration and Height. It’s no wonder they have become the most common form of trackday and motorsport data logger.

What are the important points to look for in a GPS data logger?

To get the most out of a GPS data logger at a track you first need a good quality GPS engine with an update rate of at least 10 true samples per second. This gives the speed and acceleration values enough detail to really work out what is going on and enough resolution for accurate lap timing.

The next critical factor is the analysis software, you don’t want to spend a long time downloading, separating, lining up and comparing files, this becomes frustrating and limiting very quickly.

A third important factor is the availability of Video integration, ideally contained in the same unit. Video really brings the data alive, and makes detailed analysis much easier with the multitude of visual clues contained in the image

.

Why is Video VBOX different to other data loggers?

With Video VBOX, we have come at the problem of driver training from a completely different angle.

First we set out some criteria for producing the ideal driver training aid:

• Quick and easy to fit
• Suitable for any kind of vehicle
• Capable of producing reliable, high quality video with multiple cameras
• Extremely simple to use
• Focussed primarily on the driver, not the vehicle

Then we went about designing the product, and the end result is a system which is not only powerful, but also is arguably the easiest system to use on the market today.

How easy is it to review the data?

Level 1 – Video only

At the simplest of levels, using the overlaid graphics which appear on top of the video, you only have to watch the video of your laps to see exactly what is happening.

John Bowe - Bathurst Touring Car Masters 2011 Race 2. Check out the 3 minute mark...

Level 2 – Circuit Tools analysis

If you want to get more out of the data, then fire up Circuit Tools analysis software, and load in your data-file from the SD card. Using the GPS position data, the software will then automatically detect the Country, Circuit and Layout Configuration from a database of over 130 worldwide tracks and then use the correct start/finish line from this database to extract all of your laps, and display them in lap time order.

It will then pick out your fastest lap, and load this into the graph window and align the video to the start of this lap.

To compare another driver/session, simply load the next file into the software, and it will pick out the fastest lap and plot it against your previous fastest lap. It’s almost too easy!

What other Racelogic products are suitable for racing data acquisition?

Racelogic have a wide range of data loggers suited to track driving, including the hugely popular, low cost Performance Box, the innovative DriftBox for keen drifters, the Video VBOX for motorsport use and if you are looking for the ultimate in driving-line analysis, the VBOX range of data loggers can offer amazing accuracy.

There are over 10,000 Racelogic data loggers being used all around the world, and we continue to add features and improve the tools available to stay at the cutting edge.

For full product details on Video VBOX click on product information below.

Please contact us with specifics of your applications, and one of our technical sales team will be pleased to advise you.