Quick Dips

Racing into the Future

Budding Kiwi race car drivers could benefit from an innovative electronic device developed by a New Zealand company to hone racing driver skills. Not only will on-track performance be improved, but the device has the potential to win export sales with overseas motorsport teams.

The Vehicle/Driver Performance reader is the brainchild of Richard Lester Motorsport and Massey University student Claude Dabaliz. Formula One teams use similar electronic data acquisition systems, but they are too costly and produce too much information to be of use to teams at lower levels, according to Richard Lester. His aim is to develop and market a system that is much more affordable to teams in New Zealand and overseas.

"I knew Claude from his interest in racing -- he's done a bit of driving in the past -- and became interested in his electronic and engineering studies at Massey," Lester says. The Masters of Engineering student has been working with the company for the past 10 months funded by the Graduates in Industry Fellowships programme operated by Technology New Zealand.

The device can be fitted to any car, from single seater Formula Fords to V8 saloon cars. Electronic sensors record lap times, engine RPM, wheel speed, braking and accelerator use, and speed in corners.

This information can be used to map driver performance and, when laid over the graph of more experienced drivers, will show where novices are going wrong.

"We can work out if they are braking too early or too hard and help them to drive better. It's a very useful teaching tool."

Lester and Dabaliz are using the system on Lester Motorsport's own Formula Ford and TraNZam racing cars to evaluate car performance, make improvements and then test again. If successful, the system will be packaged for sale.

Massey University student Claude Dabaliz (right) checks out the latest in race-car performance measurement with Richard Lester.