NASCAR’s Michael Waltrip Racing Secures Zebra Technology Partnership

May 20, 2014

Zebra Technologies Corporation today announced it has entered into an agreement to partner with Michael Waltrip Racing to deploy a first-of-its-kind pit crew evaluation system.

Combining the racing expertise of the Michael Waltrip team and the real-time locating systems (RTLS) technology expertise of Zebra, the application will be using the Zebra MotionWorks Motor Sports Solution, a next-generation motor sports statistics, event and visualization platform.

“Michael Waltrip Racing has been dedicated to improving racing through quality and innovation,” said Tom German, Chief Technical Officer, Michael Waltrip Racing. “Our partnership with Zebra further cements our commitment to the industry through cutting-edge technology advancements that will enhance the fan experience and improve pit crew and driver performance.”

The Michael Waltrip engineering staff will partner with Zebra’s Location Solutions team to deploy an application that will use the Zebra MotionWorks Motor Sports Solution to accurately track the location, speed and direction of the pit crew and support equipment during practice. The solution will include the use of real-time location solution (RTLS) tags that will be placed on the cars, pit crew uniforms and equipment, which feed data in real time to receivers located throughout the practice track. The data will then be processed through the custom application to provide pit crew leads and management with actionable insights to improve performance.

“We are thrilled to partner with Michael Waltrip Racing on this project and help the racing industry realize the significant benefits of real-time visibility,” said Jill Stelfox, General Manager of Location Solutions at Zebra. “The talented engineering staff of Michael Waltrip Racing paired with Zebra’s innovative Location Solutions team will allow us to deploy an application that will help racing teams better evaluate and optimize pit crew performance, changing competitive racing as we know it.”