While racing on track for the fastest lap time, it’s extremely helpful to have instant feedback on where one is losing time. The APEX Pro has discovered a way to provide real time data feedback to drivers by using an easy to read system of green and red lights. I sat down with Andrew Rains, Director of Marketing for APEX Pro to get the scope on how exactly this data system works and what users need to know.
A lot of data acquisition apps provide users with a plus or minus sign that shows they’re either behind or a head of pace but, with APEX Pro the Apex Score is what is being presented instantly. The Apex Score can be read continuously while driving on track so areas that need to be improved can be addressed immediately. The Apex Score can be understood and seen by the driver instantly and based on the color of the lights, is how a driver would determine if all the available performance of the vehicle is being used. Green lights signify the current amount of performance (traction, grip, etc.), that is being used by the driver, while red lights signify available performance that is not being used.
Brake and throttle position can be monitored by watching the color of the lights throughout turns. If when in the initial brake or middle brake zone the lights show half green and half red, that could mean you are able to brake harder and later. At the turn in, if the lights show the same condition it can mean the corner was over slowed and the brake pressure needs to be released sooner. For each scenario you encounter on the track, APEX Pro has a display guide that allows users to be able to properly interpret the lights to adjust their inputs accordingly.
The APEX Pro works by taking 1-3 laps to learn the vehicles performance potential by using a vehicle dynamics model that is populated by measurements which are taken from sensors in the APEX Pro hardware. APEX Pro is not a time-based metric like other predictive real time indication lap timers. The APEX Pro is a standalone battery powered hardware containing a 9-axis Inertial Measurement Unit, 12-bit precision accelerometer (+/- 4 G) 16-bit precision gyroscope (+/- 250 deg/s) accelerometers and a 10HZ satellite augmented GPS + GLONASS unit. To control the hardware, the Apex App is used and is free unlike other lap timers that have in-app purchases. While this app is only available on devices that operate with iOS, some of the features on the app will still work on Android.
In the APEX Pro app, the user is able to view GPS Satellite image of the track in the data review section and can overlay Apex Scores, Speed, Longitudinal G, Lateral G, Yaw Rate, etc. on the image of the track. Another feature that makes the APEX Pro app unique is Crew View, which allows for all APEX Pro users to follow their driver and monitor their location on track, speed and lap times directly on their phones. Data captured by the APEX Pro is comparable with all fellow APEX Pro users which allows for the data to be compared from other users. All these features on the APEX Pro app help make analyzing data a lot less intimidating than the traditional “squiggly lines” data and start making data easily understandable and engaging.
Currently being a small company based out of Birmingham, Alabama (Barber Motorsports Park), APEXPro takes pride in quickly answering questions, fixing app issues and offering data review at track events for users. There are also tons of available resources on their website that are frequently updated to help users learn how to access and fully utilize all of APEX Pro’s features. APEX Pro is not just used for road racing, it can be used for all types of motorsports such as, AutoX, Drifting, Hill Climbs, RallyX, Karting, circle track and drag racing by accessing the custom track feature. Making data accessible to all drivers is the goal that APEX Pro is focused on, and with a price point just under $500 I’d say they’re keeping this useful tool quite affordable for all of us. If you’d like to know how you can get your hands on this new up and coming data system, reach out to Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies or email apex@apextrackcoach.com.
9 comments
Stop making me but more things!
In all seriousness, this is amazing and something I’ll purchase when my domestic situation resolves itself (infant/toddlers).
Awesome! Good stuff
That’s pretty awesome…. like having a driving coach in the passenger seat.
I don’t think the “free” app is really a bragging point when you gotta buy $450 worth of hardware to use it…
Better than buying $450 worth of hardware, and then having to pay for the app too!
I guess with everyone being used to apples business model, free software to be able to use your hardware isn’t a given anymore…
also, apple takes a large cut of any app sales (including in app purchases) which is why companies like netflix are moving payment processing away from apples ecosystem into their own. Why give apple a piece of your sales if you can sell it in such a way as to retain as much of those sales as possible.
given the proprietary data model, I would be curious to see how this would evaluate a pro driver and the possible lap-time decrease from said driver.
I am also curious how the apex pro handles Drift and RallyX as it would seem to me that those would fall under different data models as the dynamics are different, especially when it comes to RallyX and mixed surfaces.