Microsoft And Nascar Partner To Create Race Management App For Windows 10

Microsoft is fully aware of the millions of NASCAR fans out there and wants to try its hand at making the sport better. One of the many ways this can be done is by ensuring officials always have the proper tools to communicate with each other. This is why the company is partnering with NASCAR to create the Race Management app.

The app was used on Sunday for the Toyota – Save Mart 350, and we expect it to be used more often in the future.

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell and Microsoft’s Mike Downey were both on hand to unveil the app and the technology that makes it possible. They talked a lot about the partnership and the app during a 30-minute presentation.

“NASCAR has really put an emphasis, especially over the last 18 months, on technology and new technology and how we can bring things more quickly to the fans, really put them inside the driver’s seat,” O’Donnell said. “But equally as important is how we can work together to be more efficient from a governing standpoint, especially when it comes to race control.”

According to NASCAR, the app was created for Windows 10 and takes advantage of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. There are six data categories in the NASCAR Race Management app: historical data, timing and scoring, pit road officiating, video replay and car positioning. This should make it easier for race directors to relay videos and messages to teams.

“This first phase is around consolidating operations and systems like this, collecting more information,” Downey said. “As we go forward, we want to help NASCAR better utilize that information that we are helping them collect. … So this is really the first of a multi-staged approach to use data to better inform how NASCAR both runs their races and how they tune their races to create an even better product for their fans.”

The app is currently on version 1.0, but both Microsoft and NASCAR are willing to keep improving on it for future use.

Want your NASCAR fix? Forza MotorSports 6 now has a NASCAR add-on mode, and the very first official NASCAR racing game is headed for the Xbox One later this year.