Drivedata’s Next Generation Video Recorder
Sportscar Boys Love It

Drivedata – www.drivedata.co.uk – based in Berkshire in the UK, designs and manufactures video and data recording systems, and as well as supplying F1 and WTCC teams (and TV companies such as Sky Sports, Motors TV and Eurosport), is developing the market among sportscar entrants and drivers.

Its latest digital video recorder is the DR3, which is a fantastic little piece of equipment. It records directly onto a compact flashcard, and at the highest quality setting can record over 3 hours of broadcast quality footage on an 8GB card (more at a slightly lower setting). It is very small (weighing just 180g), very robust, and can be used in a variety of sports applications. The image on the right clearly shows its actual size.

“What separates the DR3 from other products is its high level of specification – without the high price,” explains John Chambers (an ex-Thundersaloon racer), MD of Drivedata. “The DR3 is a class leading, technically advanced, product that provides outstanding value for money. We have focused on developing a product with our technical partners that our customers know will perform consistently in harsh and extreme environments and is competitively priced.”

Among Drivedata’s customers are Johnny Mowlem and Sean and Michael McInerney.

The McInerneys have been using a system in their Mosler, for Britcar events (and previously in the Panoz in the LMS, in 2007), but for 2009, they’re moving back to the Le Mans Series, this time in the Virgo Ferrari, partnered by Michael Vergers.

Johnny Mowlem uses the Drivedata system at his Driving Academy, and he describes it as “a unique product to use with our guests, as well as a great souvenir for them to take away after the event.”

The McInerneys are using the latest DR3 system today (Feb. 23) and tomorrow, on the Virgo Ferrari at the new Portimao track in Portugal, where “we generate as much information from the cameras as possible,” says Sean McInerney. “Data is one thing, but from the point of view of learning and developing your driving, this is something else.

“It’s a solid state system, so there’s no shake or loss of audio – and we use up to four cameras on the car (in the footwell, looking forwards, looking back and looking at the driver): we’ve even put them in the wheelarches to study damper movement. We also use a wireless system so that team members in the pits can follow the track action.”

Sean McInerney is clearly a big fan, and Drivedata has sold the system to other teams, once they’ve seen the cameras in action in McInerney-driven cars. In 2007, the Chad Peninsula Panoz’s Drivedata system was used to record the whole of each LMS race on one card – and DSC saw some of that footage at the time, including an LMP2 getting it all wrong in view of the forward-facing camera.

“With Michael (Vergers) on board this year, and using the Drivedata system, we’re getting even quicker feedback on our driving,” says a very happy Sean McInerney, from Portugal today, as these two, plus Michael McInerney, put more miles on the new Virgo 430.

The DR3 is available via selected stockists, direct from the www.drivedata.co.uk website or by calling +44 (0)8448 044 048.

"The DR3 represents a huge leap in technology (over the DR2)," says Drivedata's Charlie Guthrie, "resulting in a much smaller and lighter solid state recorder, whilst maintaining the broadcast quality that production companies demand."