NASCAR pre-race inspections? There’s a (Windows 8) app for that!

There is a lot that goes into a NASCAR race before the drivers start their engines. The pre-race inspection is designed to ensure the vehicles are safe, and that all teams comply with NASCAR rules. For decades, that process has been managed by a slow, cumbersome, paper-based system, but now NASCAR has entered the modern era with the help of Microsoft.

I spent some time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for a demonstration of the new Windows 8 app that has replaced the old-fashioned paper system. I also got to speak with NASCAR executives about the Microsoft partnership, and its plans to continue its momentum of embracing technology to enhance the experience for NASCAR, the race teams, and the fans.

I wrote a blog post about the NASCAR pre-race inspection app:

Have you ever experienced the chest-rattling thrill of a NASCAR race up close and personal? There is a lot of effort involved before the green flag drops to start the race to make sure all of the vehicles comply with NASCAR rules, and—most importantly—that the vehicles are safe. The pre-race inspection is a tedious process, but thanks to a new app developed with the help of Microsoft, NASCAR officials and pit crews have greatly simplified things.

Until recently, the pre-race inspections were executed using a paper form. The form consisted of a hundred or so individual items broken into categories based on the type of inspection. That form would stay with the vehicle and follow it through the inspection process—providing little, if any, value beyond the immediate race. The process was slow, and tedious, and consumed nearly 25,000 sheets of paper per NASCAR season.

Then NASCAR engaged Microsoft to help develop a more streamlined solution. Now, instead of paper, NASCAR officials and pit crews use a Windows 8 app running on Surface Pro 2 or Surface Pro 3 tablets to complete the process in half the time—and with a much greater visibility into the status of each vehicle for all parties involved.

Read the full post at Forbes: NASCAR Turns To Microsoft And Windows 8 To Streamline Race Operations.