cameron ferré |
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PHOTO: RICK BELDEN |
that makes those really cool digital dashes. I’ d like to have one of those.” Then I learned how much you can learn in just one run, even in a Super Comp car.
I was in such left field when I started in Super Comp. I put a data logger on the car and learned so much in just a few races, and it allowed me to start going more rounds. It definitely changed my program, and I’ m not just saying that because I work here. The more you know, the more dangerous you can be. Even if I didn’ t work here, I would have the best of the best data logger on my car. I’ d rather have a smaller motor and a better data logger.
Teams in the professional classes are seemingly obsessed with data, but sportsman racers haven’ t embraced the technology to the same extent. What’ s the biggest misconception within the sportsman ranks as far as data acquisition goes? Is there not enough emphasis placed on data acquisition?
I feel one of the biggest misconceptions is it’ s too expensive. When I first started here, the average data logger was a couple thousand dollars. I’ ve been here almost nine years and in that time we’ ve developed cheaper data loggers to cater to the sportsman people. A lot of people used to think data is just for the John Forces and Kenny Bernsteins and Kalittas of the world. That’ s not the case. Now an entry-level data logger is eight hundred bucks. When someone says an $ 800 data recorder is too expensive when a set of four tires for a dragster is about $ 1000, it’ s hard to justify that excuse anymore, especially in the bracket racing world. I’ ve seen a lot of people make the move to data loggers since we introduced the lower-priced, entry-level loggers.
The other misconception is people don’ t think they need it. Well, you don’ t think you need it until you have it. We get people calling in who say they’ re not going racing this weekend because they broke a sensor( on their data logger) and they can’ t get a replacement in time. It’ s that important that people don’ t want to race without it.
Data acquisition has evolved tremendously since the field was pioneered by Racepak, and even in the comparatively short time you’ ve been working there. What do you see as the next breakthrough in data acquisition?
The sky is the limit. There’ s a bunch of stuff going on behind the scenes to improve data. We just released a new Racepak app that allows your crew guy to monitor your data on an iPhone or iPad. I just see things going in that direction, with
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wireless and GPS technology, to allow people who maybe aren’ t computer savvy to whip out their phone and start learning about data.
Flat screens are also starting to make their way into data logging. I think that’ s going to revolutionize it as far as the displays. Cloudbased technology is also being adapted. When it
Happy to Be Here
Cameron Ferré is well aware that the dream of top-tier nitro racing has remained just that- a dream- for many highly-qualified, talented and even wellfunded racers before him, but that’ s done little to dampen his enthusiasm or detour his desire to be a big show wheelman.
comes to electronics and technology, there are constantly new developments. It’ s just like getting a new phone or computer; your phone might be replaced with a new and improved model six months later. A lot of that can happen with data loggers, but we try to make sure that everything we do is reverse compatible so if you have something that’ s 15 years old we can hopefully try to
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resurrect it for you. That happens quite a bit.
Racepak recently started developing ways to monitor data on the driver, specifically heart rate in relation to reaction times. What prompted the move to start looking closer at the driver?
The driver is such an integral part of racing. You live and die by your crew, but you also live and die by the driver. We’ re talking races decided by thousandths of a second, so any advantage that you can get out of the driver is a key factor in getting a leg up on the competition. That’ s why we started looking into data on the driver. Formula One racing has been monitoring drivers like that for years, but we wanted to find a cost-effective way to be able to adapt that to drag racing. It’ s something that we’ re still playing with, but we’ ve had a lot of interest from some of the other drivers.
Being someone who didn’ t have a family background in racing, how rewarding has it been to go out and get a good job in motorsports, make your own connections, find your own funding, and then have it all come together the way it has?
That’ s honestly what I’ m most proud of. My parents have always supported me in whatever I’ ve done, be it BMX, motocross, surfing, or skating, and they always told me,“ If you’ re going to something, you need to do it full-bore. Don’ t just dabble in it and‘ be there’. If you’ re going to do it, you better do it hard.” Even though I didn’ t come from a family that was financially wealthy or had a name in the industry, I didn’ t really take that as,“ Poor me, I’ m not going to be able to do this.” I kind of used it as firepower and decided I’ m going to do it myself. With my parents being able to support me even as far as moral support is huge.
I had to chase my dreams.
That’ s what I pride myself on the most, to go from a kid from Huntington Beach who just surfs a lot and watched Top Fuel on TV wishing he could do it to actually doing it. It takes a lot of hard work, but it’ s something that I wouldn’ t shy anyone away from doing. Sure, there are sleepless nights and“ What am I doing?” moments, but I don’ t want to stop.
It’ s an addiction even as far as trying to find the sponsors. I get enjoyment out of signing a deal to be able to do something that I’ ve wanted to do forever. I hope to be able to sign a deal to race full-time at 24 races per year. That’ s the end goal. Just because I don’ t have a family background in the industry doesn’ t mean that I can’ t do this. It’ s just one more step, and I’ m okay with that. DI
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October 2016 |
DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 79 |