Live Telemetry: Anyone interested in watching a GenII on a Race Track?

I've posted a couple of threads related to my effort to scab together a 340,000+ mile 2008 Prius and enter it in a ~14 hour-ish "race" at Sears Point / Sonoma Raceway on March 22-23rd.

But I got to thinking that there is probably more than 1 person who may be even slightly curious as to how a high-mileage Prius would perform on a racetrack. Ok, maybe not more than 1 person. Probably just one. But hey, that's something... err... someone. Seriously, though, I can't offer much back to this forum since I'm the one trying to soak up as much from everyone's postings as I can for what is to me a gargantuan effort-- but I can provide a platform for people to learn vicariously about the strengths and weaknesses of a Prius that is put through extreme conditions via my foolishness.

I'm able to set up live streaming of in-car footage via ustream, but if I were a more capable person, I would also have a means for the more technically minded people to be able to watch vehicle parameters remotely while we're trying to circumnavigate the track.

I'm not so capable, though.

But reading some of the forum posts-- there are LOTS of people who are waaay more technically minded than I. Lots seem to be in the Bay Area. So I figured if someone on here WANTED to set something up in the car so that others could watch from afar (as oil pressure drops to zero and coolant temps spike) that would be fantastic for the entire PC community.

Of course there are systems out there already such as this one: RaceCapture/Pro Data Acquisition System | Autosport Labs

But I'm surmising that there is likely someone on here who has a simpler method to transmit essential or intriguing data to the masses.

While I own an iphone, I have only downloaded 2 apps in the 2 years I've owned it. One was the ustream app... I'm clearly not the one to speak with any authority. But it looks like there is an app that can connect to the obdII sensor and potentially we could stream that info (even if it's just by using my ustream camera directed at a data monitor). If someone wanted to figure this out and come to the track Friday or Saturday to help implement it, I'll cover your track spectator entry fee.

I also have purchased a cheap laptop and the mini vci cable with techstream.

I have very little clue how to use it.

But I could come up with a mount for the laptop in the car and if someone wanted to set up the software program to display interesting data points, that could be another means to get the information out there. And again, I could point my iphone with ustream coverage at it...

I'm open to ideas. But I really need to dedicate what little time is left to making the cars as prepared as they can be (I'm fielding 3 cars at this event-- the hybrid prius is just one of them).

I'll be at the track on Friday, March 21 for tech inspection. The race starts 10:30am on Saturday and finishes at 6pm and starts back up again on Sunday at 9:30am and finishes at 4:30pm. Please post up or pm me if you think you'd be up for helping to set something up at the track. Or, if you're in San Diego (Escondido), you could come over before hand and help with the layout/install before I depart for the track.

 

Well, I got a few looks and 1 Like- so I guess I found the one person who might possibly want to see this

Slight moment of disappointing news-- I had hoped that a representative from a prominent Independent Repair Facility in the Bay Area was going to be able to participate in this event with me somehow, and presumably be able to ride the wave of publicity that will surely reach Tsunamic proportions since this will be the first ever completely stock Hybrid Prius to race in a nationally-sanctioned head-to-head automobile road race. While it ain't NASCAR, it's still libel to make some sort of news... But sadly they can't participate this time.

Anyway, if there's anyone in the Bay Area who wants to be a part of this shoot me a message. Whatever you install and the data you capture is yours to claim after the event (or sooner if you just want to try it out for an hour or so).

I'll follow up here on PC with a link to the ustream account I set up once I'm at the venue (which will be some time Friday, March 21st) so people can watch whatever I end up pointing the camera at.

 

It's NOT too late! I'll pm you my number. Do call!

 

Just an update: Nobody has come forward to help facilitate this. But I will do my best to get something, even if it's just a live stream camera in our "pit garage" and / or one set up in the actual car just over the driver's shoulder.

It's not too late to just jump in and help, visit, or spectate. Although don't expect there to be thousands of spectators at the actual venue. Maybe a few hundred and most of them will be family/friends of the racers.

Expect to see about 150 total cars at the start of the event (minimum 4-drivers per car team). The paddock, which everyone is able to freely roam around in, is where the more interesting stuff takes place as cars break down, get towed off, and teams frantically try to get them fixed and back out on track. I'm sure we'll be heavily involved in that aspect ourselves...

 

Hello to those who were following this thread. I'm sorry, but I could not log in to this forum via my smartphone because... well... it's smarter than I.

I ended up de-prioritizing the effort to live stream once I didn't manage to get a laptop mount fabricated and into the car. I thought I would still stream the view the driver had, but once I couldn't manage a log-in I refocused on keeping 3 cars running for the weekend...

We were partially successful.

I'll have to create a separate post about the experience of thrashing a Prius on a racetrack. Squealing tires through the carousel at Sears Point / Sonoma Raceway in a Prius that's still sporting the full-interior since it had been re-installed around the rollcage and while blasting NPR on the radio was surreal.