Any NASCAR fans? - Advexure NASCAR & Aerials - Drone usage in racing

Advexure · Aug 27, 2017

Any NASCAR Xfinity series watchers/fans here? If you watched the race you today on NBC may have spotted something familiar, Advexure was a proud sponsor of the #20 car driven by James Davison.

Our team also provided a few of the establishing shots used pre-race showing Road America and the surrounding area of Wisconsin during the countdown to green pre-race show. Shot with Inspire 2.

Has anyone on the forum done any work for racing events or race tracks? This track in particular has been very welcoming of drone usage over the years (in mid-2013 we live-streamed the Le Mans race at Road America, with a Phantom 2 and GoPro!). Since then they've seemingly been cutting back on drone usage due to the obvious risk a drone poses over track to a race car traveling at speeds up to 185 mph.

We've always been surprised (and even concerned) about the way some tracks are achieving their live aerials during race. For instance at Road America the TV helicopter follows the leader throughout the whole race from under 400 feet (possibly average an altitude of 250-300 feet it seems). Just a bit surprised that we aren't seeing more drone usage in the racing industry given the risk and cost of helicopter usage over such fan-populated race tracks. Curious what others have seen for drone usage in this industry?

DJI has always publicized their Inspire 2 usage in the World Rally Championships – Watch: DJI Inspire 2 Films at World Rally Championship in Sweden

Safe flying!

AeroMirage · Aug 27, 2017

Cool!!!
Glad to see some positive presence exists out there!!

Florida Drone Supply · Aug 27, 2017

Very cool and it has to be a lot of fun being involved in events like this, thanks for sharing.

mpaerial · Aug 28, 2017

Very cool guys!! I know of JD from Indy, he's a young buck on the rise. Surprised to see him racing nascar

RMartin · Aug 28, 2017

Advexure said:
Any NASCAR Xfinity series watchers/fans here? If you watched the race you today on NBC may have spotted something familiar, Advexure was a proud sponsor of the #20 car driven by James Davison.

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Our team also provided a few of the establishing shots used pre-race showing Road America and the surrounding area of Wisconsin during the countdown to green pre-race show. Shot with Inspire 2.

Has anyone on the forum done any work for racing events or race tracks? This track in particular has been very welcoming of drone usage over the years (in mid-2013 we live-streamed the Le Mans race at Road America, with a Phantom 2 and GoPro!). Since then they've seemingly been cutting back on drone usage due to the obvious risk a drone poses over track to a race car traveling at speeds up to 185 mph.

We've always been surprised (and even concerned) about the way some tracks are achieving their live aerials during race. For instance at Road America the TV helicopter follows the leader throughout the whole race from under 400 feet (possibly average an altitude of 250-300 feet it seems). Just a bit surprised that we aren't seeing more drone usage in the racing industry given the risk and cost of helicopter usage over such fan-populated race tracks. Curious what others have seen for drone usage in this industry?

DJI has always publicized their Inspire 2 usage in the World Rally Championships – Watch: DJI Inspire 2 Films at World Rally Championship in Sweden

Safe flying!

Not much here. TMS is generally under a TFR during race weekend. Kind of puts a damper on things.

Advexure · Aug 28, 2017

Thanks, all.

And yes, @mpaerial James is a guy to keep an eye on. He's definitely up and coming. Phenomenal guy as well, very genuine and now a Phantom 4 Pro owner. Racing will be seeing more and more of him.

William Gaddy · Sep 2, 2017

The company I used to work for did a lot of live broadcasts for Nascar; I was specifically involved in the specialty camera systems like the in-track cameras, the remote cameras, and 3D stuff, so I know a bit about the broadcast operations. That being said, for aerials (birds-eye-view) they usually just put up a Sikorsky with a gimbal or a guy/gal hanging a camera out a window. The TFRs that blanket the Nascar events are for the general public. The broadcaster can apply for a waiver/COA to the TFR if they want to put up a drone, usually the only requirement in the COA is that they not fly over the crowd.

Advexure · Sep 4, 2017

William Gaddy said:
The company I used to work for did a lot of live broadcasts for Nascar; I was specifically involved in the specialty camera systems like the in-track cameras, the remote cameras, and 3D stuff, so I know a bit about the broadcast operations. That being said, for aerials (birds-eye-view) they usually just put up a Sikorsky with a gimbal or a guy/gal hanging a camera out a window. The TFRs that blanket the Nascar events are for the general public. The broadcaster can apply for a waiver/COA to the TFR if they want to put up a drone, usually the only requirement in the COA is that they not fly over the crowd.

Road courses are a completely different animal than the typical NASCAR track. Road America for example is a 4 mile course with tons of elevation change and fans at all points of the course. Previously they had a TV helicopter just hover at probably 1,500 feet, couldn't hear it, it just sat there the entire race. Now they've got the follow helicopter which is just risky business. We've been pretty amazed that first Road America, the FAA, and also the individual racing circuits that come to the track permit the follow helicopter. To say the least, it's a dangerous operation, and also an annoyance for fans, but the aerial coverage is spot on.

William Gaddy · Sep 4, 2017

Advexure said:
Road courses are a completely different animal than the typical NASCAR track. Road America for example is a 4 mile course with tons of elevation change and fans at all points of the course. Previously they had a TV helicopter just hover at probably 1,500 feet, couldn't hear it, it just sat there the entire race. Now they've got the follow helicopter which is just risky business. We've been pretty amazed that first Road America, the FAA, and also the individual racing circuits that come to the track permit the follow helicopter. To say the least, it's a dangerous operation, and also an annoyance for fans, but the aerial coverage is spot on.

Well, anyone standing next to a road course as a spectator has to expect some level of danger. I'd say the risk of being smacked by a falling helo is probably 0.01% of being smacked by a car doing too much of a rear-tires fade...