An Aussie Prototype for NASCAR?
Those that are regular readers know I spend enough time outside NASCAR Nation to get a feel for other forms of motorsports. Some of that time is spent in the land of “Roos” and the V8 Supercar Series.
That exposure led me to call NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow (CORN to FT readers) nothing but a rehash of what has been on the V8 circuit for years, complete with wing and cow-catcher front valence. IT is what it is PCNA, sorry. Your only problem now is to make in work on ovals as opposed to the twisty-bits of road courses.
But I digress. As usual.
Thanks to AutoBlog and Jalopnik I have spied what could be an Aussie prototype NASCAR vehicle.
The current reality is the car is a test platform for the Aussie police called an Emergency Services Concept Car (ESCC). Thats the reality, but as many of you know I don’t deal with reality on a regular basis and have the occasional flights of fantasy. (Thanks for flying Fantasy Air, will that be coffee, tea or bourbon straight up?)
The ESCC as several features that could be adapted for use in NASCAR.
For example, the car has what’s called a Starcatch that fires a GPS transponder so the target, or perp if you prefer, can be tracked. Great for police work, but could also be used for those times when a NASCAR Star needs to be tracked down.
I’d be willing to bet Gordon and Stewart, along with 40 others, would have loved to have Starcatch at New Hampshire when Clint Bowyer ran away from the field for his first Cup win. They may not have been able to catch Bowyer but with Starcatch they at least would have known Clint was in the same universe.
The ESCC also has a device that will transmit police directives over someone’s car stereo. The NASCAR use is obvious. Picture this:
DRIVER of #20: “You blankety-blank, you cut down on me in turn 2. Where’d ya get your NASCAR license a *&#%&& CrackerJacks box?”
DRIVER of #7: “Cut down?! You want cut down you %#*^%HOLE, just wait ’til the green drops…. Hell why wait!” (Slam…boom… screech… silence!)
Penalty for obscenities you say? Nope the exchange was done point-to-point with no one knowing the wiser, especially the NASCAR Fine Police. (Of course the “Slam…boom… screech” is another matter)
Going hand-in-hand with the above feature is voice recognition software that allows police to use the onboard computer while keeping their hands on the wheel. In NASCAR use it would filter out the Blithering Booth Idiots
