Do competing NASCAR teams share information? JGR weighs in

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) recently shared a post that explained how teams in NASCAR use and share SMT data.

NASCAR teams can see detailed data from every car during races. The car performance data, including data speed, RPMs, throttle, braking, and steering details, is collected through sensors on cars. It also shows the path each car takes on the track.

All Cup Series teams have live access to this information. While drivers, engineers, and crew chiefs use the data to improve, broadcasters also use it to make races more exciting for fans.

"Did you know competing NASCAR teams share their information? One important tool they use is SMT data. It's collected with a sensor under the rear window and provides information such as miles per hour and RPMs, along with throttle, brake, and steering inputs," a JGR team representative said in an Instagram post.

"It also shows the line every car is taking around the track, revealing where some drivers are gaining speed. Teams can see this data for their car as well as every other car on the track."

SMT (Sports Media Technology) started sharing car data with NASCAR in 2001 and has provided stats for the three top NASCAR series since 2023. However, not all drivers and fans are happy with sharing this data and believe live SMT data should be limited to protect drivers.

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"I don’t see it as being positive to this sport" - Kyle Busch against SMT data in NASCAR

NASCAR Cup Series teams only started to have access to other teams' data in 2018 when SMT made this information available to everyone. The teams use this data with the Team Analytics app, which shows 3D images of the car. Pit crews can also use software that shows GhostCar data from past races.

Two-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch spoke out against data sharing in 2018 and said (via Sports Business Journal):

"Because I’ve spent 13 years in this sport to figure out how to drive a race car, to make it go fast and the do the things that I do to make it go fast and win championships, and now you are going to hand all of that to a young driver on a piece of paper and they are going to figure it out as long as they know how to read it...I don’t see it as being positive to this sport. When we are all driving the same, that is not a positive thing."

NASCAR started using SMT data to help teams and save money for the three car manufacturers, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.