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When I was first given this assignment, I definitely didn't want to write about it. You see, I am not a video game junkie. I never owned a Play Station and the last video game I was ever good at (besides pong) was Ms. Pacman and she has long since retired. I've never tried mastering Nintendo, Play Station or X Box, though both of my sons are expert gamers, courtesy of plenty of my hard earned cash.
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| IHRA's Travis Reynolds (L) with SPPs Richard Purgason. |
What has really changed my mind about all this fancy hand-held video technology is that they've finally come up with an idea that even a 46-year-old journalist like myself can get excited over. And it's simple enough for me to use. It's called the I-Card Real Time Race Information System, developed and manufactured by SPP Services. Imagine sitting anywhere at the race track and receiving complete real time scoring information on every run, straight from the tower. And you can recall the information later during the event. It's a drag racing junkie's dream come true.
I sat down with Richard Purgason and he explained the cutting-edge technology that could forever change the way a fan enjoys racing in the future.
"Basically what the I-Card technology allows a competitor or a fan to do is access previously unavailable information directly into the palm of their hand," explained Purgason. "Just like having their own scoreboard right at their fingertips the entire time."
The system currently works on a color Gameboy display, but in a couple of weeks they're going to introduce an I-Card USB that will work on a PC.
"It's pretty easy to distribute information to people when they're at home. You've got Internet service, television and all sorts of mediums and ways to reach them. But where we feel there's a gap in the market is in bringing real time information wirelessly to fans at major events. Whether it's all forms of motorsports, football, baseball, or stick and ball sports around the world, it's just not happened."
"As a consequence, we feel that promoters are suffering by virtue of people who are not coming to events," continued Purgason. “We think some of it has to do with the fact we've done such a good job of delivering content at home that we've given the people the incentive to stay home."
"We want to help promoters reverse that trend by being able to deliver more interesting information and content to fans at track side or at events."
The key to making the I-Card concept work was easy - make it reliable and simple. The I-Card folks run a wire from the track timing and scoring system over to their computer and plug it in. The I-Card technicians launch their software program and they package the status so they can transmit it at the track. After putting up a little transmitter and a single antenna, boom, you can pick up the real time information within a half of a mile of the tower. For a customer, make sure you have fresh alkaline batteries, plug the cartridge in, turn on your unit and enjoy!
The genesis of the I-Card concept began two years ago as an effort to help sports car racing make their products more easy to understand for a new fan. Sports Car racing features four classes of drivers all on the road course at the same time, which means you can't see the whole track and the cars get all mixed up after about four laps and it's impossible to keep track of the cars. So that was where the idea really came from, to find a new and novel way to distribute information and really lift the veil of knowledge that had been held over the sport for so long.
"Once my founding partner and I, company President, C. Y. Smith, began developing the technology," Purgason added, "we received a tremendous reception from the fans, but more importantly, we had no clue that the competitors never had this information either. So we found ourselves in a position where we just had no concept that we were the only people anywhere in the world that can deliver this information in real time into peoples hands in an affordable method."
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| Richard Purgason demonstrates the compact size of the new I-Card and accompanying Game Boy 3. |
"Clearly the folks at IMSA and the American Le Mans Series were instrumental in working with us on this project. All the times we were having trouble they tolerated us. They went out of their way to help us do the project. And it was to their benefit too. Those guys put up with us when we were really not a lot of fun to have a round."
There are three primary products available by North Georgia 's SPP Services to the public. The I- Card, the I-Card Pro and the I-Card USB, for computers and PDA's. The difference among the three is real simple. The I-Card ($129) and the I-Card Pro ($200) both use a Gameboy as a display and the I-Card slips right into the game slot on any standard Gameboy with a color screen. The only difference between the two is that they deliver the same content but the I-Card Pro is designed to be more durable, it has sealed electronics and is more shock and weather resistant.
"Once a team gets one of these it seems to become an essential part of their race day tool kit," smiled Purgason. "It was an easy choice to go with the Gameboy application. We looked at PDA's but they only sold about one million a year. Gameboy sells over 25 million products a year and there were already 160 million in the market, so the choice was pretty cut and dry."
"We wanted a product where a guy didn't have to spend $500 to get up and running. If he wants to go buy a $20 Gameboy and then purchase an I-Card for $130, he's set up and running for the rest of the season for only $150," stated Purgason. "At an individual race you can rent a set up all day for as little as $20 a day."
The I-Card folks will have service booths at all major events, working with customers and helping new fans get started. "The information on the screen will be tailored to each event. A person may buy an I-Card at one event, take it to the next race on the tour, and the I-Card will work at that race also. The I-Card will even work at this year's Indy 500, and with many other auto racing sanctioning bodies. Even NASCAR is showing an interest."
"This product has really taken off in the last 12 months and it's really due to the demand of the racers and the fans. The easiest way to stay abreast of the latest developments in the I-Card business is to check our website at www.icardus.com."
The future for the I-Card is unlimited. "We're in a constant state of evolvement," concluded Purgason. "The I-Card is just the beginning. By next year we're planning to develop a real time fantasy Drag Racing game. Our first event was only one year ago at the 12-hours of Sebring, so we still have tons of development and research to explore. In the future I think the technology exists to be able to use the I-Card in the comfort of your own home with an I-Card transmitter on the back of your computer. We're also working with the racing sanctioning bodies to help them run their events easier and at a reduced cost."
The I-Card technology will be available at all IHRA and NHRA events throughout the rest of the 2004 season and hopefully for years to come. "We started in motorsports," says Purgason, "but we definitely have our eye on baseball, football, college athletics and many other sports."
The I-Card has proven not only a great new tool for drag racing, but for all sports in general.
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