All this talk about gnarly fields and close competition—is it really closer than ever in 2021?

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

We’re getting there. A racing world that often runs on instinct, experience, and hunches honed in the pits and the dirt is becoming more sophisticated. Teams can now test with data acquisition, use laptops to understand every throttle position around the track, and see things no one knew were actually happening before via high-speed and slow-motion cameras and sensors. Highly accurate GPS devices and ghost software can evaluate line choice and speed well beyond segments and lap times. We’ve entered a world that is more science than art, and that applies to bench-racing too. Just type it into Google and you’ll find what you need.