Testimonial: Vector
2019 S3 Champions
RaceHUB proved to be an essential part of team Vector’s successful bid to become the undefeated Category 3 Series Champions in 2019. Having tested the software in their unsuccessful 2018 bid (finishing 2nd), the team was familiar with the usefulness of the live GPS location, consistent lap times, automatic rosters, data analytics, and two-way text messaging between the trike and coaches. All audio files embedded on this page are real, unedited messages sent from riders in the trike during races.
Final message from Murray Bridge, 12PM Sunday
Loxton
A key new feature being secretly debuted at Loxton (the team’s first race of the season) was the ability to send audio messages from the trike instead of pre-programmed text messages. The power of this feature immediately as the team managers could have a conversation with the riders while they were in the trike.
They were able to message riders the time split they were in front of/behind their competitors which drove them to push harder to catch up and overtake, removing the mental barrier of never knowing how far away opponents are on the track.
A key moment of the race for the three-man team was the 2 hour planned stint for rider Sam. Having built up a considerable lead in the first two hours, Sam’s job was to hold that lead and gain laps if he was comfortable.
The team was able to tell him what lap times to sit on to maintain their lead and check that he had enough food and water. Sam was able to communicate back how he was feeling throughout the long stint.
Victoria Park 1
Vector suffered two punctures in close succession due to a defect in the construction of their trike. As they only won the race by one lap, these two punctures could have been disastrous.
By sending audio messages, the riders were able to instantly alert the pits, telling them what had happened, which wheel needed to be replaced, and that they were safely riding back to pits. This allowed the pit crew to prepare themselves and do the change calmly, rather than rushing it if the trike had come in unexpectedly, potentially damaging components.
Victoria Park 2
The start of this race was particularly thrilling as the top three trikes were all tailing each other for the first hour, with each trike regularly attempting to break away.
The team managers were able to evaluate attacks by Pembroke’s Phoenix and NMHS’s Focus, telling the Vector rider how far in front they were and if they were catching the attacking trike.
From the pits, the coaches were then able to plan and execute an informed breakaway by the Vector rider, letting them know how far in front they were, how Phoenix and Focus reacted, and if they were tailing them.
After their stint, the Vector rider said having the team communicate to them and make decisions meant they could dig deeper and just focus on riding.
Murray Bridge
During the wet start of the race, managers were able to inform the rider of the track conditions as they changed, upcoming hazards and crashes, and check that riders had sufficient visibility through the fogging windscreens. The coaches could also give real-time feedback to new riders on their cornering lines, keeping riders safer and the trike moving fast.
Being able to see the trike’s live GPS location helped the team track the trike in the event an accident happened and helped them spot the trike at night.
Many of RaceHUB’s automatic features such as the automatically updating race rosters ensured the team always knew when they were going to ride throughout the 24 hours, as many small changes in stint lengths and race stoppages can quickly add up. The riders found it useful being able to check the live roster on their personal phones and know they had the most up-to-date information.