In this ultimate guide for videoing or collecting data on-track we’ll cover best practices for how to film yourself and then we’ll discuss the most popular options for video & data to help you select the device that is best for you!
Best Practices For Recording Your Onboard Videos
When it comes to filming yourself in a way that is best used for coaching the most important thing is to be able to see the road out in-front of the car, being able to see your hands is nice but not necessary.
Blayze recommends three potential options for where to place your camera.
- The dash: The benefit of placing the camera directly on the dash is you typically avoid any “whitewashing” in the video. When the camera is placed further back in the car you often have to manually adjust the focus to be outside the car. So, for beginners we find placing the camera on the dash or front windshield to be the easiest option.
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Front Windshield: Similarly to mounting the camera on the dash this helps avoid any potential focus issues you face when the camera is placed further back. Obviously, with both of these options you don’t see your hands (unless you have a second camera) but you can clearly see the road out front of the car which is the most important part of the video.
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Behind The Driver: This is the most popular camera angle and it is definitely the best option. It can be challenging to find a good place to mount a camera here, usually this is hooked onto the roll cage. When mounting a camera here make sure you focus it outside the front windshield. If you don’t do that the view can be whitewashed which makes it hard to see out in-front of the car, which is the most important part!
Choosing The Right Camera or Data System
In this section we’ll discuss the most popular options used in grassroots racing to record your driving on-track. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, there are too many different types of systems and options to list! But, we’ll cover the most popular ones.
Mobile Apps
To get started there are a few different mobile apps available that can record video of you driving using the phones camera and can also generate some very light data. Some popular phone apps used to record onboard video on-track are:
If you are wanting to record using your phone then you will need a very good mount. This is by far our top pick to use: RAM Phone Mount.
GoPro
A GoPro is one of the best options for those just starting out. It’s probably the most widely used camera in grassroots racing, especially those doing High-Performance Track Days (HPDE) and you can’t really go wrong with one.
We typically recommend getting the latest version, like this GoPro For Track Days;, but almost any version will work well! There are a few accessories to go along with the GoPro we would recommend depending on how you want to mount the camera:
The only negative to the GoPro camera is you don’t really get any data overlay on top of the video. When you’re just starting off that isn’t really necessary and there are things you can add to get that anyway. So, it’s a great option on the cheaper end for drivers just starting out doing track days, time trials, or racing.
Garmin Catalyst
The Garmin Catalyst is one of the newest and hottest devices on the market today. It’s a great option for those wanting a little more data than what the GoPro provides but don’t want to deal with more complex data systems.
The great thing here is in one simple device you’ll get high quality video, a simple data layer, and be able to view your lap times and dats right on the device or from their mobile app. It’s our top pick for newer drivers or seasoned drivers doing track days or HPDE style events. You don’t need any additional accessories as it’s an all in one system.
Here is what onboard video filmed on the Garmin Catalyst looks like:
You can purchase a Garmin Catalyst here!
AiM Systems
AiM creates the two most popular devices on the market today: AiM Solo2 and the AiM SmartyCam.
The Solo2 is a purely data only device. Most drivers using this device are recording video from a GoPro or similar device and then overlay that data over their video using a system called RaceRender. If you want slightly more advanced data than this is a great option, but learning the AiM data analysis software takes a while and it does require a PC to use. So, you’ll have to get used to bringing a laptop to the track to use this.
If you want a data + camera all in one system then the AiM SmartyCam is for you! This camera has some great features like overlaying your throttle and brake graphs over the view and it can be programmed to automatically turn on as the car starts moving. This is a super helpful feature as seasoned drivers know how difficult it can be to remember to turn your camera on before every session!
VBOX
This is the most expensive system on our list… but VBOX packs a punch. It has the highest quality video, the easiest to use software (even a version you can use on Apple computers!!), and it’s an all in one option as well.
The VBOX HD2 system includes video + data. In fact, you can get two cameras so you can have one facing out in-front of the car and the other pointed at you driving. Their analysis software to review data is far easier to use compared to AiM and the video quality is better as well. It’s not cheap but this is a fantastic option.
The Best Camera & Data Option For Track Days or HPDE Events:
Our recommendation here is to go with the Garmin Catalyst. It’s a great and simple solution that will give you everything you need and not make you want to pull your hair out while using it!
The Best Camera & Data Option For Racing
Our recommendation here is either the Garmin Catalyst or the VBOX. We’re big fans of both and if you have budget for the VBOX it’s worth it, but if you want a slightly cheaper option the Garmin Catalyst will work well.
Once you have selected the right video and data system you’ll be ready to rock and roll with your Blayze coach. We make it super easy to send that video and/or data to your Blayze coach from any device. Take a look below on our guide to how to send through those files to a Blayze coach via the Blayze platform.
Uploading Video & Data To Your Coach From Your Computer:
Step 1: From the “coaching” tab within your dashboard select the session type from the right hand side of the screen.
Step 2: Drag and drop your video and data files into the uploader on the left hand side.
Once your video starts uploading you will see the name of your file yellow progress bar below it appear on the right hand side:
When your video has successfully uploaded you will see a green check mark and “uploaded” appear below the file name. Notice the continue button is now black so that you can click “continue” to confirm your coach, answer a few questions, and submit your video!
Uploading Video & Data From The Blayze iOS Mobile App
Please Note: When uploading a data file we advise doing this from the website and not mobile app as it’s easier to get your data file on your computer using AiM vs. your phone.
Step 1: From the “coaching” tab of the mobile app please click on the small red circle with the “+” sign in the bottom right hand corner.
Step 2: Select the type of session you would like from your coach from the corresponding menu that appears after clicking on the “+” icon.
Step 3: If you haven’t already please give the Blayze app access to your photos. From there you can either record a new video or click on the icon in the bottom right hand corner to upload a video from your photos app on your phone.
Step 4: Now that you have uploaded your first video on this final screen you have the ability to upload more videos, confirm your coach, add notes, and submit your session. At the top of the screen you will see the videos you have uploaded, you can add more videos by clicking on the “+ Another video” button.
You will be able to confirm which coach is reviewing your video and send them any notes you think would be helpful for them to know. When you’re ready click on “submit session” and your coach will be sent your video!
