AcuRite Helps Alaska Raceway Park Keep Drivers and Fans Informed of Track Conditions

Alaska Raceway Park has been thrilling drivers and fans of drag racing since 1964. Located in Palmer, Alaska, their quarter mile dragstrip facility will soon be enhanced with the addition of an oval track.

Problem

The area where the racetrack is located has a unique weather system because of its proximity to the Matanuska Glacier Valley. This makes it difficult to make accurate predictions based on the local radar or the local weather forecast. Due to the fact that motorsports are very weather-dependent, it's important to give the racers and fans accurate weather updates. Drivers often need to travel from several hours away, incurring significant fuel costs towing race vehicles and equipment.

Solution

Alaska Raceway Park's Heather McGee installed an AcuRite Iris™ (5-in-1) Weather Station with My AcuRite® connectivity.. The system measures rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity, and delivers reliable weather forecasts specific to the precise location of the track. Weather data is then uploaded to Weather Underground, where racers and fans can view conditions in real-time. McGee also embedded Weather Underground's widget into the track website, which enables her to link the weather updates to Facebook posts, tweets on Twitter, posts on Google+, and more.

Results

McGee said since installing the system, it has reduced the workload of the track's employees.

"We are able to cut down on the staff time it takes to respond to racer and spectator inquiries about the weather on race days," McGee said. "Racers and fans can monitor the weather and make decisions about their travel and attendance."

McGee said the system offers additional benefits. For example, the track owners can now monitor conditions from their homes, 30 miles away. Perhaps less expected was the discovery that during drag races, the AcuRite system has wound up helping the racers tune their race cars for optimal performance.

"Racers can use the data in their stats in conjunction with air density data, which affects the speed of their race cars," McGee said.