(Originally published Oct 4, 2022)
How fast is it? It’s a question posed often, and answered at the track. But whether it’s drags or lap timing, there’s often a reliance upon the track’s own timing systems. However, a number of timing systems have come on the market that have made performance measuring a whole lot easier.
The VBOX DriftBox and Performance Box helped push the personal timing more than a decade ago, but as time passes, technology improves, and while a small handful of GPS meters are available, AIM Solo, Dragy and VBOX Touch, to name a few.
After some research, we recently opted for the RaceBox, following a brace of targeted Facebook ads after Google searching predictive lap timers. The key reasons were cost, ease of use, convenience and battery power – and following an online order with a discounted price code, it arrived within five days.
A self-contained unit, the RaceBox retails for about half of what a Performance Box costs, and the kit includes the self-contained battery powered display unit, suction-cup windscreen mount, magnetic/USB charging/power cable and even an external plug-in aerial, for remote unit mounting.
While there’s also a separate RaceBox Mini data recorder, it needs to pair with a smartphone for data collection and analysis. The RaceBox standalone unit not only offers its own screen, but live data and timing.
The RaceBox offers two key aspects of timing and one review mode: drags and track timing, the drag component offers all the expected parameters such as 0-100km/h, 0-400m/quarter-mile, plus a rollout function that enables it to typical match the light beams of a proper drag strip.
We chose the RaceBox for its lap timing function, and specifically its predictive lap timer. Working in conjunction with a smartphone app, the RaceBox is easily loaded with specific racetracks, hundreds from around the world, in a few minutes. Even custom tracks can be manually made with bespoke split points; custom carpark challenges, for example. With a number of timing modes from lap timing, to fastest lap, we stuck the unit into our Mazda MX-5 racer for its recent attack at Manfeild for the NZ MX-5 Cup.
Simply turning the unit on and giving it a minute to log onto satellites is basically all it needs, and after a baseline first lap is established, the predictive mode displays either green or red predicted lap times, live and in real time with delta time above or below fastest, as the car follows subsequent laps, allowing driving style to be tested and changed to optimise racing lines, braking points, shift points, gear shift points and more.
It also helps analyse and highlight potential mechanical problems, and with a quick on-screen overview, the unit showed us peak G forces and also minimum and maximum speeds – which actually helped isolate our MX-5 racer being 5km/h down on other cars, and prompting an engine check which found a number of technical issues.
For even more data, the sessions are downloaded to a smartphone in seconds via the app, and it’s possible to take a deeper dive to read track data and a speed trace, just like the Supercar teams, and further analyse racing lines and speeds, along with lap comparisons and overlays. The unit also has internal memory for hours of race sessions accessed via the History option, plus a battery that’s good enough for a typical race weekend, with auto shutdown options for those who always leave their GoPro on.
Simple, lightweight and easy to mount, user-friendly with a large colour display and cost-effective, and with future over-air updates, we’ve been really impressed by RaceBox and it’s become our go-to choice for acceleration times and track sessions. For $349USD, it worked out to be around NZD$625 shipped and landed. The RaceBox is a great little unit ideal for the casual or club racer, up to the semi-pro, wanting acceleration data or predictive or regular live lap timing.
Contact: www.racebox.pro
