THE SCOOP
THE 2010 ROAD SEASON IS APPROACHING - ARE YOU READY?
GC RACING SELECTED FOR FESTIVAL 542
GC Racing was selected to provide timing & results for Festival 542 - Mt Baker Hillclimb on September 11-12, 2010. Come out and enjoy an awesome weekend including the ride up the Mt Baker Highway, Cross 542, and Run 542. Visit the Festival 542 website HERE.
GC RACING HELPS OUT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS
With the acquisition of a 2nd Lynx camera, GC Racing provided timing and results services for local high school cross country meets. Look for GC Racing at spring time track & field meets for 2010.
HOW DOES GC RACING'S CAMERA WORK???
Many riders have asked me this question especially when it's a super close finish. When I try to explain it to them they get confused when I say, "the entire image is the finish line." So, to provide a little insight.
The Short Answer
It's not a photograph like using a normal digital still photograph camera (Canon SLR for example). It's not a video camera set on high speed shutter mode (the WSBA camera). It's not some high speed camera used to capture a bullet being fired from a gun like on Myth Busters. It's a specialized digital line scan camera recording only one thing - the Finish Line.
The Long Answer
A conventional video camera has a small rectangular electronic sensor, whereas the sensor inside GC Racing’s FinishLynx camera is far taller and only a fraction of a millimeter wide. This sensor only sees a very narrow piece of the world - the Finish Line. GC Racing’s FinishLynx camera can look at the finish line as often as 2,400 times a second and send these images to the computer. GC Racing’s FinishLynx can record up to 0.0004 seconds difference between 2 riders – that’s 4 ten-thousandths of a second!
As this data is received, the software places these single-pixel wide images one beside another. Each image represents a fractionally later moment in time. Reading a time is simply a question of identifying which "image" contains the moment when the leading edge of the front tire of the riders bicycle crossed the finish line by placing the cursor there. Because every line of the image is time-indexed by the software, the competitor's time is instantly displayed when the cursor is positioned.
View the following ANIMATION.
The Funky Spoke Phenomena
Since GC Racing's FinishLynx camera only records a millimeter wide sliver of the world, the camera is recording the position of your spoke at each position during it's rotation as your wheel is rotating. Thus, on the computer monitor your spokes are all funky looking. Check out the image below from the 2008 Washington State Individual Time Trial.
HED 3 TRI-SPOKE WHEELS AS SEEN THROUGH THE FINISHLYNX CAMERA
THE END RESULT
Thus, the next time you're involved in a super tight sprint and GC Racing is present with their FinishLynx camera, rest assured your finish will be scored correctly. To obtain your own FinishLynx image visit the 2009 Pricing page to learn more.
JUNE 2008 - Des Moines Criterium - GC Racing's Debut
GC Racing debut their photofinish & results system at the Des Moines Criterium for the Masters State Criterium Championships. Using a complete electronic method for registration, creation of start list, transfer of data, GC Racing was able to produce full field printed results minutes after each race finished.