On February 12, 2014, an unremarkable date in the history of IndyCar, an interesting experiment took place. During a pre-season test at Sonoma Raceway, the Arrow McLaren team, previously known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, along with lead driver Simon Pagenaud, decided to try something new. They agreed to install a visor camera on Pagenaud’s helmet for his first run after lunch.
Although not a groundbreaking concept, in-car cameras had been used in racing for many years. In the early 2000s, micro cameras were even placed inside the helmets of drivers like Paul Tracy in Champ Car, providing fans with a unique perspective from inside the cockpit. However, after this initial experiment, there was a lull in the use of helmet cameras until GoPro introduced their miniaturized, self-contained cameras in 2012. These cameras were smaller and lighter, making them suitable for attaching to body surfaces and roll hoops to capture high-definition footage. However, they were still too bulky for use on an exposed helmet in open-wheel racing.
In 2013, SPM and Pagenaud tried the visor camera installation at vintage racing events with drivers of fast open-wheel cars. They were curious to see how it would work on an IndyCar, especially since drivers were required to use thick Zylon safety panels as part of their visors. The results were surprisingly positive, and the video garnered 203,667 views.
This unexpected success led to a change in IndyCar’s social strategy. YouTube, which had been an afterthought, became a significant platform for the series. At the St. Petersburg season-opener, six weeks after the Sonoma test, another visor camera filming was done, this time at the start of the first practice session. The reaction to this video was explosive for the time, with hundreds of thousands of views. To date, the video of the thrilling race through the city streets in St. Petersburg has amassed 426,682 views, a number that is now considered normal but was quite impressive a decade ago.
The camera attached to Pagenaud’s helmet in the cockpit caused anger and was promptly taken off by an operations leader, despite being approved by IndyCar’s media boss. Miscommunication between departments led to this incident. Fortunately, the incident occurred after Pagenaud, the future IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, had completed his outing, which was later shared on YouTube.
After reaching a modest peace agreement with the official, another visor-cam shoot took place in April 2014 at Long Beach. However, due to concerns about safety and the need for regulation, the series decided to end the experiment. Pagenaud was given permission to record two laps at the beginning of the event before returning to the pit and removing the external camera from his visor, marking the end of the filming.
More precisely, the utilization of visor-cameras during official IndyCar events was halted until the series made the decision to produce their own visor-cam videos. However, these videos were lacking a crucial component: a separate audio recording. Despite the advancements in miniaturization seen in devices like GoPro, the audio quality was never optimal due to the limited space available for a microphone. Consequently, the sound of the engine was often drowned out by the rush of air at speeds of 150mph or more, resulting in a less immersive viewing experience.
In collaboration with SPM, a suitable placement for a separate high-quality audio recorder was identified in the sidepod. Although smaller than the camera, this audio recorder was turned on prior to the run and collected afterward, allowing the team to remove the sidepod and detach the recorder. The audio recording was then superimposed onto the video, enhancing the Sonoma, St. Petersburg, and Long Beach videos with a powerful sound that complemented the driver’s perspective.
To capture the intense roar of the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, a Roland R05 was employed. Although this model has been discontinued, it continues to perform admirably to this day. However, the external mounting of the visor cams was subsequently prohibited. An alternative attempt was made a few months later in Detroit, using glasses with a small camera embedded in the middle of the frame above Pagenaud’s nose. While this approach was successful, the outcomes were not as desired. Additionally, the use of a separate audio recorder was also banned, leaving the underwhelming glasses to shoulder all the responsibility.
Undeterred, another experiment was conducted during the Indianapolis Grand Prix, this time utilizing a different frame-mounted camera. Unfortunately, Pagenaud disliked this model as it caused discomfort. The lens, hard drive, and battery were positioned in the right stem of the frame, resulting in excessive heat being generated and retained on the right side of his head. After completing his initial run, Pagenaud raised his visor, removed and handed over the glasses, and they were never used again after the heat issue was explained.
Following these incidents, visor-cam footage in IndyCar became scarce, except for a few limited shoots. However, the introduction of the Cambox camera revived the use of visor-cams. Manufactured in France, this 3D-printed device was originally designed for placement on the small bill of helmets worn by riders in horse jumping competitions. The compact camera is also perfectly suited for most racing helmets and can be attached to the foam padding just above the drivers’ eyes using Velcro. IndyCar drivers Romain Grosjean and Will Power were among the early adopters of the Cambox, utilizing it during private tests, although its use is not permitted during official sessions.
With the implementation of the aeroscreen in 2020, the utilization of forward-looking cameras from inside the cockpit has significantly diminished during IndyCar broadcasts. Visor-cam footage from teams or drivers at private tests only makes rare appearances. Thanks to Colton Herta’s specific request to film his run in his father Bryan’s 1998 CART IndyCar Reynard-Ford using a Cambox, we were able to share a previously unavailable, high-definition view that was not possible in the late 1990s.
Formula 1 recently introduced the comeback of cameras placed inside the drivers’ helmets. However, this feature is exclusive to those using the Bell HP7 or HP77 helmets, which are owned by Formula 1 due to their ‘The Driver’s Eye’ technology. This technology was developed through rigorous crash testing and certification. While some IndyCar drivers also utilize these helmets, the visor-cam sessions have been discontinued in IndyCar for several years. Nevertheless, there are still exciting opportunities to explore this concept in other racing series. For instance, during the Long Beach weekends, the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) competes alongside IndyCar. In 2023, HMSA included vintage F1 cars in their schedule. We had the privilege to film a session with the renowned Porsche driver, Patrick Long, in a 1983 Williams-Cosworth previously driven by Keke Rosberg. Furthermore, as vintage Indy cars are set to join HMSA at Long Beach in April, we anticipate capturing and sharing more thrilling footage from inside the cockpit.
According to the Source racer.com