SMT Partners with Global Rallycross Championship

Staying true to its racing roots, SMT — the award-winning provider of data integration, graphics presentation, and video enhancement solutions to live sports television —  announced a new partnership with Global Rallycross Championship (GRC).

SMT will provide the official timing and scoring system and broadcast graphics package for GRC’s 2012 five-race campaign, which kicks off this weekend in Charlotte. GRC combines the energy of motorsports with the attitude of action sports and has been called “motocross with a roll cage.” GRC is a variation on the established European sport of Rallycross which pits small, production-based cars against each other in exciting side-by-side racing.

GRC drivers compete in a bracketed competition, progressing from quarter-finals through finals, in multiple-lap heat races of four cars at time. The GRC race course showcases tight turns and high-action jumps, including a 70-foot gap jump on the “Joker” lap, which each driver is required to take once during each heat.

GRC will debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of a doubleheader following the Coca-Cola 600 race.

“GRC is unique and adrenaline-filled racing entertainment,” said SMT President and CEO Gerard J. Hall. “SMT is honored to be part of the debut of this great new racing series and to introduce GRC to racing enthusiasts through our high-end racing graphics package products and scoring systems.”

The 2012 GRC season will begin at the Charlotte Speedway on a custom-built, three-quarter-mile course, which will be constructed along the front stretch and pit road of the famed 1.5-mile super-speedway.

As this fast-growing sport is introduced to a new segment of fans, Hall said SMT will ensure that viewers are treated to the same high-end broadcast experience which they have come to expect from ESPN. “The Racing Graphics package we provide to ESPN for
its coverage of NASCAR, we will be providing to ESPN for its coverage of GRC,” said Hall. “Our goal is to make GRC look just like NASCAR from a viewer’s experience. If you want to hunt big game, then you need to dress like a big-game hunter.”

Said GRC CEO Chip Pankow: “We couldn’t have a picked a better partner than SMT as we seek to grow viewership of GRC across the United States. SMT has a reputation for providing the highest-end graphics presentation of racing properties and for providing high-end timing and scoring systems. We know we are in great hands.”

As the world leader in writing and designing scoring protocols for high-end racing series, SMT also has developed GRC’s official scoring and timing systems for the inaugural 2012 season.

GRC races are scheduled for June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway, July 14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sept. 1 at a location to be determined; and Sept. 29 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Password must contain the following:

A lowercase letter

A capital (uppercase) letter

A number

Minimum 8 characters

;
SVGLogoHR_NOTAG-200

The Latest in Sports Video Production & Technology
in Your Inbox for FREE

Daily Email Newsletters Monday - Friday