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RaceCapture and Podium bring driving and social networks together in one Kickstarter

This twofer includes a social network all its own, catering exclusively to those that love to drive.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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Andrew Krok
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RaceCapture
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RaceCapture

RaceCapture might look small, but it packs GPS, accelerometers, a gyrometer and Wi-Fi capability.

 Autosport Labs

There are already several different products and Kickstarters that promise a data-driven look at your time on the road or track, but none come with their own social network built just for sharing this data. That's the goal behind RaceCapture and Podium, a hardware-and-software dynamic duo that wants to make driving even more social.

RaceCapture is the hardware component. Using your car's OBDII diagnostic connection, and pairing with your smart device via Wi-Fi, you'll have access to a wealth of information displayed in real time. Mount your phone on the dashboard and you can monitor things like engine temperature and throttle position. It will also chart your position on the track using GPS, and it's capable of predicting future lap times after you've been around a couple times.

Podium, the second half of the equation, is a social network built exclusively for RaceCapture data. You can compare lap times, g-forces and other data with everybody else. It'll let you know when your friends are racing, and it will let you upload video filmed from the device connected to RaceCapture. Of course, Podium is optional, so you can hoard all your data for yourself if that's what you're into.

Considering everything built into the pair, the price is quite palatable. Retail cost is estimated at $199 for the standard RaceCapture, or $259 if your car isn't newer than the 2008 model year. Podium is free -- no subscription required or anything. The company has already released its Android app, and an iOS port is forthcoming.

The Kickstarter will wrap up in January, with development continuing into April. After that, testing and verification should lead to shipment in May. The company's already developed its manufacturing processes, so the majority of the Kickstarter money will go toward software development and continual improvements to the data-sharing side of things.