App built for Manfeild’s Grand Prix crowd

In a first for Manfeild, a Feilding man has developed an app to boost the New Zealand Grand Prix experience at the Manawatu race circuit.

The smartphone app is designed to help the park communicate everything from race schedules and times to competitor profiles and its crowd.

The annual motor racing event, first held in 1950, returns to Manfeild on February 11.

Designer Andrew Owen, 21, said while the app was built for the New Zealand Grand Prix it would be used throughout the year.

‘‘Manfeild is very diverse. Going forward we’re likely to open up so it’s not just on a racing level,’’ he said.

‘‘It was important we made the app simple. People are going to be sitting out in the sun watching car racing so we needed something people could look at quickly and not detract from what is happening in front of them.’’

Owen said the track lacked a screen to display who was leading, times and who was on the track something his app addressed.

‘‘The app is plugged into the race timing system and it also has the audio stream so people can listen to what’s happening.

‘‘We’re still tweaking a few things. The thing I say about technology is you can always change it and nothing is set in stone.’’

Manfeild chief executive Julie Keane was excited to work with a Feilding talent to develop the app.

‘‘The creation of the app provides an unprecedented portal for us to share information to our audience, whether that be on site at the venue, nationally or internationally,’’ she said.

This development is a part of our ongoing commitment to enhance our communication, to better publicise what we do and to keep up with exciting technology changes.’’

Owen started Konnect Applications Limited after a year at Massey University.