Weekend Herald

Kiwi motorsport app; decision off the grid

MOTOHUB PUTS A RAFT OF FEATURES IN THE PALM OF THE RACING FAN'S HAND

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Anew app for petrol heads has been launched, and it’s already making waves in New Zealand’s motorsport and motoring scene.

Soft-launching at last weekend’s 4 & Rotary Nationals, the locally developed Motohub app puts a raft of features in the palm of the racing fan's hand.

The app mates a social media interface to live streaming of racing, through a combinatio­n of supplied and user-generated media. It also incorporat­es domestic motoring calendars via a booking system that allows users to book slots at race events while on the run.

Modified car and race car owners that join the app can document the intricate details of their cars, with direct links to parts used in their own builds, helping give the passion and the sport more accessibil­ity than before.

“It's a niche that people have been craving for so long,” said Motohub creator Mike Dawes.

“The problem these days is that Facebook is your biggest form of social media platform, and it's so diverse with different genres of informatio­n. People who are motorsport fiends who just want to look at motorsport — this is for them. This is a one-stop shop.”

The app has attracted the support of Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, as well as numerous other racing circuits and clubs around the country — due reward after 37,000 hours of developmen­t over 18 months.

Live streaming will be in action this weekend at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo¯ , but Motohub’s streaming goes one step further than traditiona­l norms.

User-generated streams are one of the app’s big innovation­s in the pipeline, with the capacity for numerous members at the event to create live stream video with their smartphone­s simultaneo­usly — creating a comprehens­ive playlist of footage that users can scroll through in real time as well as after an event.

“Let's say that your mate's doing a burnout, and you've got four other mates around you,” explained Dawes.

“All four of those mates could stream to one person's feed, and the person viewing it could flick between them to what camera angle they want to watch.”

The app can be downloaded for free on Android or Apple devices.

 ?? Picture / Matthew Hansen ?? Club racing categories are among the many groups who will benefit from the new app.
Picture / Matthew Hansen Club racing categories are among the many groups who will benefit from the new app.

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