Speeding Toward The Finish Line

Speeding Toward The Finish Line

NASCAR racing team enhances fan experience while maintaining a safe environment

The world of professional sports is exciting and constantly evolving. The sheer volume of events, athletes and fans, though, makes it seemingly impossible to secure the environment. Thankfully, security practitioners can secure facilities and manage crowd and fan behavior by employing a wide variety of processes and technologies that increase security but do not infringe on the fan experience. One such facility engaged in this balancing act is Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, a world-class NASCAR team based in Concord, N.C.

Owned by Chip Ganassi and partners, EGR is a two-car team competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the most competitive form of racing in North America. EGR fields the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/McDonalds Chevrolet for Jamie McMurray, who won the Daytona 500 in 2010, and the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Juan Pablo Montoya in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

In 2010, the team won two of the three championships it competes for and garnered 19 combined wins. The Sports Business Journal nominated the team for Sports Team of the Year, the first time a motorsports team has ever received such a nomination. From January 2010 to January 2011, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams secured several major race wins, including the Daytona 500, Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Many say winning these races in a 12-month period occurs only once a century.

Coordination for Safety
EGR values the use of technology to increase security at its facility in North Carolina and relies on video surveillance to deter criminal activity and to increase fan and employee safety. The facility initially used an analog-based system to monitor operations, but the quality of the images the CCTV cameras captured was not high enough to be valid for forensic purposes. Furthermore, the analog system provided limited coverage on exterior doors in critical interior sections of the facility. There also was no option to focus or zoom. Pete Wilson, facilities manager at EGR, determined the company needed to transition to cameras that could provide higher-quality video to enable the facilities team to evaluate incidents and respond quickly to emergency situations.

Wilson began researching local security systems integrators and met Jose Noy with ComSurv. Established in 1992, ComSurv specializes in delivering surveillance and security technology, including high-resolution surveillance solutions. Wilson was impressed by the company’s work ethic, client and technology portfolio, and technical expertise, and he quickly decided the company was the right partner for the job.

Customized Solutions
Noy visited EGR to determine how ComSurv could help the company migrate to an IP-based surveillance system. ComSurv carefully evaluated EGR’s analog security system, its physical layout and its risk landscape before recommending a solution that would best increase security and provide long-term value. In the end, ComSurv and EGR chose a decentralized surveillance system for its cost efficiencies, high-resolution video and simplified video management software.

A high-resolution camera with 3.1 megapixels records 30 times more detail than traditional CCTV cameras. As a result, larger image areas of up to 360-degree views are possible, reducing the number of cameras needed and the upfront and long-term costs. Unlike other systems, the decentralized concept incorporates a high-speed computer into every camera. This reduces network bandwidth because video is processed on the camera itself, and images do not have to be constantly transferred.

ComSurv installed 12 MOBOTIX high-resolution cameras to replace 16 analog cameras. The cameras are managed by MOBOTIX MxControlCenter, a video management software package that includes valuable features such as unlimited users, simple configuration and installation, layout editor for floor plans, and a user-friendly interface and camera view.

Noy said the entire solution enables EGR to record extremely detailed video clips and offers a substantial improvement in image quality. With the advanced capabilities of the IP devices, the company can keep a watchful eye on its facility and property better than ever before, while increasing safety for visitors.

Not only has the security solution reduced the camera count at the EGR facility, providing immediate and long-term cost savings, but the cameras provide crisp, clear images that enable the security team to investigate suspicious or dangerous situations and respond quickly. Furthermore, Wilson said the system is much easier to use than the previous one, and he doesn’t need to spend a significant amount of time checking the cameras or the system. In a matter of minutes, he can search a whole day of recorded video and easily find the correct video image.

More Power, More Coverage
Today, EGR has better video coverage on exterior exit doors, storage facilities, security gates and parking lots, according to Wilson, and the new cameras act as a strong deterrent as well. Overall, the security system maintains the careful balance of safety and fan-friendliness. He said visitors notice the cameras immediately— the devices stand out because of their unique look. “We don’t want our facility to look like a fortress, because we are focused on being fan-friendly,” he said, “but we need people to know that we take security seriously.”

In addition to finding the security system to be a perfect fit for the organization, EGR found a trusted integrator partner in ComSurv. The partnership proved so successful that EGR recently called on ComSurv to expand the project to increase coverage in previously unmonitored areas.

Auto racing is a unique sport because it encourages its athletes and owners to interact with their fans. As a NASCAR team, EGR is no different. It displays its winning cars and awards to its large fan base at its North Carolina facility. Although the company desires to protect its people and infrastructure, it believes it is paramount that these memorabilia be accessible to the supporters who elevated auto racing to the popularity it holds today. Technology is a critical component of maintaining this critical balance, and the combination of technology, people and processes, as well as strong partners, enables EGR to maintain its leading pace.

This article originally appeared in the September 2011 issue of Security Today.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”