Barracuda Racing utilises Riedel Artist at Indianapolis 500

Barracuda Racing of the IZOD IndyCar Series debuted its Riedel Communications equipment at the Indianapolis 500 race, which took place on 26 May. Throughout the event, Riedel solutions provided the Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) team with a reliable radio package connecting all Barracuda Racing team members, including the pit crew and driver.

For the 2013 race, the Barracuda Racing team interfaced a Riedel Artist 32 digital matrix intercom, used by those racing-team members who were hard-wired in the pits and timing stand, with a radio system used by the crew members who worked ‘over the wall’ or required mobility throughout the pit lane. The Artist system supported various keypanels and five digital two-channel Performer Digital Partyline Intercom beltpacks with MAX high-performance headsets. The radio system included 28 Motorola radios and racing headsets, 12 helmet kits for the driver and crew, and 16 MAX headsets.

The intercom system allowed for increased communication efficiency within the timing stand, and it leveraged multiple Riedel RiFace universal radio interface systems to link the intercom with the pit crew’s digital radios. Using this solution, the Barracuda Racing team was able to segment frequency utilization for further efficiency by providing dedicated frequencies for transmit/receive to and from the race car, sometimes traveling at speeds of over 200 mph, for vastly increased clarity.

Aaron Boese, sports solution manager for North America at Riedel Communications, comments: “As any fan of racing knows, clear communications between team members and the driver is a critical element in a successful race. We are pleased to have provided a reliable, high-performance communications system that allows the Barracuda Racing team to focus on winning races.”