PITTSBURGH—NEP Group has announced the release of a new mobile unit, SRT3, which was custom-built to support NASCAR’s Shared Resources.
SRT3 connects to both the NEP and NASCAR centralized production environments, NEP said. Its main functions include supporting all of NASCAR’s broadcast obligations, including the distribution of shared resource signals needed by various broadcast partners, the encoding of signals used for the remote production of world feeds, screen feeds, officiating, scoring and race control.
“Implementing NEP’s SRT3 for the 2022 NASCAR season has been a successful collaboration between our production teams and NEP’s talented team of broadcast engineers,” said Steve Stum, vice president, operations and technical production, NASCAR. “We are excited about what this new mobile unit is adding to NASCAR’s Shared Resources and to our various broadcast partners, both for today and for what it will provide us in the future.”
This new mobile unit serves as the broad solution supporting NASCAR’s main production, and has the ability to easily transition to employ more IP gear so that it can support NASCAR’s current and future needs, NEP said.
SRT3 is powered by NEP’s Platform Control (TFC), a proprietary software solution that comes pre-loaded in new NEP mobile units like SRT3.
TFC is the control system used throughout NEP’s ecosystem, including traditional remote facilities as well as centralized production facilities. TFC allows for configuring, provisioning, orchestration and granular monitoring of broadcast, IT and network systems. Built by NEP’s software engineers to solve the industry issues around IP control and software defined networking (SDN), TFC is technology agnostic, making it compatible with virtually any technology in the broadcast and live event environment.
SRT3 debuted at NASCAR’s inaugural “Clash at the Coliseum” race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 6, 2022. The LA Memorial Coliseum was transformed from a grass venue to a quarter-mile asphalt racetrack for this unique exhibition, and NEP’s SRT3 supported NASCAR in capturing the sights and sounds to tell the story of this historic event for the sport.
Following the success of its first show, SRT3 is now supporting NASCAR’s marquee event, this week’s 64th running of the Daytona 500, before deploying to each race on the 2022 circuit.
“The collaboration of NEP’s Systems Integration, Engineering and Remote Operations teams has evolved with much success. This project brings new innovations to the broadcast compound and everyone is proud of what’s been accomplished,” said Glen Levine, president, NEP U.S. Broadcast Services. “This continues NEP’s decades-long relationship with NASCAR. Like so many projects we’ve worked with NASCAR on over the years, this technical solution was born in partnership with their production and technical teams. They were in need of a broadcast solution and trusted NEP to deliver a mobile unit design that meets all of their needs.”
