On-, off-track technology large part of sport's future (cont'd)

"Using electronic scoring and loop data tells the story a bit more thoroughly and paints a better picture of the race, it gave us driver ratings rather than just laps lead," Forde said.

On May 16, 1993, at Sonoma, Geoffrey Bodine defeated Ernie Irvan by 0.53 second in the first race using electronic scoring.

Also in 2006, NASCAR introduced its state of the art NASCAR Technology Center and now has two of these at-track technology hubs. The NTC is where NASCAR collects and process timing and scoring data and opens up opportunities for future technological advancement within the sport.

Golden Age?

A NASCAR statistical analysis attempts to prove that "racing since 1970 has become more competitive and more unpredictable than ever." Read NASCAR's contention, then Mark Aumann's opinion in Head2Head -- and weigh in with your take.

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"Some of the brightest engineers in the business work in NASCAR racing and teams do a good job of utilizing the technology they have at hand to improve the overall development and management of their teams," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said.

Wanted: high-tech skills

As tools are advancing in the sport so are the people who use them.

Technology is changing the way NASCAR teams hire. Historically, these jobs have been viewed as grimy. However, the skills required and salaries paid are becoming increasingly more glamorous.

Because of the electronics and computers that are component parts, working with cars is tantamount to working with computers, Dodson said.

That's why Megan Montgomery, a 20-year-old student in Charlotte, N.C., is studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in motorsports.

And it must be noted that the ability to major in NASCAR is another advancement for the sport. Colleges and universities across the country are adding motorsports as a field of study into their course offerings.

"Degrees are now required to get the job that I want in NASCAR, I want to be involved in the design side," said Montgomery, who is interning at Hendrick Motorsports. "How things are going to be done in the future are going to be more applicable to COT."

Montgomery said there's no telling what's around the corner, but simulations and measuring through computer programming is a big focus.

Inside the Helmet

Next to advancements on the competition side of the sport, the way fans watch a race has likely changed the most.

Before scanners and cable TV, fans watched the race with a headset AM radio and a pair of binoculars.

"Before the headset radio was invented they would have to hold a transistor radio up to their ear," said Buz McKim, historian at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "That was tough because of the noise produced by the cars."

And before the transistor radio, a fan would have to rely on the track's public address announcer.

Today the fans have it made, McKim said, and they know virtually everything that is going on at all times.

Next to being inside the car, NASCAR fans can't get any closer to their favorite drivers with the devices, television premiums and online programs available today.

One of the most popular devices today is Fan View, Nextel's hand-held, real time scanner with streaming video.

Dean Kessel, director of Nextel Cup Series marketing for Sprint Nextel, said as long as technology improves so will the fan experience.

He hopes to see a gaming element added to the fan experience soon where the fan is the 44th driver.

"From a virtual gaming standpoint, we would like to find a way in which, while the race is going on, the fan can race against the field," Kessel said. "From a computer or a video game; that would be an amazing experience."

In the works, Kessel said fans will soon have a Sprint Cup mobile platform like the NFL mobile, where fans can look at highlights and fantasy driven info on their wireless phone.

Leaving the company's legacy in NASCAR, entrenched in technology, is important for Sprint Nextel as well as DirecTV, which offers its share of fun for the fans at home. DirecTV's "NASCAR HotPass" is five fully produced channels allowing fans to watch the race from the vantage point of a single driver or team.

What's next?

Chris Long, senior vice president of DirecTV Entertainment, said realistically the channels will be in High Definition by next year, something he said consumers have been pining for.

If cost wasn't an option, Long said all 43 cars would have their own channel, but the company continues to look at growing technologies to get the fan closer and closer.

"Sooner or later, a fan or two will be able to ask a driver a question under a caution. We take live e-mail now and the announcer will ask the question but eventually the fan will," Long said. "It's a possibility. ... Fans are an enormous part of this sport."

Fans talking to drivers on the track, Ivy League engineers, Car of Tomorrow, what's next? Whether the sport will ever evolve beyond recognition or undergo another wave of changes, NASCAR said, is undetermined.

"As long as Goodyear is our partner the cars won't fly; Goodyear's rubber has to meet the road," Giangola said.