In fact a bunch of really obvious apps were not available, like YouTube. Then I searched for the GoPro app (the same one I had on my phone) but it was oddly unavailable on the Kindle. I ordered myself a Kindle Fire 10 and it arrived the next day on my doorstep - thank you Jeff Bezos! - I went through some quick tutorials and the tablet seemed easy to use. No problem, we are going to jail break this bad boy so you can add any app you want. Yes, the Kindle Fire 10 is extremely inexpensive but it doesn’t allow the GoPro app to be added via the limited Amazon app store.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire 10 is only $149.99 and it is a tablet with Bluetooth capability and has a large 10 inch screen. An iPad Air costs $600 (too much for me). I did some market research on tablets and found most were more than I really wanted to spend on a track day tool.
I found it is less expensive to just buy a 128 gig SD card than it would be to upgrade to a higher-end Kindle Fire 10 with more internal memory. How about a tablet? The base no-frills Kindle Fire 10 comes with a micro SD card slot to expand its memory. To make this really work well, I just needed a bigger screen to watch the video wirelessly. This was a cool new feature, but I found that a cellphone screen was just too small to really gain any insight to what I was doing on track. The GoPro app would even allow me to watch the videos wirelessly on my phone. Then I realized that the newest GoPro that I bought came with Bluetooth in it and it would allow me to use my cellphone to turn the camera on or off. I have been contemplating the importance of watching videos between track sessions, but I have found there just isn’t enough time to go to my pit space, get the laptop out, pull the SD cards from the camera and upload video when I am at the track. This is a smoking deal on a large-format tablet to watch videos while sitting in your driver’s seat in the paddock. For just $149.99 you can buy a great tablet with the Kindle Fire 10. It would have been better to have learned that between sessions when I was still at the track. That information doesn’t do me any good then. I may see things like I wasn’t using all of the track on my exit of Turn 4. Then and only then will I take the time to pull the SD cards out of my cameras, plug them into my laptop and see how things looked on the track. I have found I never watch my track videos until I get home after the event.
You already have enough going on between watching the schedule for your next track session, download meetings with instructors, keeping your gas tank full and running to grab a quick track burger at lunch. The only drawback to video is that it’s yet another thing you have to deal with during a track day. Using video to learn tracks and see your mistakes is a great way to find your personal best. HPDE and Track Day events are lots of fun and great opportunities to improve your driving style and lap times. Plus you can look like a hero on YouTube with your super cool shots of you passing a Porsche in your Miata - and we know this happens all the time. There is really no excuse not to use this tool to help you improve your skills behind the wheel. The price of action cameras are extremely reasonable. The ability to see what you are doing behind the wheel provides immense feedback and the ability to improve.
Pro racing drivers, driving coaches and national champions all agree: video will make you faster.